A new campaign to boost online sales of New Zealand lamb in China is being launched in a joint initiative by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and leading food company Alliance Group.
The digital campaign will leverage changes in consumer behaviour in China toward purchasing red meat online and seeking healthier food options in the wake of COVID-19.
“Alliance Group and B+LNZ are co-investing in this initiative to drive the awareness of New Zealand’s healthy and natural grass-fed lamb, but ultimately to drive sales,” says Nick Beeby, General Manager Market Development at B+LNZ.
“Our research shows there is a significant opportunity in China for New Zealand lamb to take centre stage. Consumers are seeking out nutritious food to boost their immunity and we expect this to continue as people focus on their health in these uncertain times.
“We’re also seeing significant growth in online transactions and sales, especially in meat products, partly driven by people being incentivised to buy online during the COVID-19 crisis. We expect this trend to continue as people have experienced the convenience and efficiency of food being delivered right to their door.”
The campaign on China’s two biggest e-commerce platforms, TMall.com and JD.com, will feature Alliance Group’s Pure South lamb in conjunction with the red meat sector’s Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand.
“We’ll be leveraging Alliance’s established brand and e-commerce channels within these platforms that provide ready-made audiences of millions of consumers,” says Mr Beeby.
The campaign will target specific events run by both platforms with display ads, search engine optimisation and search engine marketing to grab the attention of consumers searching for grass-fed meat.
It will also leverage the fire-power of specific Chinese influencers to create awareness and drive traffic to the e-commerce channels.
“This is a great opportunity to test and prove the impact of the growth in e-commerce transactions and sales in China, but also a chance to establish the Taste Pure Nature brand and the New Zealand red meat story by driving consumers to available New Zealand product,” says Mr Beeby.
Shane Kingston, General Manager Sales at Alliance Group, says the co-operative has been operating in China for more than 20 years so has strong channels to market.
“New Zealand is a trusted source of protein in China with consumers focused on health and nutrition in the wake of COVID-19 so we expect further growth in this segment in the future. New Zealand is well-placed to capitalise on the sentiment of Chinese consumers who are seeking to purchase more ‘fresh’ and ‘good for you’ protein.”
“This initiative builds on our existing partnership with the New Zealand Food Basket and e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has provided the co-operative with a single doorway that directly connects affluent Chinese consumers on the Tmall Fresh e-commerce platform with Alliance Group’s Pure South lamb.”
The campaign will be launched this month with an extended programme expected to run through to the end of the year.
The initiative will also complement activities already underway in China to promote the Taste Pure Nature brand since a ‘soft-launch’ before the COVID-19 outbreak.
This includes a pilot in Shandong province with selected retailers hosting an in-store Taste Pure Nature brand experience.
B+LNZ is also working with other meat processing and exporting companies on other Taste Pure Nature initiatives for the Chinese market. The strategy is focused on developing the overarching brand and then working with companies on specific marketing campaigns.
For further information, please contact: Sam Halstead on sam@latitudesc.co.nz or 027 474 6065
Shane Kingston, General Manager Sales at Alliance Group