The £1m ($1.24m) promotional campaign sees AHDB and Dairy UK joining forces to work with Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on the 12-week campaign, which goes live next week.
It will be funded through a combination of £500,000 from the UK governments, £300,000 from Dairy UK members and £200,000 from AHDB.
The campaign will mainly focus on driving the tea, coffee and milky drink occasions as they have the largest volume opportunity and are the centre point of most ‘human connections’ according to Dairy UK.
The campaign will appear on social media, digital and, for the first time in more than a decade, on television.
The organizations say the promotion will provide support to dairy processors and dairy farmers, who are currently facing difficulties as a result of coronavirus and the closure of cafes and other foodservice outlets.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said, “Our dairy industry plays a crucial role in feeding our nation and we want to support them however we can at this challenging time.
“We know the closure of restaurants and food outlets has meant many producers have excess milk that might otherwise go to waste. That’s why we are backing this campaign to drive milk consumption and boost sales.
“We have already relaxed competition rules so dairy farmers can work more closely together on the challenges they are facing, and will continue to support them through this difficult period.”
Christine Watts, AHDB’s chief marketing officer said, “This is a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved when industry and Government join together to meet a common challenge.
“AHDB has been delivering a strong focus on the reputation of dairy for the last three years and this campaign will further deliver on the great work we have already begun.”
Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, said, “We’re delighted to be working alongside AHDB and the UK Governments to promote dairy products.
“Everyday moments of human connection are especially important during this crisis. With this campaign we want to highlight the central and sometimes forgotten role that dairy plays as part of our everyday lives. We want to remind people of the importance of taking a moment to connect with each other while enjoying the foods they love, even if it is remotely. We can still take a moment for ourselves and others in these most challenging of times and we can still enjoy nutritious dairy.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) also offered support for the campaign.
NFU dairy board chairman, Michael Oakes, said, “This £1m marketing campaign is a much-needed and timely boost for the dairy sector which has been hit severely by the Coronavirus pandemic. The almost complete closure of foodservice and hospitality outlets has meant the loss of a market for around 8m liters of milk every week, which affects more than three quarters of all dairy farmers whether through drops in milk price or delayed payments.
“I know dairy farmers will want to be involved in this campaign to drive consumption of British dairy products now and for the long term, and we will do all we can to make this a really positive showcase of our sector.”
