Jiglu: Farmtalking: Discussion: Re: Article on FMD Vaccine.

Originally from: Pat Gardiner

Good Morning Chris

You seem to have two separate problems.

Persuading major buyers in the UK and

Reassuring the consumer in the event of “foreign” competitors attempting to take advantage.

To deal with industry in the UK, you appear to need to tackle the reassurance question before it arises.

The reality is that the heavyweights in the UK, do not need reassurance. They know perfectly well that competition-knocking copy always backfires on the instigator.

The real problem is, and always has been, the absolutely appalling business illiterates that gather around and control most farmers’ marketing and representative organisations. They are stupid enough to try to use knocking copy against “foreign” competition, and assume that foreign businesses are daft enough to do the same.

They use “knocking-copy” to give the appearance to their membership of doing something useful, despite the damage it does to British farming

The simple truth is if you attack the other guy’s unicorn meat, you attack the consumer’s perception of your own. It backfires. All capable marketing people know that well and don’t do it.

Faced with the problem, I would recruit a top businessman with public credibility for capable marketing and let him take on the throw-outs and amateurs of the farming marketing world head-on.

One of the supermarkets would probably suggest someone. Some are very tired of rabble-rousing, unjustified abuse and pickets at their distribution depots. Some of their retired executives might well relish having a hand in the reform of animal health. They would also understand perfectly the mind-set of Nestle.

Why should the devil have all the best tunes?

The people who represent British farms in the business world are a laughing stock elsewhere. British big business will not take much persuasion to ignore them.

You just have to shoulder the “has beens” and marketing wannabes of British farming out of the way.

Well, you did ask.

Pat Gardiner

Author wrote:
Dear all,
I have e-mailed all of DEFRA's FMD Stakeholder Communications Group with the
mesage (in Italics) below, with the FMD Vaccine article attached and NFU
comment coloured in red . We meet in early September. I do have a few ideas how to
break this cycle, but would love to hear from any one else who has any
suggestions. Many of the staff and most or all of the Stakeholders in the
above-named group are extremely sympathetic to this aim, so suggestions please.
We will need to find answers to the problem raised by the large exporting
companies, like Cadburys and Nestle, that even if they know that there is no
problem arising from vaccinated product, what is to stop one of their competitors
abroad using any perceptible sleight for trade advantage purposes ; even
assuming that we get the UK sorted [big 'if' but hopefully do-able], it will all
come unstuck again on this. Please rack yer brains, as this is the biggest
stumbling block left.
Contributions on how to sort the UK situation also welcomed, bearing in mind
that many producers, processors, and retailers do not wish to dwell over-much
on existing vaccine-use, so emphasising comparative safety by reference to
something perhaps best rapidly glossed over is difficult – hard to believe the
NFU would be so stupid as to play with fire in a powder-keg.
I think it is also true to say that there are no serious plans to vaccinate
sheep next time; John Thorley (National Sheep Association) is implacably
opposed to vaccination – proposes instead that sheep should be left up the mountain/
pushed to outlying ground, and then blood tested later. DEFRA seem to be in
agreement with this, which may mean what it says, or it may just mean that John
is retiring soon, say anything, then kill next time as sheep producers do not
want vacc -- there is not a lot can be done with a vaccinated ovine carcass
other than cook it quickly, so I have suggested mobile field kitchens to
produce large-scale product for HM Prisons, Armed Forces, Schools, Welfare and
charity applications etc -- so far no notice taken, will raise it again (obviously
purchase and acquisition contracts would need a 'national emergency' override
clause).
Dear all,
please find attached a recent Press cutting of central relevance to our
task.
The circularity (chicken / egg) could be endless – producers pre-empting
non-existing baseless consumer fears and possibly thereby generating the very
same. How are we going to break the cycle?
Could I suggest that we bring proposals for solving this most knotty of
problems to our next meeting. I have a few ideas, some almost ready for Press
release.
Sincerely,
Chris (Stockdale).