New branding pays off for Beerenberg

A radical change to the branding and labelling of one of Australia’s oldest family-owned jam, condiment and sauce producers has seen its sales grow by up to 30 per cent in just six months.

Beerenberg  – run by the sixth generation of the Paech family in Australia –radically changed its labels for the first time in 40 years last July to help it stand out on shelves increasingly crowded with multi-national and imported brands.  The new look for the Adelaide Hills producer has highlighted its authenticity and regional relevance in a sea of foreign competition, with the result that sales in some eastern States markets have jumped more than  30 per cent and by 20 per cent overall across the country.

Beerenberg Managing Director Anthony Paech said the strongest growth had come from independent grocers but that even well-established routes to market via the major supermarket chains of Coles and Woolworths had seen a significant lift in pull through.

“Most pleasingly, our strongest increases in demand came from the key markets of NSW, Victoria and Queensland which were up between 23 and 32 per cent – representing a major breakthrough in Beerenberg’s efforts to become a truly national brand,” Mr Paech said.

Beerenberg’s retail outlet on its Hahndorf farm – which stocks the company’s entire range of products – recorded December sales which were 20 per cent above the same month last year.  In January – a traditionally quieter period through other stockists - Beerenberg enjoyed its best ever month of retail sales nationally.

The re-branding was undertaken with the help of marketing strategy firm Stepchange Marketing and design consultancy The Elk Group.  The launch relied entirely on events, publicity and digital and social media driven jointly by Beerenberg and Hughes Public Relations.  Significantly, the brand revamp introduction did not include any traditional advertising and did not come at any cost to profit margins.

Mr Paech said the strong increase in sales had confirmed a long-held belief that consumers were increasingly discerning in their search for quality, authenticity and provenance in a market which had become global and homogeneous – and lost consumer trust as a result.

“At Beerenberg, our stated goal has always been to bring ‘the true taste of the farm to the world’ – and the simple elegance of the new branding and the transparency of our offer has helped us convey the voracity of our claim,” Mr Paech said.

He said the company had been successfully promoting its authenticity by engaging with its customers and advocates via digital and social media, in particular through its pioneering Provenance Pathway which allows purchasers to enter the barcode of a purchased product onto the company’s website and trace the local sources of ingredients and even meet the people responsible for its creation.

“There is a warmth and accessibility around the Beerenberg brand that makes us different to so many other products, and we think that’s special in a market that’s becoming more and more crowded by the big players.

“You can actually visit our farm, pick the strawberries that go into our jam, talk to us and share recipes – and we love it as much as you do.  We’re proud of this, we’re proud of all our products and we’re proud of our Australian roots – and this is what our new brand celebrates.”

The Paech family began selling strawberry jam with fruit sourced from its Hahndorf strawberry patch out of a roadside stall in 1970.  Today, Beerenberg’s fields still provide the fruit for jams, condiments and sauces sold in supermarkets and speciality stores nationally.  The company’s products are also served in more than 300 hotels across the Asia-Pacific as well as in the First and Business class cabins of a number of international airlines.

“When my parents Grant and Carol first started selling strawberry jam on the side of the main road from Adelaide to Melbourne, it was with home-made labels – and that authenticity is reflected in our new branding.

“For many years, my parents also shared the story behind each of our products with our customers – and we’ve revived that tradition.   Members of the Beerenberg team who pick the fruit, cook the jam and even drive the forklift are featured on the new labels of every one of Beerenberg’s 65 jams, sauces and condiments – giving their tips on how they like to enjoy their favourite product.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT:
Website:  www.beerenberg.com.au
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/Beerenberg
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/BeerenbergFarm

ISSUED BY HUGHES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Please contact
Tim Hughes or Natalie Ciccocioppo on 08 8412 4100 or natalie@hughespr.com.au.