New ways of marketing eggs take into account the changing demands of today’s consumers, and technology’s ability to respond to those demands.
Within 10 years, millennials, those born between 1981 and 1997, and Gen Z, born between 1998 and 2016, will account for more than half of the global population. Social media is their main daily source of information and they play an active role in posting their own information, opinions and experiences.
Within these younger groups, the traditional purchasing factors of price, taste and convenience are being substituted by authenticity and sustainability. Younger consumers want to know more about what is in their foods, for example, and the long-term effects of any artificial ingredients. In addition, these new consumers are also searching for brands that do good, especially where sustainability is concerned. It seems that it may be time to reconsider the ways we market eggs.
The consumer’s brand
An interesting new marketing approach that addresses these changes was launched last year in France.
‘La marque du consommateur,” or the consumer’s brand, is truly customer-centric and reflects the shift from value chain to value network.
With the tagline, “C’est qui le patron?!” or “Who’s the boss?” i.e. who really decides, consumers have been given the opportunity to select key criteria related to the production and sale of eggs.
In addition to the type of housing system -- free-range, of course -- consumers were given the opportunity to decide on additional elements, such as the type and origin of feed ingredients, the nature of added pigments to the hens’ diet, the type of packaging used and recommended distance between farms and egg packing centers.
In line with their desire to promote the sustainability of agriculture, consumers have also been able to agree a fair price to be paid to producers, allowing for production costs to be fully covered, plus a fair income for labor. A recommended retail price, voted for by consumers, is printed on the egg cartons to ensure fairness for all players throughout the value chain.
Finally, selected consumers act as auditors and visit the farms to ensure that production meets agreed-upon standards. Given the direct consumer involvement in this product design, direct-to-consumer advertising was replaced by use of social media, significantly reducing marketing and advertising costs while boosting the effectiveness of this peer-to-peer dialogue.
With the support of some of the largest retailers in France, this new approach to marketing eggs exceeded all expectations during its first six months. In addition to eggs, the concept is also being used for apple juice, milk, lettuce, honey, strawberries and chocolate, with more food items to be added soon.
Growing engagement
Along with the growing influence of digital marketing, e-commerce for eggs is gaining some traction in countries such as China, where young, urban --but carless -- adults are riveted to their smartphones. Consumer goods and foods have never been so easy to acquire at any time of day or night, and rapidly delivered on electric motorcycles. In a country where branded eggs represent only 5 percent of the total egg sales, this emerging distribution channel could also bring new players into the field.
Finally, blockchain has entered the egg industry. As a digital platform that stores and makes visible to all any transaction or intervention within the value chain, such as the type of ration fed to laying hens, blockchain addresses the need for transparency and trust craved by consumers. In 2018, Carrefour, one of the top 10 retailers globally, added eggs and chickens in their portfolio of blockchain foods. Through a smartphone application, consumers can scan a code on an egg carton, for example, and obtain information about the farm and the feeds given to the birds.
Is China’s egg industry leading by example?
