Recent Developments in the
Branding & Marketing of fish products
OECD/FAO
Roundtable on Eco-Labelling & Certification in Fisheries
The Hague
22nd -23rd, April 2009
© Birds Eye Iglo1
Peter Hajipieris
Birds Eye Iglo - UK & Europe
Director of Sustainability & External Affairs
Contents
1. Who is Birds Eye Iglo?
2. Marketing of Fish – some basics
3. Communicating Sustainability - complex
4. Going Forward – some opportunities
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5. Summary
Leading European frozen food business
� # 1 frozen food company in Europe
� €1.3bn sales
� Household brands
� UK, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal,
Hungary, Romania, Russia, Turkey
� Fish, Vegetables, Poultry, Red Meat, Ready Meals
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� Fish, Vegetables, Poultry, Red Meat, Ready Meals
World-Class fully integrated supply chain
� 3 world class facilities
�UK x1 • Germany x2
�One of largest frozen fish
factories in the world in
Bremerhaven, Germany
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Bremerhaven, Germany
Birds Eye Iglo Market Share in Fish & Vegetables
Category Leader in local markets
Fish Veg
DE
UK
Fish Veg
19%
24%
#1#1
#1#1
#1#1
39%
24%#1#1
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AT 68%
#1#1 #1#1
81%
Birds Eye Iglo Sustainability Workstreams
� Climate Change
� Sustainable Sourcing� Sustainable Sourcing
� Ethical Sourcing
� Packaging & Waste
� Water Use
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� Transport Efficiency
Birds Eye Iglo has been instrumental in championing
Sustainable Fisheries Development
Fisheries Sustainability – our Role
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� Unilever/Birds Eye Iglo
& WWF founded the MSC
� Sustainable Fisheries Development
� Fisheries Improvement Partnerships
� MSC Certified Fisheries Programmes
� Production � Retail
Branding & Marketing of Fish Products
� Reflects consumer culture and product life cycles
� Signals a difference in Quality, ingredients or recipe� Signals a difference in Quality, ingredients or recipe
� Signals a difference in price points
� On-Pack Messaging e.g. nutrition, origin
� Single Indicator social or responsibility dimensions
e.g. ‘Sustainable’ Fishery Status
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e.g. ‘Sustainable’ Fishery Status
‘Responsible’ Fish Farming practice
Development Cycle is Culture & Market Dependent
e.g. Food Safety,
Sustainable Fisheries Management,
Responsible Farming
Global
Change
International
Fisheries
Change
National
Fisheries
Change
Industry
Centric
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Time/Progress
Communicating product states is complex
Icing of Fish
Time Time Time Time ---- IllustrativeIllustrativeIllustrativeIllustrative
Freezing of Fish
Hazard Analysis
Quality - Freshness
Modified Air Packaging
Food Safety Typical Fish Industry
Standards Development
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� Fish starts to deteriorate the moment it is caught
� Keeping it in a chiller or on ice, slows the deterioration
� But freezing effectively ‘stops’ it
e.g. Classic Frozen Fish vs Fresh Fish - science
� But freezing effectively ‘stops’ it
Frozen
Qu
ali
ty
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On Ice
Chiller/Fridge
Qu
ali
ty
Time
“Fresh fish
Example – not easy on pack
decays by
the second”
“Freezing
stops the
© Birds Eye Iglo15
stops the
clock”
Communicating the benefits of Frozen Fish
Birds Eye Sponsorship
via media communications
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We know Fisheries Management Challenges
World Fisheries ProductionWorld Fisheries Production
EU fisheries rated
at 82% ‘Overexploited’
Aquaculture viable but irresponsible
practices have damaged perceptions
• IUU Estimates: <>25%
• World Discards: <>8%
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� Environmental Risks
� Food Resource Risk
� Socio-Economic Risks
� Environmental Impact
� Food Resource Risk
Lack of international
standards alignment
Great efforts being made to tackle Governance
� Food Resource Risk
� Socio-Economic Risksstandards alignment
Evolution of a
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Evolution of a
Multitude of
Stakeholder Efforts
Current ‘Change Phase’ of Fish Industry
Icing of Fish
Time Time Time Time ---- IllustrativeIllustrativeIllustrativeIllustrative
Freezing of Fish
Hazard Analysis HACCP
Quality - Freshness
Modified Air Packaging
Food Safety
Responsible Farming
Global
Change
International
Fisheries
Change
National
Fisheries
Change
Industry
Centric
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Eco-Labelling
Sustainability
Responsible Farming
Traceability NowNow
1. Price
2009
Today, consumer price sensitivity is widespread
1. Price
2. Best Before date
3. Freshness
4. Physical appearance
5. Food Safety
ConsumerConsumer
FeedbackFeedback
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6. Climate Change
7. Sustainability
Omnibus - seafood product consumer insights 2009
Environmental > Economic > Social
Environmental Focus is on
ecological or
SOCIAL
Economics
ecological or
environmental
based
management
of food
production
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But Economics
must be right as
well to deliver
social gains
“Over 75% of the
worlds fisheries are
“25% of the worlds
fisheries are
And confusion is evident in communication
worlds fisheries are
overexploited”
fisheries are
overexploited”
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Some eNGO Claims UN FAO Data
1. Industry Change - dynamic
(since last OECD Challenges of Fisheries Globalisation Conference, 2007)
Example Change or Action
EU – IUU Reg’s Regulatory change to assist fight against IUU challenges
Ecolabel Misuse Examples where Ecolabels misrepresented for Quality
FIP Model Fishery Improvement Model now adopted by new NGO’s
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FIP Model
to drive change or support businesses e.g. SFP
Example Change or Initiative
Established in markets globally – most widely adopted
(since last OECD Challenges of Fisheries Globalisation Conference, 2007)
2. Industry Change - dynamic
MSC Established in markets globally – most widely adopted
wild-capture certification scheme – management tool
NGO ‘Traffic Light’
Fish Lists
Designed to alert consumers to more sustainability
choices - not well received by market
Supermarket
Surveys
League tables showing ratings based on perceived
‘sustainability performance’
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Surveys ‘sustainability performance’
(“UK Consumers will only eat Cod Fish Fingers”)
e.g. Birds Eye decided to relieve pressure on Cod
F.so Birds Eye tried Hoki
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Fand Hoki did not work X
� ‘Omega 3 Fish Fingers’ biggest branded food launch
in sustainability arena in last 10 years
Fbut Alaskan Pollock worked
in sustainability arena in last 10 years
� Relieved pressure on Cod
� However, examples like this are rare
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Looking at some Industry Opportunities
Aspect Industry Opportunity
1. Governance � Public & Private Frameworks & Partnerships can work
� Providing the agreed outputs are clear at the start
2. Communication � Align terminology for Fisheries Sustainability
� FAO fisheries rating descriptors liable to confusion
3. Incentivise
Transitional
Fisheries
� We should reward positive change
� ‘Abandonment’ allows poor practitioners to win
whilst society loses
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Fisheries whilst society loses
� Developing countries needs are relevant to debate
4. Certification
Alignment
� Wild not the same as Aquaculture – so clarify the
principles and criteria for standardisation
1%Recovering
RISK
FAO ‘Exploitation’ terminology not metric – open to misuse
7%
17%
52%
20%
Fully exploited
Overexploited
Depleted
Moderately
exploited
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3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Underexploited
exploited
Too many ‘Ecolabels’ - complex
� Market confusion
� Complex to communicate
� Duplication of supply chain costs
� Inter-operability of standards weak
� Industry resources not focussed
� Standards misalignment
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� Standards misalignment
� Audit process misalignment
� Incentivisation process is misaligned
Aligning International Fish Certification
suggested ‘Wish list’ for Fish Certification Schemes
1. Does it operate to internationally agreed or harmonised reference?’’
2. Standards Inter-operability – aligns to principles of standardisation2. Standards Inter-operability – aligns to principles of standardisation
3. Certification process e.g. EN450011 / ISO65 / ISEAL compliant ?
4. Governance & Transparency of operating Management Board
5. Credibility of Issuing Organisation (gained from above)
6. Ease of use by industry – simple language
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6. Ease of use by industry – simple language
7. Affordability - Cost Structure incentivises market to adopt standard
8. Continuous Business Improvement Process is inbuilt
9. Label Declarations consider ISO14020 aspects
Market will ‘Choice Edit’ Ecolabel noise..
Consumers
cannot
Process
‘Ecolabel
Noise’
Industry Dilemma NowIndustry Dilemma NowConsumers
want clarity
from Brands
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Noise’
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� Better & simpler design of user frameworks
We can improve industry chances of success by:
� Align incentives
� Align standards
� Align audit processes
� Honest, transparent scheme claims
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� Honest, transparent scheme claims
Fish is a wonderful, nutritious food and fun!
Birds Eye Salmon Fish Fingers TV advert
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