Promotional campaign for european veal meat in the Belgian, French and Italian markets 2019/2020/2021

Promotional campaign for European veal meat in the Belgian, French and Italian markets 2019/2020/2021

Veal production and consumption are specifically European phenomena: beyond the borders of Europe, the veal market is practically or completely non-existent. Veal meat is popular because it is tender, light and full of flavour. It is part of Europe's gastronomic heritage, and traditional veal dishes are stalwarts of the food culture in certain countries. However, the veal market has been declining since the 2000s. There are various reasons for this: the economic crisis, changes in consumption behaviour and above all a lack of top-of-mind awareness. France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy are minded to fight this fall in consumption by boosting the image consumers have of European veal. To achieve this, the four main veal-producing countries are working together to present an application for €5,9m of European co-funding to run a promotional campaign in France, Belgium and Italy (where almost 70% of Europe's veal is consumed). The overall objective of this campaign will be to boost consumption (+0,5% versus 2017) using a strategy designed to make veal more visible within the main purchase locations and increase awareness of the way European veal is farmed. The approach used will concentrate on point-of-sale activities (with regular actions to promote the product in-store), supported by a media relations and advertising campaign which is essential to boosting the image of the product and communicating the high quality of this meat which is so prominent in Europe’s gastronomic heritage. It is in effect crucially important that this campaign has a positive impact: European veal production plays a concrete role in maintaining almost 25,000 jobs, and generates revenue of €5.8bn. It also helps keep the European beef sector viable by providing a vital source of regulation. But above all, it is inextricably linked with the dairy industry. It offers a way of deriving value from young male calves, and also consumes dairy raw materials in calf feed.