State’s Farmers Speak Up for Their Products : Generic Advertising Employed to Compete for Grocery Store Shelf Space

In the fierce competition for consumers’ food dollars, California farmers aren’t willing to let their crops sell themselves.

Instead, many growers tax themselves so they can hire people to advertise and tell the world why their product is neat to eat.

And, as with most advertising, some of these generic ads have gotten sophisticated, even sexy.

‘Anything Goes’

For instance, the California Egg Commission has a $4.5-million campaign built around the slogan, “Anything Goes with Eggs.” Naturally, Cole Porter’s song “Anything Goes” is played as the commercial focuses on skiers, champagne and caviar.

The campaign is aimed at young professionals, better known to some as yuppies, who are “light egg users,” says Bob Pierre, president of the egg commission.

He said the national egg board touts nutritional value, economy and easy ways to prepare eggs.

“But that doesn’t turn the yuppies’ heads one bit,” Pierre said.

Generic advertising is needed in the egg business, because consumption has dropped from 435 to 262 per capita since the end of World War II. Most producers can’t afford to advertise individually, he added.

But the most important reason for self-promotion is the competition for space in grocery stores with other food products that advertise heavily, Pierre stressed.

California’s egg producers are far from the only group trying to improve their lot through advertising that lacks a brand name.

Promoting Beef

Even growers of that staple, beef, advertise heavily, partly because of increased competition from poultry and fish.

The California Beef Council channels more than $1 million a year to its national council for advertising, with $700,000 used to buy space or time in the large California media market.

The industry “Beef Gives Strength” television commercials and “What Can You Expect for 300 Calories” print ads were developed by Ketchum Advertising of San Francisco.

Two state milk advisory boards won a national award last year for a “Say Cheese” commercial that was part of a $4-million campaign to promote “Real California Cheese.”

That effort complemented magazine advertising by the National Dairy Board titled, “Softly She Moves,” which stressed women’s nutritional needs for calcium.

California’s raisin industry, facing a massive surplus caused by overproduction and sharp cutbacks in foreign sales, spent $10 million last year on a television commercial that used classical music and a catchy jingle to tell consumers that raisins can add zest to most dishes.

Lower Prices

Now raisin ads are emphasizing lower prices resulting from surpluses. Alan Canton, advertising manager for the California Raisin Advisory Board, credits the campaign with helping produce a 20% increase in consumption.

People have to be sold on raisins because they aren’t a staple that is considered necessary to the daily diet, he said.

“Raisins are a low-interest item,” Canton said. “They’re not like detergent or coffee. People just don’t go to the store with raisins at the top of their shopping list. Lowering the price doesn’t mean anything if the word doesn’t get out to the consumers.”