How important are brands to Ornua’s business?

Overall, our branded division of the business, Ornua Foods, contributed close to half (46%) of Ornua’s €2.1bn turnover last year. 2017 was a strong year for Ornua’s brands, such as Kerrygold and Pilgrim’s Choice, which maintained market-leading positions across key markets on the back of strong growth in 2016. Continuing to cement and grow our premium position enables us to deliver strong returns to our members.

How do you maintain a dairy brand?

We continually invest in the Kerrygold brand. This firmly cements Kerrygold in the premium brand position with consumers all over the world. Secondly, we are very fortunate that we have a wonderful brand story to tell. It’s a story consumers readily engage with. Finally, we listen to our consumers and monitor how their attitudes and behaviours are changing. This allows Kerrygold and Irish dairy to maintain meaning and relevance.

What are the benefits of having a consumer brand in the food sector?

A brand like Kerrygold allows us to share the story of Irish dairy farming with consumers in 110 markets around the world. With Kerrygold firmly established as a premium brand globally, we now have the equity to leverage beyond butter. Last year, we launched 34 new retail products, with a focus on the Kerrygold brand in Germany and the US. These launches are part of our strategy to transition our brand from a well-known butter brand to a leading global dairy brand.

When do you forecast Kerrygold retail sales to reach €1bn?

Kerrygold is on track to become a €1bn global dairy brand in the coming years. Retail sales were over €900m in 2016.

Is butter consumption growing in developed markets?

We have experienced a record year of growth in both Germany and the US in 2017, with double-digit volume growth for Kerrygold in both markets.

Where do you see the most potential for the Kerrygold brand to grow?

Outside of our core strategic markets, Ornua is focusing on the emerging markets of Africa, China, Europe and the Middle East. We do this by investing further in new routes to market, in market presence and new product development programmes.

Can the success of Kerrygold be replicated with cheese brands?

Pilgrims Choice is the number two cheddar brand in the UK and continues to grow. While Dubliner is a distinct brand in our home market, we sell it in the US as Kerrygold Dubliner cheese so it’s part of the Kerrygold brand. Our brand portfolio for powders includes Kerrygold, Beo and Forto. All three brands continue to grow in markets such as Africa and the Middle East.

  • Title: Brand director.
  • Company: Ornua.
  • Turnover: €2.1bn.
  • Key brands: Kerrygold, Pilgrim’s Choice, Dubliner and Beo.
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