Spain’s olive oil producers are set to launch a marketing push across Europe to drive consumption of the product in key export markets.
The campaign, funded by the industry, the Spanish government and the EU, will target markets including the UK and France, two large markets for Spanish olive oil.
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In the UK, olive oil consumption has increased amid a growing interest in eating more healthily and, during the economic downturn, in home cooking.
The EUR16.5m (US$22m) marketing push, which also takes in Belgium and the Netherlands, will aim to promote the health benefits of using olive oil over alternatives like vegetable oil.
Teresa Perez, director for the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Espanol, said olive oil was a “natural” product and its health benefits had been proven scientifically.
“One of the most important properties is the capacity of olive oil to regulate the levels of cholesterol in the blood. It lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good cholesterol. It helps to prevent cell ageing. It’s very rich in vitamin and minerals. It’s a natural product that has all these properties naturally,” Perez said. “Our aim is for people to get to know the product better.”
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By GlobalDataOver half of olive oil sales in the UK are generated by own-label products. Perez told just-food that the aim of the campaign was not to highlight Spain’s branded olive oils but to increase consumption across the board. However, she said increased consumer awareness could lead to shoppers moving from private label to brands.
“Own label is not a problem. 65% of consumption in Spain is own label. The point of the campaign is to make people more aware of the product. It’s a generic campaign,” Perez said. “But when the consumer knows more, the next step for them is to move to other products.”
The campaign will also highlight Spain’s status as a major producer of olive oil. The country is the world’s largest producer of olive oil and Italy, another major producer, imports much of its olive oil from Spain, Perez said.
However, Perez explained that the campaign will also be used in Spain, which consumes half the olive oil produced by the country.
“The campaign is also aimed at Spain because half of our 1.2m tonnes of production is consumed in Spain. We have to take care of those consumers,” Perez insisted.
