Dairy Crest
1985
To achieve a higher profile
In the early 1980s Dairy Crest had a low profile with consumers. Despite producing a major part of the UK’s butter and cheese, the brand had little recognition or appeal. It was a classic problem of identity: a company invisible not through policy or lack of market importance, but through inattention. Dairy Crest manufactured over a quarter of the butter and a fifth of the cheese consumed in the UK, but it was known to only 2% of the population. Wolff Olins was appointed to change the identity and packaging of Dairy Crest so that it achieved a higher profile with customers.
Showing overt respect for the customer
Wolff Olins recommended a subtle shift of emphasis - Dairy Crest should present itself not so much as a dairy company, but a dairy foods company, enabling it in the future to enlarge its activities beyond milk, butter and cheese. We advised Diary Crest should be characterised by overt respect for the customer, expressed in an irreproachable policy on labeling that achieve new levels of consumer information.
Established as the 'friendly' giant
Launched in 1985, the Dairy Crest scheme was ahead of the trend towards informative labeling. Consumers reacted very positively to this development, which contributed towards the higher levels of public awareness identified by subsequent research. Dairy Crest has established itself as ‘friendly’ and committed to the consumer’s interest. Today, Dairy Crest continues to dominate the market with revenue for 2008 reaching £1.6 billion.
