Making Arla a household name in Europe

Arla’s Scandinavian values to be internationalised, as TV commercials turn Arla’s European cheeses into brand names.

Everything is in place for Arla Foods to become the European multiples’ preferred cheese specialist. We have close relations with the retail sector, a broad and relevant range, own label experience and customer-focused teams. We only lack one thing – brands.
“It’s critical for our success that we stand strong in the minds of consumers,” says Group Executive Director Mikael Sternberg Christiansen.

For Danes and Swedes the notion that Arla lacks branded products may appear hard to understand. For consumers outside the UK, Sweden and Denmark, however, the Arla name does not have the same meaning.

Consequently, the new business area, Consumer International (CI) aims at transforming certain Arla cheese brands into brands that consumers, along with the red Arla brand, recognise when they shop.

“We intend to make Arla known among Europeans so that they associate the name with the same values we have in Denmark and Sweden,” says Mikael Sternberg Christiansen. “In other words, we will internationalise Arla’s Scandinavian values and be more focused with regard to establishing the Arla brand as a guarantee of quality and health for the whole family.”

Brand awareness will be achieved through a massive international marketing campaign largely based on TV commercials for which DKK 100 million has been allocated for butter and cheese for 2006. The campaign will be centred on four large markets – Germany, Greece, Spain and Poland. Likewise, knowledge of Arla will be further developed over the next few years in other European countries.