Issue No 11, January 1999.

NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the Advice on Publications Available.

23.1 RIRDC Bushfood Marketing Research Update

Vic Cherikoff
Bush Tucker Supply Australia Pty Ltd
482 Victoria Road
Gladesville, NSW 2111
Telephone: 02 9817 1060
Facsimile: 02 9817 3587
Email: vic@bushtucker.com.au
Web Site: http://www.bushtucker.com.au

This project was jointly funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Bush Tucker Supply Australia Pty Ltd and each of the industry Associations, along with a generous contribution from consumer researchers, the Dangar Research Group.

Research into the food industry's awareness and current perceptions of bushfoods has been undertaken.

This was done to determine if bushfoods could benefit from a change in image.

An industry strategy has also been explored to help with any changes in image and consequently, any changes in marketing direction.

Developing the tactics to bring the industry strategy to life will occur over the next few months.

However, there are steps which can be taken at once, to strengthen the future prospects of the bushfood industry.

These steps include:

• boosting the profile of the bushfood industry and the new image
• building on the achievements of the past and
• creating the groundwork to realise many of the opportunities likely to be provided by the Sydney Olympics.

The overall outcome of the marketing research to date has been encouraging.

Native ingredients have considerable market potential if appropriate strategies are used. There are at least some top class chefs and influential food writers who are enthusiastic about native foods and strongly believe in them. They see them as currently under-developed.

There is a powerful top-down influence from these people on the food adoption trends followed by the broader market. Australians are eating out more, apart from fast food.

The population is frequenting small café-style restaurants, bistros and brasseries in greater numbers and are inevitably influenced by the new dishes they encounter. These establishments are responding to the messages from the top chefs and food writers.

Consumers' food tastes and their inclination to experiment with food can be moulded by the popular media.

Food journalists, in print and on TV, translate the message between the trend-setting chefs and the community-at-large.

A number of the native ingredients are creating real interest, particularly because of their distinctive flavours, ranging from the delicate to the intense.

Sensory cues which have been identified positively, including the vibrant aroma of lemon-myrtle and the visual allure of rosella.

These qualities appeal to the creativity and encourage individual invention amongst chefs.

Native foods also have the capacity to bring an exciting and unique Australian flavour to the country's rapidly evolving cuisine.

There is also strong interest at the consumer level in the 'new bush flavours'.

The interest is greatest amongst those with a keen interest in food but their early adoption of the new foods, often migrates to the broader market, if perhaps in a simpler form.

If native ingredients are to be popular, there are a number of barriers to be overcome:

Firstly, the terms 'bush food' and 'bush tucker' are considered by those surveyed to be inappropriate and were considered likely to inhibit industry growth.

The term 'Australiana' had mixed appeal and some food categories were suited to the pioneer or outback image, for example, the success of the Bush Breads of Australia.

Tourist markets find these labels appropriate, providing opportunities for boutique product ranges. Chefs and food writers are familiar with these labels and strongly resist them, insisting that a more contemporary image is needed.

Supermarket consumers do not accept these labels for everyday foods because:

• The labels are parochial and are usually associated with tourists and gimmicks, undermining the integrity of the products
• 'Bush food' conjures up images of 'survival in the wild' (under-scored by the activities of the outback adventurer, Malcolm Douglas and more recently, the Army's Les Hiddins, alias 'Bush Tucker Man'), rendering it difficult to appeal as a modern, sophisticated food.

Native Australian Foods (or Australian Native Foods) was the label provoking the most positive response. This label sounds authentic and readily identifies natural or wild herbs, fruits and nuts.

Secondly, the whole category also requires a new positioning in the market, away from the link with Aboriginal fare.

Although there is certainly increasing interest in and justifiable respect for many aspects of indigenous culture, this does not extend to demand for food in the marketplace.

Mainstream Australia has no affinity with images conjured up by kangaroo, goanna, witjuti grubs and a nebulous array of 'yams and things' which is the popular vision of Aboriginal food.

The new positioning needs to imbue native foods with the qualities of prestige, modernity, food interest, flavour appeal and to be regarded as a uniquely Australian eating experience, thus capitalising on the increasing pride in local produce.

'Native Australian fruits, greens, herbs and aromatic spices have unique tantalising flavours that offer you new, delicious taste sensations, enhancing the quality and bounty of the country's food and produce.'

Thirdly, there is a lack of visibility and accessibility for native foods. Some ingredients may be impinging upon consumers' consciousness but most are not aware of the category and few would know where to access the products.

This has been inhibiting food editors who are reluctant to run articles with ingredients that 'people can't buy'.

To raise visibility and encourage interest in the general market, the following steps must be taken:

• Products should be available in supermarkets and introduced via in-store demonstration and sampling.
• Packaging must encourage the belief that a new and exciting taste experience is promised and thus must be modern, rather than cute, gimmicky or overlaid with 'bush' images.
• A priority should be placed on continued promotion of a range of different products with evocative flavourings like wild lime, native pepperberry or lemon myrtle to high profile food manufacturers.

These manufacturers will support new products with advertising. The current climate of the market indicates that such a route will provide encouraging results.

It is essential that new products are of excellent quality; sub-optimal lines in the past have had a detrimental effect on the category amongst those who have tried them.

The introduction of 'hero' products, which can easily be incorporated into everyday cooking practices, could give native foods impetus if appropriate publicity were used.

There is still a need for the promotion of native ingredients, especially with chefs. There are no well-documented, long-taught methods such as those which support Western and Asian food and disseminate knowledge about the traditional harmonies of flavour. The category lacks authority.

As well, there are no recognised champions from the 'inner circle' and hence the category is short on prestige.

To gain more credibility and to fire the enthusiasm and imagination of chefs, consideration should be given to the following:

• The appointment of a spokesperson - a highly qualified and well regarded chef who would:
• act as a legitimiser of native ingredients by lending personal authority
• help 'educate' chefs and the media (An awareness of the natural companions of the individual ingredients needs to be credibly developed within the broad context of the contemporary 'fusion' cooking style)

• Run a major competition amongst chefs for invention of 'seminal' dishes
• Set up a Master Class or series of Chef's Dinners along the lines of Le Torque Blanche in Melbourne
• Mount joint promotions with game and other produce suppliers to restaurants

A checklist of the proposed Industry Strategy would include:

1. Facilitate the formation of a peak industry body and as a priority, ensure that the industry speaks as a dynamic, cohesive and professional unit
2. Embrace the industry image
3. Promote the use of currently available products that are suitable
4. Adopt and consistently use the category label of Native Australian Food unless there are special circumstances warranting the inclusion of the word 'bush'
5. Reposition the category to reflect:

taste appeal versatility and everyday use innovation creativity ease of use clean and green organic healthy and nutritious properties pride in Australian produce and cuisine

6. Build the following image values into the category:

prestige and modernity food interest and taste experience sexy and stylish international flavours that are uniquely Australian

7. Strengthen the category's authority, in food terms amongst chefs and promote the existing avenues of education on the topics of ingredient characteristics and flavour harmonies
8. Appoint a respected peer champion/spokesperson

Run a competition for top level chefs Set up Master Classes or Chefs' dinners Carry out joint promotions with other suppliers

9. Make native food simple, accessible and visible for consumers by:

Placing native food products onto supermarket shelves, with samplings Encourage manufacturers to include ingredients in popular products Organise national promotions at a retail level, such as a National Native Australian food week Publicise native ingredients on the food pages of the popular press

10. Emphasise the quality of Native Food products
11. Ensure that the flavours of processed products are as appealing and distinctive as possible and the packaging augments these properties

Place fresh produce, such as warrigal greens in-store Develop freeze dried or wet flavourings

12. Recognise health as another important (early) attribute providing an opportunity

Vic Cherikoff will be pleased to receive any comments from anyone on these plans for the marketing of the Australian Native Food industry. His contact numbers are at the top of this article.

Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email: r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au

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originally created by: GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF