Arla Organic repositions to maximize free-range milk opportunity

Arla Foods is repositioning its organic milk range to maximize the opportunity of growing consumer interest in  ‘free-range milk’.

New bottles being rolled out this month prominently feature a ‘free-range’ claim alongside its organic credentials.

The new packaging is being supported by a major marketing campaign, including £5 million of TV promotion. A key theme portrayed in the ads is the “relationship between a dairy farmer and Mother Nature and for the first time communicates the free range nature of organic cows”.

The food industry weekly The Grocer has called Arla’s decision “a u-turn” as the dairy coop had previously said it had no plans to launch a ‘free-range’ organic milk line.

But Arla says it is responding to the research which shows that UK consumers don’t understand that the full range of benefits of choosing organic milk, including the fact that organic cows must be outdoors with access to pasture for an average of 200 days a year.

Tomas Pietrangeli, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK said: “We believe there is significant headroom to grow the organic milk category and make organic milk more accessible to our consumers.Our new advertising campaign, emphasising the free range claim, will help people to further understand the benefits of organic, encouraging them to trade up from standard fresh milk to organic”.