PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Canada’s canola industry is well on the way to correcting the failing grade it recently received in marketing 101.
Grower groups and crushers are poised to launch a major sales and promotion blitz in the United States co-ordinated by the Canola Council of Canada.
In the next few weeks, canola oil and canola-based products will be showcased to an estimated 300,000 consumers across the U.S.
The new promotional campaign should help address some of the harsh criticisms levelled against the industry by the keynote speaker who kicked off the council’s 37th annual convention.
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Food industry analyst Bob Messenger told the 156 delegates and invited guests who made the trip to Mexico that American consumers know little about canola and its substantial health-related benefits.
Council president Barbara Isman said that’s about to change. The association has hired a leading food industry magazine to inform grocery shoppers how consuming canola oil can help prevent heart disease and reduce their intake of trans fats.
Cooking Light magazine is going to park semi-trailers in front of upscale food stores where consumers will be offered product samples, write-ups and canola oil coupons.
“Products with canola in them will actually be highlighted in the store,” said Isman.
The association hired the communications firm Fleishman-Hillard to co-ordinate a separate media blitz targeting influential food writers and health professionals.
That campaign includes a total revamping of the council’s website to make it more consumer friendly, a shortcoming Messenger harped on during his speech.
A key motivation behind the canola oil campaign is that the Canadian and U.S. governments are in the process of revising their nutrition guidelines.
Both governments have indicated “good fats” will be recognized separately in those guidelines, said Isman.
The campaign hopes to tap into the momentum building in North America to do something about weight-related health issues.
“We have a population in the United States that is wondering what it can do about obesity issues and trans fats,” said Isman.
Canola is well positioned to provide some answers.
Regular canola oil has the lowest level of saturated fats and the highest level of omega 3 fatty acids of all the vegetable oils, making it a healthy alternative.
High oleic canola oil contains zero trans fats, a type of edible fat health professionals consider to be even less healthy than saturated fats.
“We decided to stop hiding our light under a bushel and get out there and start talking to Americans about what we offer.”
Isman said it was pure coincidence that Messenger’s criticism came at a time when the industry was poised to address that shortcoming, claiming she was unaware his speech would delve into that topic.
“It worked out really well because we have these plans in place.”
