Friday, 10 March 2017 08:55

Fonterra winning over public

Written by 
Fonterra managing director corporate affairs Mike Cronin. Fonterra managing director corporate affairs Mike Cronin.

Fonterra says a campaign where its shareholder farmers tell their success stories has helped boost its standing among New Zealanders.

In April last year, only 16% of New Zealanders surveyed had a favourable view of the co-op; 35% had an unfavourable view.

By December, the co-op had turned this around; 29% viewed the co-op favourably and 16% unfavourably.

Fonterra managing director corporate affairs Mike Cronin told the NZ Cooperative leaders’ forum in Auckland last week that the each percentage represented about 40,000 people.

“So 1.2 million people think positive of us now,” he says.

Cronin says while the co-op is pleased with change in public perception, more work needs to be done.

The co-op used former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in the ‘4.31am advertising campaign’. Fronted by McCaw the ads focus on five topics that farmers want the wider public to better understand.

Cronin says Fonterra farmers want more New Zealanders to know their story.

“They want New Zealanders to be as proud of the co-op as they are.”

Cronin says Fonterra has spent the past three years building better foundations through its community projects – like Milk for Schools and environment initiatives and partnerships.

“Our reputation in New Zealand was unsustainably low and we know we need New Zealanders support to operate.

“We are not understood by New Zealanders; building reputation builds farmer and staff pride and productivity.”

More like this

Fonterra's Whareroa Wins Directors Award

Fonterra's Whareroa site took home the prestigious Directors Award at the co-op's 'Oscars of Manufacturing', while Clandeboye led the way with multiple wins at this year's Best Site Cup.

Smith V Fonterra

OPINION: To a chorus of crying greenies, and not a minute too soon, the Government has moved to put the courts back in their place through proposed amendments to the Climate Change Response Act 2002, intending to limit climate litigation claims such as Smith v Fonterra, in the interests of providing greater certainty for vital industry.

Featured

Pāmu Opens Farm Gates for Summer Open Farm Days

State farmer Pāmu is opening its farm gates this summer in an effort to give the rural sector the opportunity to see how large-scale, multi-system farming is delivering productivity and profitability across New Zealand.

DairyNZ: Waikato Farmers Need Certainty on PC1 Rules

DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Taking On Winnie

OPINION: No one messes around with Winston Peters, more so in a general election year.

Full of Surprises

OPINION: Staying on Federated Farmers, this week's annual general meeting in Auckland is shaping up to be an interesting one.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter