Aliments
du Québec:
Model of
a strong
brand image

In 1996, participants in Quebec’s agri-food products industry formed Aliments du Québec, an organization whose mission is to identify and promote the province’s food products. By creating a strong common brand, they wanted to create a reliable method to ensure the traceability of Quebec food products and heighten awareness of local consumption, thereby increasing the market share of Quebec products.

A very interesting case study

Twenty years later, Aliments du Québec is a very interesting case to examine for businesses that want to assess the importance of having a strong and easily recognizable brand. Moreover, since the food market is especially competitive, the results obtained by Aliments du Québec give us important lessons on the impact of a strong brand image in a highly competitive environment.

The promotional effort in a few numbers

Numerous awareness campaigns conducted in collaboration with MAPAQ have allowed the certifications managed by Aliments du Québec to become very popular. “Consumers recognize our logo and understand what it means. It’s a reliable benchmark for them and it helps them make a choice when they buy,” said Marie Beaudry, the organization’s managing director, during a telephone interview. “83% of consumers say that the logo has a positive influence on their choice to purchase the product,” she adds.

The result is convincing: according to a study conducted in 2010, the Aliments du Québec logo increases a product’s market share in grocery stores by an average of 2.8%. It is quite clear that the initiative launched by the agri-food industry is a success. Aliments du Québec helps to maintain consumers reflex to purchase locally and all this work results in an increase in market share for Quebec products in the food supply.

Takeaways

Several lessons can be learned from the Aliments du Québec experience. To understand them properly, we can compare the organization’s work with the three essential elements of a successful brand identified by the BDC: consistency, community and content.

Send a clear and consistent message

The message conveyed by Aliments du Québec is clear and outlines easily identifiable fundamental values. When the organization’s stakeholders speak publicly, they express these values frankly and consistently, whether it is on the social media or in an opinion letter.

Maintain a strong community

Thanks to the clarity and strength of its message, Aliments du Québec succeeds in pooling a community of producers and consumers who share similar values. For consumers, buying a product identified by the organization’s logo is a way to express their agreement with these values. For producers who choose to enrol, it is also an opportunity to take a position. “We go beyond simply selling, we help producers get a message across,” states Marie Beaudry.

Publish engaging and inspirational content

By regularly publishing engaging content on the agri-food industry and using inspirational slogans like “Invite local food at your table,” the organization strengthens the feeling of solidarity that it maintains between producers and consumers. This allows it to help sustain the values that maintain the strength of its brand.

Regardless of your business sector, there is something to learn here. The organization’s ways of doing things abound with good practices which, with a little adaptation, can contribute to the success of your business.

Future projects

Moving forward, Aliments du Québec intends to continue its awareness raising and promotional work. A new promotional campaign should be launched soon and, in February 2017, the organization plans to roll out a new program that will allow it to have better control over its brands.