Guest Editorial
Building a name for U.S. cheeses

Patrick Geoghegan

Patrick Geoghegan is senior vice president of corporate communications at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. He contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

This coming week, members of the American Cheese Society (ACS) gather in Chicago to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary. Similar to the cheese industry itself, ACS has come a long way from modest beginnings, a rise that roughly parallels the growth of the specialty cheese business in the United States.

U.S. cheese production continues to keep pace with the growth seen in per capita consumption. And, an increasing share of that growth is in specialty and artisan cheeses. Wisconsin, for example, now reports 16 percent of its volume is in specialty production. In fact, we are experiencing a renaissance in cheesemaking, creating award-winning originals, rediscovering techniques of small batch styles and enjoying marketing successes with leading chefs and retailers across the country.

There is both opportunity and challenge in this growth, however. New consumer research from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) reveals that while 89 percent of participants in a national sample identify themselves as “cheese lovers,” one-fifth of them feel “intimidated” by the burgeoning number of cheese options.

It’s easy to understand why some feel overwhelmed — consider the number of magazine and newspaper stories or the variety of television food shows touting cheeses from the amazing artisan array made here in America. Perhaps we’ve finally arrived at the point where consumers understand that domestically produced cheeses are, simply put, among the best in the world. (Cheesemakers have known this for years.)

The beauty of this development is that while the cheese business remains fiercely competitive, the progress we’ve seen has been accomplished by an industry working remarkably in concert. Producers, cheesemakers, marketers, buyers, trade media and associations collectively have created a body of information and programs that consistently conveys the simple message that cheesemaking in America has arrived and there is a cheese for every taste, every application and every lifestyle.

Now, it’s time to take on the challenge of convincing consumers to experiment and taste MORE of these cheeses. The new WMMB research not only found a cheese variety “intimidation” factor, but nearly 10 percent of respondents say they’re “embarrassed” to ask for help or suggestions about what cheeses to buy.

What are some of the things we can do to overcome consumer hesitations? Working with grocery stores is one obvious answer, and an extremely important one. More than 80 percent of study respondents said they’d be inclined to buy a new cheese if they could simply taste it. So, sampling needs to be a staple of in-store merchandising. Smaller package sizes is another factor that could spur increased sales of specialty cheeses, according to nearly half the participants. And, education in various forms is highly desired — recipes, usage tips, health and nutrition information, for example.

Although not probed in this new study, the importance of branding cheese to build confidence and preference seems obvious, both for loyalty and desire to try brand extensions. I recently received a phone call from an editor at a leading business magazine regarding an effort by two entrepreneurs who want to brand Maine lobsters. The writer wanted to know how we have been able to — in his words — “build Wisconsin cheese into a recognized world-wide brand.”

The very next day I received a call from a manager at a reputation management firm in Oslo, Norway. She asked to bring members of her agency to WMMB’s offices in Madison for a meeting about our branding program. I assumed it was a small shop, so I said we would be happy to host her and her colleagues.

I was stunned when she told me all 27 employees would be coming. “Everywhere we look on the internet we read about the success of Wisconsin’s dairy industry and we want to learn more about what you are doing,” she explained, a testimony to the significance of branding and the move away from commodity thinking that for so long was prevalent in our industry.

Today, so much has changed in the dairy industry. All of us, all across the country, can take pride in the fact that we have initiated so many of the changes. We are in an offensive mode — not a defensive mode. We have learned how to be leaders, and this is a perspective that American Cheese Society can be proud of as it celebrates 25 very eventful years.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.