Mktg Hi, I have a query about the new cod ad for Young's. I'm confused because I thought that Young's promotes itself as a brand that sources fish from the UK, and the most recent ad talks about 'British taste', but there's a disclaimer at the end of the ad that says 'cod sourced outside the UK'.
Young's We have some cod that's caught in the Atlantic as well as some haddock. We also have some cod that is sourced in Scottish waters. We need to go further afield because there is such a shortage of cod, so that's why we stock other fish such as pollock.
Mktg I thought that Young's promoted itself as a British brand, which sourced its fish from within the UK, because it advertises the Port Isaac Heritage in Cornwall. It seems misleading to find out that the cod comes from other locations.
Young's Some of the cod will be sourced within the UK. It states on the packet when the cod is sourced from the Atlantic.
Mktg But the ad says: 'Cod sourced outside UK', implying all of it.
Young's Let me see if I can find anything here, as I don't know everything.
Mktg Do you have a percentage of how much cod is sourced from outside the UK?
Young's Let me just ask my boss and see whether she knows.
(Puts Marketing on hold.)
Unfortunately, I can't give you a percentage of how much of it is outsourced, but I can tell you it's from all over the world.
Mktg So you aren't able to give out that information?
Young's No, my boss said that the company wanted to film the ad in the UK, but if we wanted to lie about the outsourcing, we wouldn't have put the line on the bottom saying that the cod isn't sourced in England. I can pass your comments on and explain how you feel about the ad.
Mktg OK, thanks.
Young's Thanks, bye.
Verdict
The call-handler was transparent about Young's sourcing its fish from outside the UK. She checked with her superior about our query, coming back with a clear answer that the brand wanted to film the ads in the UK, and that the disclaimer was included to ensure that consumers knew their cod was not necessarily sourced from within the UK.
Score 7/10