After IDM (industry brand) and MDD (distributor’s brand) finally comes MDC, the consumer’s brand’. ‘Who is the master!!!‘ after all, if not the consumer himself? And why should you then be content to receive the product after purchase, without participating in your choice upstream? From 2019 in Italy, the revolution at the gates. To follow his ABC.
The consumer’s brand, ‘
Who is the master!
‘. The debut in France
‘
C’est qui le patron! La marque du consommateur
‘
debuted in France in 2016. The consumer movement’s initiative stems from the need to decide which products to put on supermarket shelves. With the idea promoted by Nicolas Chabanne, which has received the suffrage of transAtlantic consumAtors, to consider commodities in their most authentic value.
Value for money, the basis of ‘private label‘ (or MDD, private label) successes, is only one of many aspects considered. The value expressed by a commodity is much broader and is assessed from primary agricultural production. Therefore, the criteria guiding the sourcing choices of the ‘marque du consommateur’ are as follows:
– sustainability
socio-environmental
of the entire supply chain, with a premium for conversion to
organic
,
– animal welfare
and quality of food
fed to animals,
– fair compensation to producers, in agriculture and processing,
– origin of raw materials
and place of production
of goods,
– nutritional profiles
of ultra-processed foods.
.
The march of the 10,000 (that’s the number of members of the ‘C’est qui le patron?!‘ movement) in just two years has inspired the daily shopping choices of more than 6 million consumers across 12,000 stores in France. More than 85 million liters of milk fairly remunerated to virtuous farmers.
The consumer’s brand, ‘
Who’s the Master!
‘, the ABC‘s
The consumer’s brand ‘
Who’s the Master!
‘ is created by theassociation of the same name
with the technical and legal support of our FARE
. In a logic
nonprofit
which aims to affirm the decision-making power of consumAtors, and the crucial value ofsupply chain integrity
, that is, of ethics. (1)
Supply chain integration operates according to the following mechanism.
A) ConsumAtors are first involved through questionnaires and other survey methods designed to ensure the independence of the data collected. In order to assess the qualitative perception of the values expressed by individual food chains. And it is precisely on the basis of such data, to be shared with transparency, that the association ‘designs’ each product.
B) The producers selected (and/or their organizations) who adhere to the values expressed undertake to make products according to the criteria defined by the association in special specifications. Also ensuring traceability
of the entire supply chain, ‘
from farm to fork
‘.
C) Retailers (modern and traditional) are free to decide whether to purchase and distribute consumer-branded products. In accordance with fair business practices, without exclusivity or favoritism. The association contributes to the promotion of products through grassroots ‘grassroots’ networking communication. To help maintain the recommended selling prices without penalizing any of the players in the supply chain.
Consumer branding, examples and perspectives
The consumer-brandedmilk, to cite a good example from beyond the Alps, was required to be of strictly French origin, from cows raised on pasture at least 6 months of the year and fed on natural, non-GMO fodder produced within a 70-kilometer radius. UHT milk branded ‘C’est qui le patron?!‘ therefore costs €0.99/l, compared to an average of €0.67. And the value recognized to farmers who invest in the required quality is also higher (+ 0.20€/l).
Products ‘
Who’s the Master!
‘ in France are now about 20, starting with essentials such as milk and dairy products, eggs, honey, pasta, vegetable preserves, chocolate, etc. Butter won the ‘innovation’ award, 2018. Thanks also to the support offered for conversion to organic farming, rewarded with an extra €0.15 per unit of sale, in addition to the ‘fair price’ for the producer. Likewise for honey, +€0.15 per jar for the protection of beehives and their habitat.
And this is only the beginning, as consumers press on. The range of products on the ground is set to be expanded, with the gradualness required to accompany the development of good and fair products, in conjunction with the agricultural supply chain and processing. ‘C’est qui le patron! The consumer’s brand’ has already reached 22nd place among French brands, with a market penetration index of 14 percent.
The movement is gaining ground in various countries in Europe (Spain, Belgium, Greece and Germany, as well as France and Italy) and elsewhere (Morocco, the US). Therefore, the perspective is also to enhance ‘Made in‘ – as best heard by consumers in each country – in international markets. The revolution is upon us, and we will all be part of it.
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Without omitting due consideration of unfair trade practices,
which must be rigorously eliminated from every relationship throughout the supply chain
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
