guaranteed irish research report august 2011

Attitudes to Irish Brands &

the Guaranteed Irish Logo

August 2011

The estimated annual turnover of Guaranteed Irish

companies in 2011 is €1.2 billion. Members employ

nearly 24,000 people in Ireland.

There are 1.5 million Irish households and we estimate

that the average spend per household on Guaranteed

Irish products and services is just under €16 per week.

If households increased their spend on Guaranteed

Irish products to €20 per week, then that would create

over 6,000 new jobs based on the turnover per

employee of existing Guaranteed Irish members.

3

This study, a follow up to research conducted in September 2005 aimed to achieve the following key goals:

To gauge spontaneous recognition of the Guaranteed Irish symbol.To identify the perceived benefits of and drivers behind buying products or services that carry the Guaranteed Irish symbolTo determine changes in perceptions about buying Irish compared to 5 years ago.To gauge the extent to which members of the public actively seek to purchase products or services that carry the Guaranteed Irish symbol.To determine whether the public would like to seem more companies carry the symbol.To compare openness to purchasing products or services that carry the Guaranteed Irish symbol compared to those that do not.To determine whether consumers would be more or less likely to pay extra for products or services with the Guaranteed Irish stamp.

Guaranteed Irish Omnibus Study –

Background & Objectives

4

A nationally representative online sample of 1,000 adults aged 16

years or older was utilised.

Quotas were applied across gender, age, social class and region

to ensure the sample was fully representative.

Fieldwork was conducted between the 9th and the 13th of May

2011.

Guaranteed Irish Study – Methodology

MAIN FINDINGS

6

Profile of Sample - I

Gender Age

Have

Children

Marital

Status

% % % %

49

17

60 62

51

22

4026

19

12

42

Male

Quotas were set in order to achieve a nationally representative sample, so as to ensure all

data is reflective of the Irish population of adults aged 16+.

Female

16-24

25-34

35-44

45+

(Base: All Adults 16+)

Yes

No

Yes

No

7

48

28

52

27

28

18

Social

classRegion

% %

(Base: All Adults 16+)

Profile of Sample - II

Dublin

Rest of Leinster

Munster

Conn/ Ulster

C2DEF50-

ABC1F50+

8

Unprompted Awareness of Guaranteed Irish

Symbol - I

Guaranteed Irish

Bord Bia

Board Gáis

Buy Irish

Irish

Irish Produce

Glanbia

Made in Ireland

Don’t know

41

5

3

3

3

2

2

1

40

%

(Base: All Adults 16+ – 1000)

Q. What organisation associate with the following symbol?

Overall, two-in-five consumers correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol, but 59% either incorrectly

identify the symbol or admit to not know its provenance.

9

4041

Unprompted Awareness of Guaranteed Irish

Symbol - II


Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

3038505139

Marital Status

Married/CohabitingSingleWidow/Divorced

/Separated

453437

Social Class

ABC1/F50+C2DE/F50-

4835

Region

Dublin LeinsterMunsterConnaught

34474143

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

4146363641

Marital Status

Married/CohabitingSingleWidow/Divorced

/Separated

394437

Social Class

ABC1/F50+C2DE/F50-

3446

Region


46344139

Guaranteed Irish Don’t know

Consumers at extreme ends of the age continuum and those in lower social classes are least likely to know what the symbol stands for.

10

The Importance of Irish Companies Highlighting that

Products or Services are Irish


Not Important ImportantNeither nor

6 6 87

Q. When selling or marketing a product or service, how importance, if at all, do you think it is for Irish companies to highlight the fact that their

products or services are Irish?

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

8280909094

Gender

Male Female

8984

Marital Status

Married/Cohabiting Single Widow/Divorced/Separated

898092

Region

Dublin Leinster Munster Connaught

81899188

The vast majority of Irish

consumers believe that it is

important for Irish companies to

highlight the fact that their

products or services are Irish.

This sentiment increases with age,

but is less important to singles

than it is to couples or those who

were part of a couple in the past.

This figure rises to 95% among

those who correctly identify the

Guaranteed Irish symbol.

11

Attitudes Towards the Guaranteed Irish Symbol

86%

9%5%

Yes

No Don’t know

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

8079908991

Social Class

ABC1/F50+C2DE/F50-

8587

Region


81888987

Displaying the Guaranteed Irish Symbol


%

Almost nine-in-ten would like to see more companies display the Guaranteed Irish symbol. This figure rises

to 96% among those who can correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

Q. Would you like to see more companies display the Guaranteed Irish symbol?

12

3 12 83

Changes in Attitudes to ‘Buy Irish’ in Ireland over Past

Five years


Less Important More ImportantNeither nor

Demographics %

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

7873908389

Gender

Male Female

8086

Marital Status


857981

Children

Yes No

8579

Region


75878882

Q. Do you feel that it is any more or less important to ‘buy Irish’ now compared to 5 years ago?

Four-in-five members of the Irish public believe that

that it is now more important to buy Irish compared

to 5 years ago.

This figure rises to 92% among those who

correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

13

Q. Do you actively seek to purchase Irish products and services?

Actively Seeking to Purchase Irish Products &

Services

12

11

41

35

Buying Irish

As often as I can Some of the time

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

3036434848

4435393030

Gender

Male Female

3745

3734

Marital Status


443150

344229

Children

Yes No

4635

3240

Region


37424247

38353531

All the time

As often as I

can

Some of the

time

Not at all


Demographics

Just over three-quarters of the Irish public consciously try to buy Irish products or services ’some of the time’ or ‘as often as I can’.

Likelihood to purchase ‘as often as I can’ increases with age and is higher among women and those who have children.

%

76%

14

Advantages of Purchasing Irish Products &

Services with Guaranteed Irish Symbol - I(Base: All Adults 16+ – 1000)

Buying something that carries the

symbol helps me feel like I am

supporting Irish jobs and employment

Buying something that carries the

symbol helps me feel like I am doing my

bit to support the Irish economy

I know where a product is produced or

manufactured

I am guaranteed a good quality product

or service

No advantages

36

27

21

14

2

Close to two-thirds consider benefits to the employment and the economy to be the distinct advantages of buying

products or services that carry the Guaranteed Irish symbol. For one-in-five, the Guaranteed Irish symbol provides

peace of mind about where a product is produced or manufactured.

Those who correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol are significantly more likely to believe that buying something

that carries the symbol helps them feel that they are supporting jobs and employment.

Q. What, if any, would you see as the main advantages of someone like yourself, buying products or services with Guaranteed Irish symbol?

Displaying the Guaranteed Irish Symbol

%

63%

Correctly identify

the symbol

47%

28%

15

Advantages of Purchasing Irish Products &

Services with Guaranteed Irish Symbol - II

Helps me feel like

I am supporting

Irish jobs and

employment

(36%)

%

Helps me feel like I

am doing my bit to

support the Irish

economy

(27%)

%

I know where a

product is produced

or manufactured

(21%)

%

I am guaranteed a

good quality

product or service

(14%)

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

2436394340

3522303118

2825231710

121675

31

Marital Status

Married/Cohabiting Single Widow/Divorced

/Separated

393038

263317

212218

121326

Region


33383933

26322523

22192222

15101320


Younger respondents are more likely to buy Irish because it lends a sense that they are doing their part of

support the economy while the sense that consumers are helping support jobs and employment increases

according to the age of a respondent. Of those who focus on the quality of products or services as a key

benefit, respondents over the age of 55 are the group most likely to identify this factor as a benefit.

16

Q. If you were thinking of buying two similar products – one with the Guaranteed Irish symbol and one without, which one would you be more likely

to choose; assuming no different in price or quality?

Likelihood of Choosing a Product with

Guaranteed Irish Symbol(Base: All Adults 16+ – 1000)

With the Guaranteed Irish

Symbol

I wouldn’t have a preference

Without the Guaranteed

Irish Symbol

Don’t know

85

11

2

2

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

8078858891

Region


81868784

Given two similar products, over four-in-five are likely to purchase a product with the Guaranteed Irish

symbol than one that does not carry the symbol.

Those who correctly identify the symbol are more likely to state this (88%) than those who do not (73%).

Choosing a Product with Guaranteed Irish Symbol

%

17

Likelihood of Choosing a Service with

Guaranteed Irish Symbol(Base: All Adults 16+ – 1000)

With the Guaranteed Irish

Symbol

I wouldn’t have a preference

Without the Guaranteed

Irish Symbol

Don’t know

81

13

4

2

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

7476838587

Region


78838391

Given two similar services, four-in-five are likely to employ a service with the Guaranteed Irish symbol than

one that does not. This sentiment increases with age.

Q. If you were thinking of buying two similar services – one with the Guaranteed Irish symbol and one without, which one would you be more likely

to choose; assuming no different in price or quality?

Choosing a Services with Guaranteed Irish Symbol

%

18

Likelihood to Purchase Product Carrying Guaranteed Irish

Symbol Vs. One that Does Not


Less Likely More LikelyNeither nor

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

6969868586

Children

YesNo

8473

Region


74808577

9 11 79

Assuming cost and quality were equal, four-in-five Irish consumers would be more likely to buy a product

that carries the Guaranteed Irish stamp. Those with children are more likely to say this than those without.

This figure rises to 88% among those who correctly recognises the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

Q. All else being equal (cost and quality) how much more likely, if at all, would you be to purchase a product that carries the Guaranteed Irish

symbol compared to one that does not?

19

Willingness to Pay More for a Product or Service

that Carries the Guaranteed Irish Symbol

32%

24%

44%

Yes

No

Don’t know

Demographics

%

Age

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

2230313243

Gender

Male Female

3629

Marital Status

Married/CohabitSingleWidow/Divorced

/Separated

342737

Pay more for the Guaranteed Irish

Symbol


%

One-third of the Irish public would be willing to pay more for a product or service that carries the Guaranteed

Irish symbol; primarily those over the age of 55 and men more so than women.

Those who would pay more for the

Guaranteed Irish Symbol

Q. Would you be prepared to pay any more for a product or service that carries the Guaranteed Irish symbol compared to one that does not?

20

Summary & Insights (I)

There is a strong predisposition towards Irish products and services but

insufficient awareness or recognition of the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

This said, the symbol encourages consumers to seek out Irish products and

services; those who can correctly identify the symbol are more likely to buy Irish

‘as often as they can’ and also more likely to feel as if they are doing their bit to

support the Irish economy.

The vast majority of Irish consumers (87%) believe that it is important for Irish

companies to highlight the fact that their products or services and two-in-five

(83%) believe that compared to five years is now more important to buy Irish

than it was then.

But the Guaranteed Irish symbol has receded into the memory of the Irish

public.

Three-in-five(59%) either incorrectly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol

or admit to not know its provenance. Just 41% of the public recognise

the symbol now compared to 52% in the September 2005 research.

Nonetheless, there is a strong desire for the identification of products or

services almost nine-in-ten would like to see more companies display the

guaranteed Irish symbol – despite the lack of familiarity with it.

This highlights an opportunity consumer education or familiarisation.

21

Summary & Insights (II)

The Guaranteed Irish symbol can help satisfy a public sense of national

consciousness:

Close to two-thirds (63%) consider benefits to the employment and the

economy to be distinct advantages of buying products or services that

carry the Guaranteed Irish symbol.

Those who correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol are

significantly more likely than those who do not, to concur that the key

benefit of the symbol is that it helps them feel as if they are doing their

bit to support the Irish economy (47% vs. 29% respectively). This figure

has risen notably from 39% in 2005.

The Guaranteed Irish symbol increases likelihood of product selection:

Assuming cost and quality were equal, four-in-five (79%) of Irish consumers

would be more likely to buy a product that carries the Guaranteed Irish

stamp.

Those with children are more likely to say this than those without –

possibly reflecting a focus on and concern about their children’s future.

Given two similar products or services, two-in-five are likely to purchase

a product or service that carries the Guaranteed Irish symbol than ones

that do not.

22

Summary & Insights (III)

The Guaranteed Irish increases frequency of purchase:

Two-in-five (41%) actively seek out Irish products or services ‘as often as

they can’ and a further one-in-ten (11%) seek out such products or services

‘all of the time’.

Those who correctly identify the Guaranteed Irish symbol are more likely

than those who do not recognise the symbol to shop Irish ‘as often as

they can’ (50% and 35% respectively).

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guaranteed irish research report august 2011

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