EXECUTING AGENCY FOR CANADA BRAND MARKETING PILOT IN JAPAN

To expand the presence of Canadian food products in Japan, a refreshed Canada Brand will be launched in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 that will feature a targeted, digital and ecommerce marketing consumer campaign.

Considerations

In the context of this project, food includes, but is not limited to:

• Secondary agriculture and processed foods and beverages, including maple syrup/sugar, honey, vegetables, dried and frozen fruits, cuts of meat, confectionary, and prepared meals
• Processed fish and seafood
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
• Pet food
• Functional foods, and health and wellness products that are widely considered food

Excluded and out of scope:

• Outputs of primary agriculture (i.e. primary commodities such as bulk wheat or live animals)
• Agriculture or fishing industry machinery and tools
• Foodservice and meal delivery platforms (e.g. UberEats)
• Agri-food technology, food packaging

2. Background

The Canada Brand was launched in 2006 to give the Canadian food and agriculture industry a competitive advantage through a common strategy and set of tools, and to raise the profile of and help differentiate Canadian food products from the competition globally. The strategy and its elements were developed in collaboration with industry and the government.

At its peak, over 700 Canadian agriculture, food and seafood businesses and associations, were using the Canada Brand to enhance their promotions. It offered a member portal where assets such as logos, taglines, stock photos and style guides were available to members. It also supported trade and consumer events in the market.

COVID-19 has dramatically changed how businesses operate and market and has accelerated the importance of the digital space. To take advantage of the power of digital marketing and ecommerce, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) decided to update the Canada Brand tools and platform under a “Pivot to Digital” concept. The refreshed Canada Brand will include digitally-optimized graphics, video content, messaging and a consumer website.

Japan has been selected as a pilot market for a focused Canada Brand campaign of up to four seasonal promotions with an established ecommerce platform provider.

3. Objectives

While Canada is perceived positively in Japan, a limited awareness of specific Canadian food and beverage products or brands in the market persists. To expand Canadian food & beverage products’ presence in the market, a refreshed Canada Brand will be launched in Japan in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 that will feature a targeted digital and ecommerce marketing consumer campaign.

The Objective:

1. To leverage the refreshed Canada Brand and a positive international image of Canada as a supplier of safe, high-quality food from a pristine, sustainable environment made by trustworthy people.
2. To grow consumer awareness, drive demand for, and generate increased sales of Canadian food products in Japan, particularly those of Canada Brand members and/or those Canadian products available on the Canada Showcase of the selected ecommerce platform.

   Targeted Products: 1) Secondary agriculture and processed foods and beverages, including products such as maple syrup/sugar, honey, vegetables, dried and frozen fruits, cuts of meat, confectionery, prepared meals; 2) Processed fish and seafood; 3) Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; 4) Pet food; 5) Functional foods, and health and wellness products that are widely considered food.

   Excluded and out of scope: Commodities such as bulk wheat or live animals; agriculture or fishing industry machinery and tools; food service and meal delivery platforms (e.g. UberEats); agri-food technology; and food packaging