Introducing the Agricultural Marketing Centre

Who we are
Our mission Our tasks include Our aims

Trade Exhibitions Leading events of the international exhibition profession Major exhibitions in terms of the target markets of Hungarian agricultural trade Domestic trade exhibitions Product-specific events Sales promotion activities

What AMC has to offer

The Quality Food from Hungary trademark Traditions Flavours Regions programme

Trademarks
Publications Advertising, PR Market research

Adver tising and PR activities

www.amc.hu info@amc.hu

Who we are
Numerous direct and indirect methods have been worked out throughout the world to expand the markets for Hungarian agriculture and food. Today however, the need for free competition is steadily increasing in agriculture; even international organisations (GATT, WTO, EU) are pushing for contained and regulated direct agricultural support. As a result, a system of indirect support forms has evolved ranging from favourable mortgage loans through the development of the country infrastructure to helping food producers enter the collective market. In order to help the expansion of the food market via government means, community agricultural marketing activities have been called to life and put into practice with great success as a form of indirect support. Using western European models, Hungary being the first among the Eastern European countries established her own community marketing organisation, the Agricultural Marketing Centre in 1996.

Our mission:
The AMC is a budgetary organisation established with a view to expanding the markets for Hungarian agricultural and food industry products. Being a collective agricultural marketing organisation operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the AMC endeavours to actively contribute to helping agricultural actors penetrate markets and to establishing high-standard support for sales.

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Our tasks include:

supporting the sale of Hungarian agricultural products on the domestic and foreign markets using community marketing methods, promotion of modern trading methods, the strengthening of a marketing approach in the Hungarian food sector, the formation of the countrys agricultural supply structure, improving the exportability of Hungarian products, promoting the market activities and the competitiveness of producers, particularly that of SMEs, as well as manufacturers and distributors, supporting regional development and regional marketing events, promoting the more effective utilisation of government support.

Our aims:
Our mid-term aims: we intend to bring the level of Hungarian community agricultural marketing activities at a par with that of the EU member states within 5 years with the cooperation of AMC, AMC wishes to become a reliable and recognised professional partner to agricultural actors by transparent and predictable activities, making a significant contribution to increasing the marketing culture of the sector, making marketing work a normal part of agricultural activities, achieving our frame programme designed on the basis of professional considerations in a cost-effective manner, with measurable results at a high professional level, we also intend to improve the image of Hungarian agricultural produce.

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What AMC has to offer

Main activities of the Agricultural Marketing Centre: Exhibitions Product-specific events Sales promotion activities Trademarks Advertising and PR activities Market research Education, conferences
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Trade Exhibitions
The various domestic and international exhibitions serve as an ideal meeting place for the various sectors where the market can show its real face. When the magnitude or nature of the exhibitions allow, an entire community stand is devoted to present some of our priority product groups (Traditions Flavours Regions products, Quality Food from Hungary, etc.). AMC strives to promote the attainment of the following aims set by the Hungarian agricultural producers and manufacturers by organising professional trade fairs and exhibitions: General information about the supply and demand sides of the given sectors Sharing other information concerning the profession High-quality presentation of Hungarian products Providing Hungarian exhibitors and their potential partners with an ideal meeting place Reaching out to and winning over the press Discussions about novelties and current affairs of the profession in conferences organised along the exhibitions Building company product image Preparation and execution of specific deals

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Leading events of the international exhibition profession

These trade exhibitions are major events of the agricultural profession regardless of the venue; the number of visitors is in the tens of thousands and exhibitors are from a multitude of countries and also high in numbers (many thousands). It is these exhibitions where the AMC organises the most important Hungarian appearances. AMC uses these events to give low-budget exhibitors a free opportunity to introduce themselves in the international scene with opportunities open for more recognised corporations to present themselves through displaying their products and activities in high-standard individual stands. AMC operates a constant information service at these expos even at multiple locations where pavilions are divided.

Major exhibitions in terms of the target markets of Hungarian agricultural trade

These events present exhibits of Hungarys traditional export markets and from countries that present a realistic market opportunity to Hungarian products. In addition to our most important food export market, Germany, this groups also includes the markets of the CIS. In addition to general export considerations, attention is also given to the special markets of specific products.

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Domestic trade exhibitions

Domestic exhibitions reach traders operating in specific regions and the general public alike. Community stands are set up for SMEs, where they can exhibit their products at a minimum investment. When setting up the list of domestic exhibitors, the nature of the exhibition and the number of visitors is taken into consideration most. Exhibitions are constantly evaluated.

Product-specific events
The accepted mid-term strategy of AMC has set the products of the meat, poultry, vegetable and fruit and the eco segment in its focal point; these products are considered to be the most appropriate to constitute part of a priority strategy of Hungarian community agricultural marketing. The support of any given product must be continued for many years before any tangible or measurable results can be achieved. At the same time, it is also important for the remaining products to receive suitable marketing support as they can significantly improve sales figures and market positions with relatively little investment. During product promotion events, AMC organises product exhibitions, professional events, prepares information materials, market research projects with the involvement of the concerned product councils and other professional organisations.

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Sales promotion activities

The aim of sales promotion activities is to present Hungarys agricultural and food products separately in trade events where professional circles of the target countries have greater representation. In addition to reaching the Hungarian and foreign profession, we specifically aim to promote Hungarian products among the end-users as well. Such activities are performed along two clearly distinguishable concepts: promotion of products awarded the Quality Food from Hungary trademark through Hungarian sales channels, and the promotion of the sale of Hungarian products through the trade channels of strategically important foreign countries In addition to the specific domestic events, perhaps the most time-consuming and most exacting preparation is put into the organisation of what is known as the Hungarian National Weeks. The essence of these events is that products are placed and sold within a well distinguishable area of supermarkets, clearly marked by country-specific symbols (e.g. flags, colours, etc.) often with an opportunity to taste specific products. Hungarian Weeks events are also ideal for running quick surveys and market research programmes about knowledge of specific products, customer satisfaction with product features by interviewing shoppers. The events are also used to present Hungarian foods independently on priority target markets and we aim to keep awareness high on most important markets. In addition to specific trade expos and supermarket events, there are businessmen meetings to promote the building of relations between business partners and the direct conclusion of deals. These events may be accompanied by gastronomic presentations and wine tasting as a special feature.

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Trademarks
The Quality Food from Hungary trademark
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development established the Quality Food from Hungary trademark in 1998. Manufacturers and producers can apply for the trademark voluntarily. The quality trademark is a typical community marketing means. Its aim is to raise Hungarian shoppers consumer awareness to the level of buyers in Western Europe. Compliance with the strict quality control measures and with the test of the senses is regularly checked after being awarded the trademark. Follow-up control is run by accredited laboratories and is designed to ensure that only safe products can make the way to shoppers baskets. The trademark is a guarantee of quality for both traders and buyers. As a fundamental requirement, product packaging must not only aesthetically reflect the quality of the product but must also easy storage, transport, and use. Products bearing the Quality Food from Hungary trademark are also promoted by sales and product promotion activities. As a guarantee of excellence, the logo of the trademark is placed clearly and visibly on the packaging: products thus marked represent added value over similar products of the competition.

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Traditions Flavours Regions (TFR) programme

A nations future is strongly defined by the knowledge of and respect for its roots and traditions. It is in the spirit of this notion that the Traditions Flavours Regions (TFR or HR) programme was launched in Hungary as an adaptation of the long-time running Euroterroirs programme in Western Europe aFrench initiative. With the participation of eighty specialists exactly three hundred typically Hungarian and special regional food industry products, animal and plant species were collected and ranked in the seven planning and statistical regions approved of by the EU and defined by the act on regional development and regional planning. The Hungarian TFR programme is a worthy addition to the similar French, Italian, Spanish, and German collections. The content of the collection is seen as part of universal Hungarian culture, but we think it will only become complete once the collection is extended over the entire Carpathian Basin. The product descriptions inside the TFR collection are treasures of the Hungarian nation constituting the exclusive property of the Republic of Hungary or more specifically the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It is the responsibility of the Agricultural Marketing Centre to promote traditional and regional food products, which are part of Hungarys gastronomic culture, among Hungarian consumers, and foreign tourists visiting Hungary through the TFR trademark the symbol of the programme. To this aim, the AMC constantly promotes TFR publications prepared as part of the programme in all trade fairs and expos it is present at (the book containing the TFR collection, three-language CD, recipe booklet), it performs PR and advertising to promote the programme, partakes in the organisation and implementation of the various gastronomic events presenting the TFR programme, and provides help and support to initiatives aiming to safeguard and nurture traditional country food-production techniques.

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Adver tising and PR activities

Publications
Our multi-language publications help spread information and promote Hungarian food products. Our publications are distributed at AMC events and are mailed to all interested parties, professional organisations upon request free of charge. The Who is Who in Hungarian Food Industry is a series presenting the key actors in Hungarian food industry in a sectoral breakdown complete with brief description of the given sector itself. The four-language, regularly updated database is available online and on CD as well. Online: http://kikicsoda.amc.hu/ In order to share information about Hungarian companies and promote the building of business relations, a catalogue is compiled to present all the companies that choose to exhibit their products in foreign exhibitions.

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Advertising, PR
Our aim is to: promote the Quality Food from Hungary trademark, and the award-winning products promote priority products and consumption promote foreign and domestic events supported by AMC. Our advertisements are aired in national and regional radios and televisions to reach the widest possible audience in our selected target group. We maintain close relations with agricultural and food industry journals and we constantly intensify our presence in the most dynamically developing medium of our times: the electronic press. The success of AMCs international appearance is furthered by the planned advertising campaigns in foreign press. The effectiveness of our PR activities that will precede our exhibitions, businessmen-meetings, and sales promotions will be facilitated by our experienced partner companies (exhibition organisers, agencies). The effectiveness of the campaigns and advertising is constantly measured to check our own work and constantly develop our strategy accordingly. One of the main components in our communication with our professional partners and consumers is the AMC new website constantly providing up-to-date information to all interested circles. The website offers downloadable tender documents, application forms for exhibitions, and detailed information and reports concerning particular events. Handing out promotion materials and items at our events is also an effective way of promoting Hungarian products and trademarked goods.

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Market research
With the help of Hungarian and international market research findings we present producers with information about the markets they wish to penetrate, which includes consumer and purchasing habits of the market, competitors, economic, health and customs regulations. By working out sectoral marketing strategies we wish to provide a solid basis for producers and manufacturers in developing marketing programmes and in helping them establish constant and synchronised activities.

Education, conferences
Target audience: agricultural producers, the leaders, owners, and marketing managers of SMEs in the food sector. AMC considers it an important task to provide training to agricultural actors, to impart modern skill and knowledge that are essential for survival under todays fierce market conditions. The conferences are an ideal opportunity for the representatives of the various professions to meet, exchange views, and discuss relevant issues.

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Experiences
We consider the fact that marketing in recent years has tangibly become an important aspect in agriculture one of our most important achievements up to date. The recognition of the importance of the market, the need to actively partake in the sale process has become rudimental for both small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and producers. The scope of companies who wish to utilise their organisational and financing experience in finding solutions for their sales problems is steadily expanding.

How can we be of service to you?

Agricultural Marketing Centre Address: H-1042 Budapest, rpd t 51-53. Postal address: H-1325 Budapest, Pf. 340 Telephone: (+36-1) 450-8800 Fax: (+36-1) 450-8801 Email: info@amc.hu Internet: www.amc.hu

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Notes

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AMC PubliCAtion

Agricultural Marketing Centre H-1042 Budapest, rpd t 51-53. P.O.B.: H-1325 Budapest, Pf. 340. Internet: www.amc.hu E-mail: info@amc.hu Phone: +36 1 450 8800 Fax: +36 1 450 8801

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