The WI ponders launch of a food label

Flipping through my copy of Marketing Week this morning, I came across a piece on the Women's Institute who are considering whether or not to launch a range of food products - baked goods and jams - to cash in on their reputation for home baking.

This strikes me as a bit odd. The WI, 96 years young, has a slogan - "Inspiring women" and has always existed to promote and share their passion for all things home made. I've no problem at all with the local WI flogging their own members' produce and adding a bit to the coffers that way - but to launch a range of foods to cash in on the home baked reputation, when they will presumably be made in a big factory somewhere, seems to be a bit of a sell-out, not to mention pushing the marketing spin a bit far. The positioning for the brand will be "an alternative to home baking." Shouldn't they be promoting "an alternative to supermarket buying"? Selling a range of jam-making kit, pots and pans, aprons and wooden spoons is one thing but cashing in on the home made reputation to sell ready made food is quite another. They have not done the deal yet - the WI's Board of Trustees is still discussing.

What do you think? Smart move or sell out?

Here at MIAMI we remain dedicated to encouraging you to get those pans and jam jars out and fill your kitchens with the delicious aroma of fruit and sugar and home-baked bread and cakes.
Check out the food pages on our main website. Headlining at the moment are dandelion jam, courgette relish and strawberry jams and cheesecakes. >> Here

Clare F