International Meat Secretariat

Activity
Whereas promotional activities in Belgium itself are mostly consumer-oriented, the promotion abroad focuses on contacts with distribution, participation in food and trade fairs, organisation of contact days and advertisements in the trade press. To promote the export on two of its most important markets, France and Germany, VLAM has its own office in Paris and in Cologne. These foreign offices also take care of the Swiss and Austrian markets. On other foreign markets, VLAM cooperates closely with Flanders Investment and Trade.

Strategy
The promotional campaigns of VLAM are based on market studies and market analyses. VLAM permanently keeps track of the consumption behaviour (pattern) of 3 000 Flemish families. Based on all this market information VLAM develops a promotional strategy for each sector. This means each sector has its own personal approach with its own personal touches depending on the specific market situation. In actual practice this leads to pure image campaigns, traffic generating campaigns and campaigns focusing on quality and product differentiation. In the latter case, it launches and promotes quality labels and systems of integral food chain control. This way Flemish products will be able to meet the demands of buyers in Belgium as well as abroad. The campaigns are extensively evaluated and tested by the objectives.

Financing
VLAM is financed in 4 different ways:
- The producers and the processing and supply industry pay contributions in the promotional fund. This way the different sectors finance their own campaigns.
- The government finances the overall activities of VLAM
- VLAM also receives financing and support of the European Union for certain projects.
- Other sources of revenue are contributions of participants in trade fares or contact days and the sale of promotional materials