Case Histories
Pioneering the Ukrainian Meat Business with Differentiated Packaging
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Druzhba Narodov is a vertically integrated meat producer, raising pigs and cattle and producing feed on its large farm located in the Crimea region of southern Ukraine. Its meat processing plant produces over 350 tons of fresh and processed meat products per month. The company is the leading national producer of premium quality fresh meat products such as Certified Angus Beef, as well as the largest regional producer of high value processed meat products.
The company's current fabulous growth has been supported by a strategy of direct marketing and securing sales without relying on large wholesale companies. Plans for 2005 are ambitious, targeting increased production of processed meat products by 200 tons per month. To reach such goals, high performance packaging already plays an increasingly important role in helping develop consumer sales and sustain business growth.
The Solution
Druzhba Narodov began investing in high performance packaging when former Cryovac salesman Evgeniy Shatokhin joined the company in May 2003. The former food packaging specialist knew exactly how to develop the meat business. He first opted for barrier bags for fresh meat products and more recently adopted the Darfresh® concept to pack premium quality beef steaks and roasts. For this purpose, the company invested in a Cryovac® VS26 vacuum packaging line specifically dedicated to the Darfresh concept.
Cryovac® Darfresh® Vacuum Skin Packaging was chosen because it provides prolonged and reliable shelf-life thanks to superior security and seal integrity. In the Ukraine, ensuring product quality despite long distance deliveries, if only to the capital of Kiev, is becoming essential to ensure business growth. Long shelf-life is also increasingly required by leading supermarkets.
Based on semi-rigid bottom webs and vacuum lidding top webs, the well proven Darfresh technology produces consumer packs of outstanding presentation and consumer appeal because it truly respects the product's contour, creating a striking "second skin" effect. "Darfresh packaging offers distinctive 3D packaging for high value fresh meat products, helping our company position our Certified Angus product line as a unique product on the market", explained Evgeniy Shatokhin, General Director of Druzhba Narodov.
For enhanced brand communication, the premium quality steaks are vacuum sealed in Darfresh top and bottom webs, then inserted in a small colourful cardboard sleeve that conveniently bears company and product information.
The Results
The new, premium quality beef steaks which Druzhba Narodov delivers in Darfresh packaging were quick to win over quality-seeking consumers in Ukrainian retail chains. "Most shoppers in supermarkets buy with their eyes, and this type of sophisticated packaging really helps shoppers in making their purchasing decision", said Shatokhin. Consumers were clearly enthusiastic with the new packaging. "At the end of the day, this is how we increase sales", he concluded.
Since the product introduction in early 2004, sales have been developing with target customers. Druzhba Narodov has expanded its list of retail clients to include supermarkets such as Billa and Fourchette (the second largest retail chain in Ukraine), and more recently METRO.
Thanks to the spirit of entrepreneurship of the company's general director, Druzhba Narodov is pioneering the Ukrainian fresh meat market by introducing high performance vacuum packaging for premium quality products. Besides Darfresh packaging for Angus steaks, the company also packs processed meat products supplied to Kiev and fresh meat products in Cryovac® BB4L barrier bags for delivery in Kiev and throughout the country. This business is growing very rapidly, with a Cryovac® VS20 packaging line operating 24 hours a day.
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