Recent TV adverts developed by the AHDB showed that meat and dairy can be part of a balanced diet, the overwhelming majority of the British public thought.
A staggering 90% of consumers said the levy organisation's We Eat Balanced campaign delivered important messages around health, sustainability and Britain’s high food and farming standards.
Two different consumer age groups said the likelihood of them buying meat or dairy had risen after being exposed to the £3.5m campaign, which ran throughout January and February.
We Eat Balanced, which is in its second year, played out on TV screens, social media and in print, and was seen by nearly 24 million UK households.
The TV advert, featuring nine-year-old Nancy and her grandfather, proved a hit with consumers, particularly young adults.
A majority (65%) of young adults liked the commercial, and 82% found it interesting – a demographic which has historically been harder to reach.
After seeing the campaign, purchase intent for meat on the next shop among the 34 to 49 age group rose 5% to 77%, while dairy saw a 6% increase to 84% among the 16 to 34-year-olds.
AHDB director of marketing, Liam Byrne said: “The campaign has played an important part in helping counteract the sensationalist headlines by helping to position the positive role that red meat and dairy from Britain can play as part of a healthy and sustainable diet.
“It’s also great to see how well the campaign has landed with young people, who are typically very engaged in issues of ethics, health and the environment.
“Most of us want to do the right thing, by making small positive changes to improve our health and the health of the planet.
"By understanding that when you choose red meat and dairy from Britain you are choosing products with some of the lowest carbon footprints and highest welfare standards in the world, is something we can all do, easily.”
The campaign focused on three key messages – red meat and dairy as a source of Vitamin B12, the UK's high production standards and that red meat and dairy from Britain is among the most sustainable in the world.
Following the campaign, consumer perceptions that UK meat and dairy produced sustainably grew significantly – up 5% and 6% to 41% and 51% respectively.
It also drove significant uplifts in attitudes around health, with the number of consumers seeing meat and dairy as a source of vitamin B12 rising 5% and 4% to 30% and 34% respectively.
The campaign, which was aimed at people who were looking to reduce the amount of meat and dairy they consumed, also generated nearly 45m impressions across social media and video-on-demand.
