Ireland’s export promotion agency Bord Bia has begun promoting a new brand of Irish oysters to distinguish domestically produced products from global competition.
Historically, much of Ireland's oyster output has been sold by French firms, some of which have production sites in Ireland, and it is not always abundantly clear that the product comes from Ireland.
To ensure Irish product stands out in the marketplace, Bord Bia, in conjunction with Dublin, Ireland-based creative studio Slater Design, has launched the Irish Oyster Collective, sporting oysters under the brand name Ó.
“We wanted to improve the branding to diversify the markets for Irish oysters … to distinguish them from other countries,” Zuilmah Wallis, an insight and brand building specialist at Bord Bia, said.
The branding, Wallis added, emphasizes what makes Irish merroir, which are the characteristics of seafood shaped by their local marine environment, so unique.
Des Moore, the CEO of Irish oyster exporting firm Bells Isle Oysters, welcomed the Irish Oyster Collective initiative, saying it’s important for industry cohesion on key issues facing the sector as much as it is important for marketing purposes.
“There are only 10 to 12 packers of oysters in Ireland. We have had a number of meetings in recent years coordinating a very effective norovirus and biotoxin sampling regime to ensure a top-grade product on the marketplace,” he said, emphasizing that efforts such as the new collective allow Irish oyster producers to organize as a united front when tackling these issues.
Moore further explained that meetings between Irish Oyster Collective members and state agencies “has allowed for excellent discussions and much progress to date.”
“We are happy to promote our product with the Oyster Collective name in the background,” he said.
The creation of this cohesive front comes as Irish oysters face significant competition in growing sales to markets like China, where French companies that source oysters from Ireland have spent heavily on marketing over the past two decades, often in tandem with French government efforts to grow international sales.
Moore said he’s currently alone among Irish oyster producers in exporting directly to China.
