Why a legacy B2B company created a consumer-education initiative

It might seem unexpected that an egg production company that has spent nearly its entire history producing wholesale B2B

products would spin up a consumer-facing brand — but at Herbruck’s, we’ve never done exactly what we’re “supposed” to do. We’ve done what we think is right and good.

So, we created Love Your Eggs, a consumer-facing educational initiative, driven by one purpose: increase preference for and understanding of the premium egg category.

As producers — and also consumers — of premium, cage-free eggs, we think it’s about time that people started understanding why we love good eggs so, so much and why we started selling them long before the market suggested we should — always trying to improve upon our processes and provide a better product to consumers.

So, what led us to this point and what do we hope Love Your Eggs does for the category? We’re glad you asked. Ric Herrera, our Vice President of Marketing, is here to answer all of your burning questions.

First of all, what is this? Is it a brand? A site? A product?

Technically, all of those — but we like to call what we’re doing a consumer education initiative. With Love Your Eggs, our ultimate goal is to try and clear up the premium egg category and help drive sales of premium eggs for our retail sales customers. We’ve been in this industry for a long time and we know — all too well — that consumers are confused and overwhelmed in the egg aisle. All of these terms we apply — cage-free, organic, hormone-free — they’re just not resonating with people; they’ve become noise. We want to bring clarity to consumers and help them actually understand what they’re buying and how it aligns with their personal values — whether that’s animal welfare, their health, their budget or the environment.

Are consumers actually that hungry for information?

Absolutely. Now, more than ever, consumers are seeking out information and transparency in the food they eat. They want to know where their food comes from; that their food comes from a source they can trust and see. Our goal is to provide transparency and, ultimately, traceability for premium eggs, reassuring consumers that they can trust in what they buy.

What channels will Love Your Eggs live on?

Plenty! But we’re focusing primarily on a curated mix of digital and traditional media. Obviously, our efforts are currently anchored by LoveYourEggs.com — which we created to truly help consumers understand which type of egg best aligns to their values — but we’re currently working through an array of tactics to push this initiative out into the world. Namely, we’re focusing on the partnerships we’re creating with our retailers and looking at how we can drive awareness and preference for premium eggs at the point of purchase.

Is this all about cage-free eggs?

Not exactly. While we love cage-free eggs and believe they are truly a great, budget-conscious solution for consumers who currently prefer conventional eggs, we support — and produce — a variety of premium eggs. From our perspective, we just want consumers to be buying more premium eggs from hens that are free to exhibit their natural behaviors, roam about and eat and drink as they please. As long as the eggs come from good hens who are cared for by good people, they’re good in our book.

What about cage-free laws? How will they impact this?

Before long, several states throughout the U.S. will have laws requiring all eggs produced and sold there to be from cage-free hens. This trend has been long in the making, but it will soon become a reality. For retailers, it’s important that your consumers understand the products they’re buying and additionally important that they’re informed on the various types of eggs available in the marketplace as conventional eggs increasingly phase out.

What are Herbruck’s long-term goals for Love Your Eggs?

Ultimately, we want Love Your Eggs to move consumers to act. We want the brand, the site to change how people think about the egg aisle. It’s a small part of a shopper’s week, but it’s everything to us and certainly a whole heck of a lot to the hens that live a better life in cage-free environments. Our hope is not that we achieve world-wild brand recognition for Love Your Eggs, but that we slowly begin to change consumer preferences so that when they’re at the egg aisle, they’ll reach for a better product, they’ll be willing to pay (only slightly) more for a far better product.

So, how do retail partners integrate Love Your Eggs into their own operations?

To truly change the category, we need to work with our retail partners to actually get in front of consumers. From promotions to paid media to co-branding, we’re working with our partners to find the mix that’s right for them and their audience. We’re always looking to bring greater awareness and education to consumers and we welcome the opportunity to bring Love Your Eggs closer to the folks actually buying our eggs — cage-free or otherwise. If you’re in the market for better-informed consumers, let’s talk.