Egg marketing success
by Peter van Dongen

Ever wonder how to develop and market a new product within the complex and regimented structure of the supply management system? Frank Born is proof it can be done. He has created a marketing success within the Canadian egg business.

Our story begins in 1990, when Born purchased the family egg farm in Abbotsford, B.C.With egg sales falling due to concerns about cholesterol, his timing wasn't great. But, Born saw opportunity.

Over the next four years, Born researched, developed and perfected his own flax-based vegetarian chicken feed.When fed to laying hens, the specialty diet resulted in eggs approved by Health Canada as being “an excellent source of Vitamin E,” “low in saturated fat” and “a source of Omega 3 polyunsaturates.”With a ready market, the Born 3 egg was launched.

Born has since sold his own quota and now sells over 2.5 million dozen eggs per year as the president and sole employee of Born 3 Marketing Corp. Through contracts with feed companies, distributors and other farmers, he maintains firm control of his Born 3 brand while keeping capital costs to a minimum.

He likens his innovative approach to a piece of software that's been plugged into an existing system.

“It's not just the feed, it's the whole program going from the feed company, through the producer, to the grading station, into my packaging, and into the stores - all under my direction,” Born explains, noting the same approach could easily apply to milk or cheese producers. “I've created a separate entity that I designed, yet I'm working within the system, and that's what gives it the protection as well.”

What can we learn from Born's experience? He distills it down to these five points:

• Study the system. Understand what happens each step of the way, from production right through to distribution. Look for ways to make the system work for you.
• Find good partners. Don't try to do it all by yourself. By creating win-win partnerships with existing players, Born reaps the benefit without any extra capital investment or employees.
• Get to know the consumer.You have to look beyond the farm gate. Attend trade shows, conduct in-store demonstrations, do whatever it takes to talk directly to consumers.
• Do your homework. It took four years to take Born 3 eggs from research to retail.Take the time to research your idea, prove your concept and create a proper business plan.
• Look for emerging opportunities. Born developed a market-ready Omega 3 product before Health Canada even recognized Omega 3 as a category. Find out what is happening in other parts of the world. The next Born 3 egg might already be out there, just waiting for you to bring it home.

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