Building an International Marketing Soapbox

Does it make sense to promote a region and product niche, without promoting individual brands? I think it does.

Our work with the Tunisian government and the project to promote Tunisian Olive Oil to the US market is a case in point. Tunisia is the fourth largest producer of olive oil in the world, following Spain, Italy, and Greece. But historically, Tunisian olive oil has been sold in bulk, often to the larger producers mentioned above, and blended for its taste profile. It is certainly 'low-hanging fruit' in terms of sales for Tunisian growers. The problem is that it reduces a remarkable and cherished crop to commodity status, thus a penny a tonne difference in price becomes an 'advantage' to purchasers, but hardly an advantage to Tunisia.

In a world filled with cheap, adulterated oils, olive oil exports from Tunisia are carefully controlled by the ONH (l'Office National de l'Huile) to ensure quality and conformity with IOOC standards. This pure, 100% Tunisian assurance provides a definite selling advantage over many inferior oils. The ONH provides a great platform for marketing Tunisia and its oils, and a 'soapbox' from which individual brands in Tunisia can shout their points of differentiation.



In the US, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) has been in place for some time. But our goal is to move Tunisia from the back of the bottle to the front--where it can be prominently displayed for consumer assurances. Does this take the place of product branding for individual brands from Tunisia? Certainly not. The US market is mature and saturated with olive oils produced domestically and from every corner of the earth where olives are grown. Brands must still invest heavily to find an audience in the US and drive home their individual stories. But from a broader perspective, 100% Tunisian is the starting point for brands large and small, to tout their Tunisian heritage, culture, and excellence in olive oil production. These things, after all, have made it a dominant world player in the arena of olive oil for thousands of years.


(Ancient Olive Oil Press at the Ruins at Thuburbo Majus)

1st Tunisia Olive Oil Expo in June

Packtec, in conjunction with The Ministry of Industry, is hosting the 1st International Olive Oil Exhibition in June 2010. The event will take place at the Expo Center Medina in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia on June 8, 9, and 10.

Growers and producers from across Tunisia will converge on the Expo Center in an unprecedented gathering. Representing all growing regions and the myriad varieties of olives—many unique to Tunisia—buyers will have unparalleled access to producers of all sizes, from boutique labels to industry giants.



This follows, nicely, after our trade mission to Tunisia that wrapped a couple of weeks ago. We had a small sampling of the kind of opportunities this event is likely to offer through our B2B meeting that were held at the Ramada Hotel in Gammarth. About 15 growers/producers were on hand to let our US buyers sample their olive oils, and the buyers were able to 'work the room' with great efficiency. The results were beneficial for both buyers and sellers.

Tunisia is the world’s fourth largest producer of olive oil, after Spain, Italy and Greece. Historically, Tunisian olive oil has been sold largely in bulk to European processors who blend it with other oils to take advantage of the fruity fragrance and mild taste of oils from Tunisia. Modern buyers are becoming more sophisticated, however, and there is a growing demand for pure, 100% Tunisian olive oil in its unblended state. Packtec and The Ministry of Industry have programs currently underway to promote 100% Tunisian olive oil in the US and Europe, and this event will support those efforts.