SCENIC Rim 4Real Milk founder Greg Dennis has warned the milk brand is on borrowed time unless the community rallies behind it.
Mr Dennis, popularly known as Farmer Gregie, has launched a social media campaign in recent days pleading with 4Real Milk’s 14,000 Facebook followers to spread the word about the award-winning brand.
The 4Real Milk brand produces about 30,000 of milk per week from the Scenic Rim Robotic Dairy at Tamrookum.
In June 2013, Mr Dennis made headlines when he decided to go it alone after processors offered to pay 25 per cent less than it costs to produce his milk.
Speaking to the Times on Thursday, Mr Dennis admitted times were now tough for 4Real Milk as big-name competition attempts to squeeze the brand out.
“We’re struggling. We’re living on borrowed time,” he said.
“We haven’t been able to shift the volumes of milk necessary. As a milk company we’re paying more for the milk than we’re getting when we sell it and we can’t keep doing that.”
Mr Dennis blamed a number of factors on the situation, including bully tactics from other milk companies.
“We’ve had a number of stores tell us that other milk company representatives were coming in and telling them to get our milk out of the fridge. It’s ruthless bully tactics,” he said.
“Our milk has been shifted almost out of sight in some stores. Where we might have had five facings we’ve been cut back to two.”
Mr Dennis, who employs about 25 people across his farm and factory operations, said sales had plateaued and were not growing according to initial expectations.
That is despite a 30 per cent increase in the amount of stores 4Real Milk is featured in, now totaling about 240 shops.
Rapid growth, including the signing of a second producer in July last year, has seen costs rise while sales volume has fallen.
The passionate farmer said consumer apathy was also having an impact.
“I think some complacency is settling in. Australians are so laid-back, so cruisey and I think people are looking at the media and the positive coverage we get and are thinking we’re going great guns,” he said.
But Mr Dennis, who won Dairy Farmer of The Year in 2014, said he believes the loyalty of customers will be what saves 4Real Milk.
He said 4Real Milk had many loyal supporters and he believed it was the direct relationship with consumers that would help the brand survive.
“That will save us I believe. Those people are so invested in what we are doing that they’ll make sure that we won’t be broken so easily.
“That’s why I’m calling out right now, we need your help.”
Mr Dennis said 4Real Milk needed to see its customer loyalty and popularity online translate into sales in stores.
“Unless it helps milk fly off the shelves, it means nothing. We need to see the support of the people follow through and buy our milk.”
Mr Dennis said 4Real Milk had increased its efforts to engage with stores and put the brand in the spotlight, and said he would soon reveal a special video project currently in the works.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/4RealMilk/
