Tayto crisps, Cadbury chocolate and Kerrygold butter are the brands Irish emigrants miss most when overseas, according to the latest ‘Diaspora Decides’ study by Checkout magazine, in association with Behaviour & Attitudes.
64% of the 500 respondents* said that they missed Tayto when overseas (up from 61% last year), with 36% saying they miss the iconic crisp brand ‘a lot’.
Cadbury chocolate is missed by 56% of respondents (up from 53% last year), with 35% saying they miss it ‘a lot’. Kerrygold is also missed by 56% of respondents (up from 54% last year), with 28% saying they miss it ‘a lot’.
Also scoring highly are Denny Rashers (missed by 49% of respondents), and Denny Sausages (missed by 48% of respondents).
When it comes to emigrants’ preferred choice of cuppa, Barry’s Tea is missed by 49% of respondents, with 25% missing it ‘a lot’, while rival Lyons Tea is missed by 47% of respondents, with 22% missing it ‘a lot’.
In addition, the survey asked which product categories respondents felt were of a higher quality in Ireland, and which categories were of superior quality overseas. In line with last year’s findings, Stout scores highest, with 75% of respondents saying that they felt it was of a higher quality in Ireland (75% last year).
Also scoring highly are Prepacked Bacon/Rashers (with 72% believing Irish products to be of higher quality), Sausages (62%), Butter (61%) and Milk (57%).
Commenting on the research, Martha Fanning, Director, Behaviour & Attitudes said, “It is of no great surprise that the Irish abroad or returned emigrants show deep fondness for iconic Irish brands. Away from home, we can struggle to retain our identity, and as such many chose to express or reinforce their sense of who they are through familiar brands.
“The depth of our fondness for the pot of tea, the fry and Tayto is very significant indeed. One disappointing finding is that this audience tend to feel fruit and vegetables are better quality abroad than at home. A wish for 2015 is that, given time, we can reverse this attitude!”
*About The Methodology: The survey included 500 respondents, comprised of two groups. 131 of the respondents were Irish adults (18+) that were currently living abroad. In addition, these respondents had lived abroad for at least six months, and were not planning on returning to Ireland in the immediate future (six months). 369 respondents were Irish adults (18+) that had returned to Ireland after living abroad. In addition, these respondents had lived abroad for at least six months. In both groups, ‘Irish adults’ were defined as those having an Irish passport and/or born in Ireland.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
