When It Comes To Their Ice Cream, Ontarians Want The Real McCoy
Toronto, ON - It appears that Ontarians are not ready to compromise when it comes to their ice cream. According to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, nine in ten (88%) Ontarians say that it's important (59% "very important"/29% "somewhat important") that the ice cream they buy from the dairy freezer is "real ice cream made from milk and not a frozen dessert made from vegetable oils". As well, nearly all Ontarians (96%) say that they prefer to serve real ice cream to their children, rather than a frozen dessert made from vegetable oils.
Thinking about when companies change their product from real ice cream to a vegetable-oil based product under the same brand name, six in ten (59%) Ontarians say that labelling regulations need to be strengthened so that companies have to communicate these changes to consumers. Half (49%) feel deceived, and four in ten (42%) believe that these companies are trying to be tricky. Adopting another sceptical position, three in ten Ontarians (27%) wonder why these companies wouldn't promote or advertise these changes if they were a good thing for customers. Only one in ten (6%) is not bothered by this type of move.
When shopping for dairy products, eight in ten (87%) Ontarians also say that it is important (52% "very important"/35% "somewhat important") that they support local dairy farmers.
Overall, Canadians in general share many of the opinions held by Ontarians. Eight in ten (83%) feel that it is important that the ice cream they buy be a real dairy product made from milk, and nearly all Canadians (96%) prefer serving their children real dairy ice cream, rather than frozen desserts made with oils. A majority (57%) feel that regulations regarding the labelling of products need to be strengthened to avoid ambiguity in the cases of manufacturers changing to oil-based desserts under the same brand name, and four in ten (44%) feel deceived when this happens.
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario from 06/13 to 06/20, 2008. This online survey of 1495 Canadian adults, including 808 adults living in Ontario, was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Ontarian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points for the Canadian data, and a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points for the data focusing on Ontario, 19 times out of 20.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.
About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.
Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.
In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).
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