Introducing

the Agricultural Marketing Centre

 Who we are
• Our mission
• Our tasks include
• Our aims

What AMC has to offer

• Trade Exhibitions
• Leading events of the international exhibition profession
• Major exhibitions in terms of the target markets of Hungarian agricultural trade
• Domestic trade exhibitions
• Product-specific events
• Sales promotion activities

Trademarks
• The Quality Food from Hungary trademark
• Traditions – Flavours – Regions programme

Adver tising and PR activities

• Publications
• Advertising, PR
• Market research

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Who we are
Numerous direct and indirect methods have been worked out throughout the world to expand the markets for Hungarian
agriculture and food. Today however, the need for free competition is steadily increasing in agriculture; even international or-
ganisations (GATT, WTO, EU) are pushing for contained and regulated direct agricultural support. As a result, a system of indirect
support forms has evolved ranging from favourable mortgage loans through the deve­lopment of the country infrastructure to
helping food producers enter the collective market. In order to help the expansion of the food market via government means,
community agricultural marketing activities have been called to life and put into practice with great success as a form of indirect
support. Using western European models, Hungary – being the first among the Eastern European countries – established her
own community marketing organisation, the Agricultural Marketing Centre in 1996.

Our mission:
The AMC is a budgetary organisation established with a view to expanding the markets for Hungarian agricultural and food
industry products.
Being a collective agricultural marketing organisation operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, the AMC endeavours to actively contribute to helping agricultural actors penetrate markets and to establishing
high-standard support for sales.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Our tasks include:
• supporting the sale of Hungarian agricultural products on the domestic and foreign markets using community marketing
methods,
• promotion of modern trading methods, the strengthening of a marketing approach in the Hungarian food sector,
• the formation of the country’s agricultural supply structure,
• improving the exportability of Hungarian products,
• promoting the market activities and the competitiveness of producers, particularly that of SMEs, as well as manufacturers
and distributors,
• supporting regional development and regional marketing events,
• promoting the more effective utilisation of government support.

Our aims:
Our mid-term aims:
• we intend to bring the level of Hungarian community agricultural marketing activities at a par with that of the EU mem-
ber states within 5 years with the cooperation of AMC,
• AMC wishes to become a reliable and recognised professional partner to agricultural actors by transparent
and predictable activities,
• making a significant contribution to increasing the marketing culture of the sector, making marketing work
a normal part of agricultural activities,
• achieving our frame programme designed on the basis of professional considerations in a cost-effective manner,
with measurable results at a high professional level,
• we also intend to improve the image of Hungarian agricultural produce.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
What AMC has to offer
Main activities of the Agricultural Marketing Centre:

• Exhibitions

• Product-specific events

• Sales promotion activities

• Trademarks

• Advertising and PR activities

• Market research

• Education, conferences

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Trade Exhibitions
The various domestic and international exhibitions serve as an ideal meeting place for the various sectors where the market can
show its real face. When the magnitude or nature of the exhibitions allow, an entire community stand is devoted to present some
of our priority product groups (Traditions – Flavours – Regions products, Quality Food from Hungary, etc.).

AMC strives to promote the attainment of the following aims set by the Hungarian agricultural producers and manufacturers by
organising professional trade fairs and exhibitions:

• General information about the supply and demand sides of the given sectors
• Sharing other information concerning the profession
• High-quality presentation of Hungarian products
• Providing Hungarian exhibitors and their potential partners with an ideal meeting place
• Reaching out to and winning over the press
• Discussions about novelties and current affairs of the profession in conferences organised along the exhibitions
• Building company product image
• Preparation and execution of specific deals

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Leading events of the international exhibition profession
These trade exhibitions are major events of the agricultural profession regardless of the venue; the number of visitors is in the
tens of thousands and exhibitors are from a multitude of countries and also high in numbers (many thousands). It is these ex-
hibitions where the AMC organises the most important Hungarian appearances. AMC uses these events to give low-budget
exhibitors a free opportunity to introduce themselves in the international scene with opportunities open for more recognised
corporations to present themselves through displaying their products and activities in high-standard individual stands. AMC
operates a constant information service at these expos even at multiple locations where pavilions are divided.

Major exhibitions in terms of the target markets of

Hungarian agricultural trade
These events present exhibits of Hungary’s traditional export markets and from countries that present a realistic market opportu-
nity to Hungarian products. In addition to our most important food export market, Germany, this groups also includes the mar-
kets of the CIS. In addition to general export considerations, attention is also given to the special markets of specific products.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Domestic trade exhibitions
Domestic exhibitions reach traders operating in specific regions and the general public alike. Community stands are set up for
SMEs, where they can exhibit their products at a minimum investment. When setting up the list of domestic exhibitors, the na-
ture of the exhibition and the number of visitors is taken into consideration most. Exhibitions are constantly evaluated.

Product-specific events
The accepted mid-term strategy of AMC has set the products of the meat, poultry, vegetable and fruit and the eco segment in
its focal point; these products are considered to be the most appropriate to constitute part of a priority strategy of Hungarian
community agricultural marketing. The support of any given product must be continued for many years before any tangible or
measurable results can be achieved.
At the same time, it is also important for the remaining products’ to receive suitable marketing support as they can significantly
improve sales figures and market positions with relatively little investment. During product promotion events, AMC organises
product exhibitions, professional events, prepares information materials, market research projects with the involvement of the
concerned product councils and other professional organisations.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Sales promotion activities
The aim of sales promotion activities is to present Hungary’s agricultural and food products separately in trade events where
professional circles of the target countries have greater representation. In addition to reaching the Hungarian and foreign profes-
sion, we specifically aim to promote Hungarian products among the end-users as well.

Such activities are performed along two clearly distinguishable concepts:

• promotion of products awarded the Quality Food from Hungary trademark through Hungarian sales channels, and
• the promotion of the sale of Hungarian products through the trade channels of strategically important foreign countries

In addition to the specific domestic events, perhaps the most time-consuming and most exacting preparation is put into the
organisation of what is known as the Hungarian National Weeks. The essence of these events is that products are placed and sold
within a well distinguishable area of supermarkets, clearly marked by country-specific symbols (e.g. flags, colours, etc.) often with
an opportunity to taste specific products.

Hungarian Weeks events are also ideal for running quick surveys and market research programmes about knowledge of specific
products, customer satisfaction with product features by interviewing shoppers. The events are also used to present Hungarian
foods independently on priority target markets and we aim to keep awareness high on most important markets.

In addition to specific trade expos and supermarket events, there are businessmen meetings to promote the building of relations
between business partners and the direct conclusion of deals. These events may be accompanied by gastronomic presentations
and wine tasting as a special feature.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Trademarks
The Quality Food from Hungary trademark
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development established the Quality Food from Hungary trademark in 1998. Manufactur-
ers and producers can apply for the trademark voluntarily.

The quality trademark is a typical community marketing means. Its aim is to raise Hungarian shoppers’ consumer awareness to
the level of buyers in Western Europe.

Compliance with the strict quality control measures and with the test of the senses is regularly checked after being awarded the
trademark. Follow-up control is run by accredited laboratories and is designed to ensure that only safe products can make the
way to shoppers’ baskets.

The trademark is a guarantee of quality for both traders and buyers. As a fundamental requirement, product packaging must not
only aesthetically reflect the quality of the product but must also easy storage, transport, and use.

Products bearing the Quality Food from Hungary trademark are also promoted by sales and product promotion activities.

As a guarantee of excellence, the logo of the trademark is placed clearly and visibly on the packaging: products thus marked
represent added value over similar products of the competition.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Traditions – Flavours – Regions (TFR) programme
A nation’s future is strongly defined by the knowledge of and respect for its roots and traditions. It is in
the spirit of this notion that the Traditions – Flavours – Regions (TFR or HÍR) programme was launched
in Hungary as an adaptation of the long-time running Euroterroirs programme in Western Europe –
a French initiative. With the participation of eighty specialists exactly three hundred typically Hungarian
and special regional food industry products, animal and plant species were collected and ranked in
the seven planning and statistical regions approved of by the EU and defined by the act on regional development and regional
planning.

The Hungarian TFR programme is a worthy addition to the similar French, Italian, Spanish, and German collections. The content
of the collection is seen as part of universal Hungarian culture, but we think it will only become complete once the collection
is extended over the entire Carpathian Basin. The product descriptions inside the TFR collection are treasures of the Hungarian
nation constituting the exclusive property of the Republic of Hungary or more specifically the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.

It is the responsibility of the Agricultural Marketing Centre to promote traditional and regional food products, which are part of
Hungary’s gastronomic culture, among Hungarian consumers, and foreign tourists visiting Hungary through the TFR trademark
– the symbol of the programme.

To this aim, the AMC constantly promotes TFR publications prepared as part of the programme in all trade fairs and expos it is
present at (the book containing the TFR collection, three-language CD, recipe booklet), it performs PR and advertising to pro-
mote the programme, partakes in the organisation and implementation of the various gastronomic events presenting the TFR
programme, and provides help and support to initiatives aiming to safeguard and nurture traditional country food-production
techniques.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Adver tising and PR activities
Publications
Our multi-language publications help spread information and promote Hungarian food products.

Our publications are distributed at AMC events and are mailed to all interested parties, professional organisations upon request
free of charge.

The “Who is Who in Hungarian Food Industry” is a series presenting the key actors in Hungarian food industry in a sectoral break-
down complete with brief description of the given sector itself. The four-language, regularly updated database is available online
and on CD as well.

Online: http://kikicsoda.amc.hu/

In order to share information about Hungarian companies and promote the building of business relations, a catalogue is com-
piled to present all the companies that choose to exhibit their products in foreign exhibitions.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Advertising, PR
Our aim is to:
• promote the Quality Food from Hungary trademark, and the award-winning products
• promote priority products and consumption
• promote foreign and domestic events supported by AMC.
Our advertisements are aired in national and regional radios and televisions to reach the widest possible audience in our selected
target group. We maintain close relations with agricultural and food industry journals and we constantly intensify our presence
in the most dynamically developing medium of our times: the electronic press.

The success of AMC’s international appearance is furthered by the planned advertising campaigns in foreign press. The effective-
ness of our PR activities that will precede our exhibitions, businessmen-meetings, and sales promotions will be facilitated by our
experienced partner companies (exhibition organisers, agencies).

The effectiveness of the campaigns and advertising is constantly measured to check our own work and constantly develop our
strategy accordingly.

One of the main components in our communication with our professional partners and consumers is the AMC new website
constantly providing up-to-date information to all interested circles. The website offers downloadable tender documents, ap-
plication forms for exhibitions, and detailed information and reports concerning particular events.

Handing out promotion materials and items at our events is also an effective way of promoting Hungarian products and trade-
marked goods.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Market research
With the help of Hungarian and international market research findings we present producers with information about the mar-
kets they wish to penetrate, which includes consumer and purchasing habits of the market, competitors, economic, health and
customs regulations. By working out sectoral marketing strategies we wish to provide a solid basis for producers and manufac-
turers in developing marketing programmes and in helping them establish constant and synchronised activities.

Education, conferences
Target audience: agricultural producers, the leaders, owners, and marketing managers of SMEs in the food sector.

AMC considers it an important task to provide training to agricultural actors, to impart modern skill and knowledge that are es-
sential for survival under today’s fierce market conditions.

The conferences are an ideal opportunity for the representatives of the various professions to meet, exchange views, and discuss
relevant issues.

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Experiences
We consider the fact that marketing in recent years has tangibly become an important aspect in agriculture one of our most
important achievements up to date. The recognition of the importance of the market, the need to actively partake in the sale
process has become rudimental for both small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and producers. The scope of com-
panies who wish to utilise their organisational and financing experience in finding solutions for their sales problems is steadily
expanding.

How can we be of service to you?

Agricultural Marketing Centre

Address: H-1042 Budapest, Árpád út 51-53.
Postal address: H-1325 Budapest, Pf. 340
Telephone: (+36-1) 450-8800
Fax: (+36-1) 450-8801
Email: info@amc.hu
Internet: www.amc.hu

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
Notes

www.amc.hu • info@amc.hu
AMC Publication
Agricultural Marketing Centre
H-1042 Budapest, Árpád út 51-53.
P.O.B.: H-1325 Budapest, Pf. 340.
Internet: www.amc.hu • E-mail: info@amc.hu
Phone: +36 1 450 8800 • Fax: +36 1 450 8801
All rights reserved ©