The "special procurement" publicity slogan, found on certain consumer products in China, will gradually begin to fade from the market after a recent government campaign to reduce the abuse of the logos.
"We have been placing paper stickers over the special procurement slogan on cooking oil packages since this summer," a saleswoman at a supermarket in Ying-kou, Liaoning Province told the Global Times. "I'm not sure about other brands and I can't remember the specific date, but this slogan is no longer allowed on packages."
Logos with the slogan, found on packaging for Sanyuan dairy products or Luhua cooking oil, are now covered by stickers noting their high market standards in supermarkets across Beijing, but the original slogans can still be seen.
Wang Dan, a marketing manager for Sanyuan, told the Beijing Youth Daily that the company has legal authorization to use the "special procurement to the national banquet" slogan, but due to new rules on packaging, they are adjusting and will change their packages gradually.
This is the general reaction to the two-month joint campaign by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Ministry of Commerce, which began in September.
The campaign's targets are daily commodities such as cooking oil, wine, tea and dairy products, the Beijing Evening News reported. Yanjing Beer told the newspaper that since September they have stopped producing packaging with the exclusive supply logo.
Expensive reputation
Some companies, which were reluctant to reveal their brand names, told China National Radio on Sunday that using this slogan as a pitch in advertisements is to help boost consumers confidence for their brands, but how much they pay for it is a business secret.
However, the Beijing Evening News quoted an anonymous industry insider as saying that their company would gladly pay 5 million yuan ($787,500) a year just to use the pitch.
Beijing Huatang International Advertising Company has assisted the Great Hall of the People in authorizing the use of the slogan since 1995, but had stopped authorizations by the time the Beijing Youth Daily called Thursday.
"We originally had policy support, but we are no longer allowed to do business. There are still many companies inquiring about how to get authorizations," a staff member with the advertising agency told the Beijing Youth Daily. They were unwilling to reveal the fees they charge for authorization but admitted that a portion of the fees are given to the Great Hall of the People.
"Using this slogan in commercial advertisement provides a third-party opinion to consumers, which is especially significant when the third party is places like the Great Hall of the People," Fu Guoqun, head of the Marketing Department at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, told the Global Times on Monday.
"This neutral, or in most cases positive, image will boost consumer sales, especially after food safety scandals that occur frequently of late," Fu said. "However the use of this slogan in advertisements is not fair to consumers or competitors because there's rarely much difference in product quality."
Exclusive privileges
Luhua has been using the slogan in advertisements for eight years and has changed not only its packaging, but online advertisements too. It was not the first, however, to be recognized as a special supplier.
The China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai tells the story of the exclusive supply of tobacco to national leaders such as Mao Zedong. In the summer of 1964, Sifang tobacco factory in Sichuan began to produce exclusive cigars for leaders only.
Southern Weekly reported this May that there is an exclusive vegetable base for Beijing Customs in Shunyi district. Staff on the base can pick any vegetables in the green house and eat them without cleaning them and not have to worry about getting sick.
A man surnamed Sun is the exclusive supplier for the Beijing Asian Games, Olympics and government meetings. He told the Southern Weekly that there are experts assigned to examining the quality of water, feed and air at his farm.
The report triggered an outcry among the public over the worsening food safety concerns. Internet users have been criticizing the officials who enjoy the exclusive supply of foods while the general public is horrified by serious food safety scandals constantly. They think the exclusive supply will only make the situation deteriorate.
"There will continue to be exclusive suppliers in China, as it is a sign of privilege," Fu said, "But this must be changed in the future because it implies there is a difference in quality. People should be allowed to enjoy the same food and drinks without worrying about product quality."
