Taste Australia campaign promotes gift boxes filled with premium fruit in South-East Asia
Consumers in Vietnam and Malaysia clamoured for ribbon-handled gift boxes of Australian cherries in the lead up to Lunar New Year 2022 as part of a targeted campaign that sold close to 4000 boxes.
The targeted initiative was implemented by Taste Australia – a joint initiative led by Hort Innovation with Australian growers and Austrade – and five leading importers across the two South-East Asian nations.
Hort Innovation head of trade Brei Montgomery said the aim of the campaign was to educate importers, retail partners, influencers, media and most importantly consumers, on the premium nature and high quality of Australian cherries – and the results were encouraging.
“By all accounts, the cherry displays we had in place in major retail outlets across Vietnam and Malaysia were attracting large crowds, and consumers enjoyed the novelty of this high-end offering,” Montgomery said.
“All of the boxes sold out, and our importer partners have requested that we supply a larger number next season, which is really positive.”
The campaign was underpinned by a targeted social media element that was supported by a squad of social media influencers, from celebrity chefs to urban style gurus.
Montgomery said influencer engagement is imperative to reaching target audiences, especially in Malaysia where consumers are proficient users of social media and use it to interact with the brands they enjoy.
Malaysian importer Khaishen Trading representative Tracey Lee said the campaign resonated with her customers.
“The in-store activation helped us increase the sales volume as repeat ordering is better after promotional activities, and there was a lot of buzz this year on social media,” Lee said.
A shopper at Malaysian supermarket Village Grocer, Triptpal Kaur, said he was delighted with this season’s Australian cherry offering.
“Australian cherries are one of my favourite fruits and each year I always buy them for my clients as a Chinese New Year gift. Trying fruits at the supermarket helps me to decide if I’ll purchase or not. I also love the premium gift, it’s good quality,” said Kaur.
