Anecoop has launched its 2018 Bouquet seedless watermelon marketing campaign in a bid to consolidate its position as Europe’s leading watermelon supplier.
The €900,000 campaign will run in Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Belarus and Poland, with actions spanning points-of-sale, radio, television, social media, cultural and sports events and media events.
For the first time, supermarket customers who purchase a Bouquet watermelon will receive a gift related to different experiences, such as sports and adventure, beauty and health, and gastronomy.
Anecoop plans to sell 150,000 tonnes of watermelons this year, up from 132,000 tonnes in 2017. Around 80 per cent will be marketed under the Bouquet label.
The group accounts for 18 per cent of Spain’s total watermelon production and 15 per cent of exports. It launched the Bouquet seedless watermelon in 1991 and today they are sold in 30 countries. They are available from April to the end of August, with production starting in Almería and then moving north to Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Castellón. Seville and Castilla-La Mancha complete the production calendar.
Speaking at an event to mark the launch of the new campaign, Anecoop’s president, Alejandro Monzón, said: “the cultivation of watermelons plays an important social role as it provides continuity for Spanish growers and ensures that they are employed throughout the year”.
Anecoop’s director general, Joan Mir said he was optimistic about the outlook for the new season.
“Through our varietal improvement plan we will continue to work on satisfying the premium segment and on expanding throughout Europe, where demand is on the rise,” he stated.
In response to the challenge posed by rising competition from third countries, Mir said that being closer to the market meant Anecoop could supply fresher melons that had a smaller carbon footprint than arrivals from outside Europe.
Anecoop conducts ongoing trials into new varieties and production techniques at its two trial farms in Almería and Valencia. The company says the evolution in the market has seen a trend towards smaller sizes and greater segmentation by quality and colour.
Currently, the Bouquet seedless watermelon family is composed of four types: red striped, yellow striped, black skinned and the mini, all of them available in conventional and organic.
