During the heyday of the fresh produce marketing desk, the definition of 'marketing' was simple: it meant “selling fruit and veg”. When we use the word today, we are talking not just about the act of selling, but also about the many tools available to the industry to stimulate this process and encourage shoppers to put products into their baskets. In supermarkets, marketing now refers to anything from the design on a bag of fruit and point-of-sale leaflets to on-pack offers, competitions and till-roll coupons. Outside stores, meanwhile, there is an array of advertising, sampling and experiential marketing opportunities, to name a few. In produce, there are also a growing number of PR campaigns in action, with companies seeking editorial coverage in print, online and on radio or television. During the recession, marketing through PR has proven a cost-effective alternative as advertising budgets have been cut – particularly in fresh produce, where tight margins usually generate very slim marketing budgets. New technologies are expanding this toolkit further, and fast: social media such as Facebook, Twitter or blogging have each made the leap from niche to mainstream in just a few years, creating surprising but effective new opportunities to build excitement in the fruit and vegetable sector.
The produce industry used to market itself poorly, with a sizeable gulf between producers and shoppers. As many fresh produce consumer brands failed to highlight a single unique quality, they vanished. However, exciting things have been happening in produce marketing during the last decade. Brands have reappeared as forward-looking industry players realise what can be achieved if you offer clear, stimulating reasons to buy. Pink Lady is a great example. Introduced in the late 1990s, it is poised to become the third-highest valued apple in the UK.
It’s not only brands that are making the produce aisle an exciting place to be. There are major promotional campaigns running for countries of origin, across a number a products and even for particular varieties. These initiatives are increasingly identifying, developing and communicating stories that make products exceptional and sought-after. The more unusual and inventive the stories are, the more they are likely to stand out. Speaking about seasons and health benefits is all very well, but when you look a little deeper that’s when you can really get the boost you need. One of my favourite produce PR stories of the past year was the one we used to promote South African stonefruit in the winter. We worked with researchers at the University of Bristol who had found that eating pigmented fruit such as peaches and plums caused the skin to change to a tone that people found the most attractive. The story was released during the winter season and resulted in more then 300 articles.
With media and politicians behind the industry as never before, this is the perfect time to promote fresh produce, and the vast array of tools available offer an infinite number of ways to reach consumers. Marketing is still about selling, but it is now so much more fun.
Dominic Weaver is the director of communications at Red Communications in the UK
