A joint campaign between the South African government and the country's plum producers is to be launched during the first quarter of 2009, with the aim of promoting plums as well as the South African tourism industry.
In the UK, four major retailers (ASDA, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's) will be involved in showcasing a range of activities to promote both plums and tourism, including taste testing, trolley posters, leaflets, floor graphics and box-talkers. Additionally, advertisements and advertorials will appear in the retailers' in-store magazines.
The retailer campaign will be underpinned by a public relations and advertising drive, with consumers targeted through radio and popular consumer magazines, and a press trip to South Africa will also be incorporated into the programme.
'We are delighted to be launching this exciting promotional initiative in the UK market, and we are in close collaboration with Tourism SA,' said Stefan Conradie, product manager for the South African stonefruit industry. 'Our chief objective is to proactively introduce the British consumer to in-season plums from the popular tourist destination, South Africa. A successful campaign could pave the way for similar initiatives of other South African fruit.'
South African plums are primarily available from early January to late March in the UK.
