Summer is a great time to be alive, and the life-affirming spirit that pervades anywhere lucky enough to be blessed with a healthy dose of sunshine and warm temperatures is something upon which many in the fresh produce business should be looking to capitalise.
Take the 23 tonnes of strawberries sold during Wimbledon fortnight in the UK; or the vast quantities of succulent peaches and nectarines marketed to thirsty consumers on Italy’s Adriatic Riviera; or indeed the Chiquita bananas handed out to Greek consumers lying on the beach and trying to forget about taxes: all of these are examples of solar-powered marketing, and I believe the opportunities to engage consumers through seasonal campaigns will gradually increase across Europe in the coming years as our economies begin to settle down.
Since we are now all destined to work until well into old age, the chances are we’ll be looking to enjoy ourselves along the way – we’ll be after more convenience, reasonable prices and the best quality and taste possible – and summer will indeed be the time to make hay. Not yet found your target market? Try some summery marketing and you may find you’re getting warmer.
At the recent Fresh Convenience Congress, a new event organised by Eurofruit Magazine and the Fresh Produce Journal for the international fresh convenience sector, we heard how the head chef at London’s Wembley Stadium had to ensure he had 1.5 tonnes of chopped fruit ready for three consecutive Take That concerts. The sole reason? The fans at those three concerts (including my dear wife) love a bit of fruit in their Pimms. Once a brand has established a tradition, it can be a very powerful thing; us Brits wouldn’t dream of sipping Pimms without a slice of cucumber, a slice of orange, a strawberry or two and a sprig of mint. Perish the thought! So here’s to boosting fruit sales and here’s to more sunshine!
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