The Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) will target leading export markets with a new marketing campaign funded by a US$1.5m US government trade relief package.
The marketing organisation was awarded US$1.5m in the second round of the Agricultural Trade Program (ATP), a programme established to help producers cope with the effects of the US-China trade war.
This second allocation brings the total funding PBNW has received from the programme to $US2.1m.
The funding will enable PBNW to immediately launch a variety of promotions in leading export markets including Mexico, Canada, India, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It will also allow for funding to relaunch a promotional campaign in China, should the tariffs be removed within the next three seasons.
The promotions and activities will aim to bolster current programmes in the export markets and generate additional exposure for pears in each market.
'The ATP funding will help boost the USA Pears promotional programme in those markets that have the best growth prospects for the industry in light of the tariff impacts the industry is facing in China,' said Jeff Correa, international marketing director of PBNW.
A variety of activities will be conducted in the various markets. In Mexico, PBNW will spend two seasons working with social media influencers and partnering with Pictoline to develop USA Pears-themed infographics to enhance social media engagement with extended reach into Central and South America.
This will be supplemented by two years of TV advertorials on the Discovery Home and Health channel. All of these activities aim to boost the effectiveness of the current consumer outreach activities in Mexico.
PBNW will utilise Nielsen retail data in Canada, to identify opportunity gaps, and develop customised plans and promotions with individual retailers to improve their pear category.
The organisation will also expand social media outreach and consumer events in Canada.
In India, PBNW will conduct a two-year billboard and advertising campaign supported by a celebrity spokesperson for one year.
This mass media activity will be the focal point of the promotional programme for the next two years in India and aims to help raise the profile of USA Pears brand as the premium pear offering in the Indian market.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the next two seasons, PBNW will feature eight TV advertorials each season to run on 'Al Moultaqa,' a show that reaches over 8m viewers. The advertorials will be a mix of recipe demonstrations, health and nutritional benefit discussions, and ripening education.
