The work carried out by the renamed British Summer Fruits (BSF), a crop association working on behalf of the soft-fruit industry, with Sputnik Communications has already gone down as one of the most successful PR and promotional campaigns in fresh produce history.
Initially based on the evocative message that eating strawberries and raspberries increases the sex drive of both men and women, the campaign stirred up a veritable hornets’ nest of media attention during the summer of 2004, and the positive message carried through to benefit not only the homegrown berries it was created to directly support, but also sales of imported berries during a difficult winter.
“Winter sales have been unbelievable,” says BSF chairman Laurence Olins. “And that is on the back of what we did last summer. The campaign kick-started a level of interest in soft-fruit that we’ve never seen before.”
This year, the formula will be reinvented for raspberries. International sex, body language and relationship expert Tracey Cox has been snapped up to become a brand ambassador for British raspberries on behalf of British Summer Fruits.
The well-known presenter of BBC’s Would Like to Meet, author of Superflirt, and columnist for Closer and Glamour Magazines will front an editorial campaign - giving quotes and interviews - to spread the message that a punnet of raspberries should be top of everyone’s shopping list.
She will be conveying to the British public findings of research based on alternative and preventative ayurvedic medicinal beliefs developed by Bharti Vyas, the UK’s leading ayurvedic specialist.
Cox will focus on the numerous nutritional benefits of raspberries and the fact that the fruit contains various properties that help to enhance a person’s sex appeal.
The desired effect is to increase consumption and sales of home-grown raspberries by younger women and men. BSF believes that less than 50 per cent of the UK population has ever tried a fresh raspberry, yet it is the favourite ‘flavour’ of adults and children in yoghurts, sweets and ice cream.
The initial PR blitz will start in late June, as BSF attempts to create the demand for raspberries as they begin to arrive in volume for what is a relatively short-hit season, compared with strawberries. It is a task that has often proved beyond the industry in the past.
Olins says: “Raspberries are seen as a luxury purchase, unlike strawberries, which have already had time to build up sales before their peak period in the market arrives in June. It has been a major problem that when British raspberries hit the market in volume, they are coming into an unprepared market. In the past, it has taken supermarkets sufficient time to react and get the fruit onto shelves and get the packaging right.
“I think we have learnt lessons from last year though. Planning has been finalised with the major customers well in advance this year and we will hit the ground running. Then once July is over and demand naturally drops, we will be working hard to maintain interest and sales through to the autumn crop.”
BSF members, which include all major UK suppliers, have been collaborating closely with their customers during the early months of the year to reinforce the messages of the campaign and build on the successes of last year with an even more focused promotional effort this time around. The category captain for each supermarket is responsible for the co-ordination of its customer’s needs with the potential support offered by BSF through Sputnik. “It is a joined up approach, and competitors are collaborating for the overall good of the category and the industry,” says Olins. “There are not many organisations like that.”
Sponsorship of Fruitstock, a free two-day music festival in August, will be continued to give more exposure to soft fruit. Organised by Innocent, the makers of Innocent Smoothies, Fruitstock takes place at the beginning of August in Regent’s Park, London, and last year attracted as many as 150,000 people over a scorching hot weekend. BSF will have a marquee in the main part of the festival and although plans are not finalised, a “Flirting Tent” is in the offing.
Innocent will also be creating a bespoke Innocent British Summer Fruit raspberry smoothie in July. With the moniker Raspberry Flush, the drinks will be produced in limited quantities for promotional purposes. BSF has also allowed Innocent to incorporate its ‘raspberry flush’ message on labels for its own-brand raspberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant smoothie, sold in the UK between July and September.
It is thought that the Dutch soft-fruit industry is flirting with the BSF model, with a view to introducING a similar concept to boost the image of homegrown fruit in the Netherlands. If imitation is in fact the most sincere form of flattery, BSF can feel justifiably flattered that its approach is being coveted after just one year in place.
GROWERS FACE A WATERSHED
Despite what would appear in sales terms to have been a good year, for some soft-fruit growers 2005 could represent a watershed on the back of decidedly un-sexy returns in 2004.
“There is a temporary lack of confidence amongst growers after a year that was not good for British soft fruit for a number of reasons,” says Olins. “The problems of 2004 followed on from a series of good years, fuelled by increasing demand and the availability of higher volumes of homegrown fruit because of polytunnels.”
The root of last year’s issues could be traced back to weather problems in 2003, which disrupted planting and affected plant quality, beginning a chain of events that created the first serious blip in the supply of British soft fruit for a number of seasons.
“For all involved it was a shock to the system, “says Olins, “because the industry was used to the success of previous years. A number of marginal soft-fruit growers have gone already and a lot more growers are dependent on a good year in 2005 to survive.
“There is a dichotomy here. Sales were fine. If you were a supermarket buyer in 2004 you had a fantastic time with soft fruit. Supermarket sales were up and demand was being pushed to unprecedented levels by an industry PR campaign. So their gross margins were significantly higher. Buyers are looking at more of the same in 2005. Everything so far this year has gone well. Planting has been on time and growers report that the crop looks strong and yields are potentially high. Winter sales have been nothing short of phenomenal, on the back of an increased focus on the category, and forward programmes are very strong.”
But, the problem last year was that growers were unable to sell the entirety of their crops, reducing potential returns. The early signs in 2005 are better. “It appears at this point that demand could outstrip supply this year,” Olins says. “And if we can sell the entire crop at similar prices to 2003, with promotions that are less deep and shorter, that would be fine.
“We have made enormous strides in the last few years and the soft-fruit category is unrecognisable in the UK now from what it was even five years ago,” says Olins. “But unless growers are able to survive financially, much of the good work being done across the industry will be lost.”
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