The Horticultural Development Council’s (HDC) I’m In Season campaign has scored success with a seasonal fresh produce feature in the Daily Express’s health section, to appear every Tuesday.
The regular piece has already featured carrots, beetroot, mushrooms and aubergines, using nutritional information from www.iminseason.com and directing readers to the website for more details.
HDC’s principal communication manager Ross Newham said: “We are very pleased with this media take-up because it is important that journalists buy into the seasonal message, so that they can explain it to consumers through their pages.
“The I’m In Season website is now being used by many journalists, as they find it to be an ideal ‘one-stop shop’ for everything they need when writing about fruit and veg. With the Daily Express now including information on a weekly basis, it highlights how the seasonal message and the importance of eating with the seasons is catching on.”
Features such as those appearing in the Daily Express have a direct impact on the number of visitors to www.iminseason.com, with an immediate increase in website hits following the coverage.
Since the consumer launch in November, the website is averaging 100 hits a day and, with new recipes from various crop associations, Newham hopes that number will increase in the summer.
The HDC aims to continue growing the website by encouraging consumers to upload and vote for their favourite dishes.
A recent addition to the website are seasonal posters that can be downloaded, and are split up month-by-month to tell people what is in season when. “We have had some really positive feedback from people who are using them in their workplaces,” said a campaign spokeswoman. “The team has received comments such as ‘fantastic idea, well done’ and ‘I have been looking for something like this for ages’.”
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