Peruvian avocado growers have unveiled their first-ever campaign for promoting Hass avocados in the UK market.
The initiative will promote Peruvian Hass with the strapline ‘Deliciously Healthy’ in the main multiples and in the media during Peru’s main supply window from the middle of May until July.
ProHass, the trade association that represents more than 3,000 hectares of avocados in the country, is funding the campaign, which aims to champion specific health benefits of the fruit, as well as the taste and versatility of the Hass variety.
Key health messages of the campaign include facts such as: avocados contain 12 of the 13 known vitamins, and several minerals; half a medium avocado (72 grams) contains just 137 calories, 50 per cent less than a plain bagel; gram for gram, an avocado contains almost twice the amount of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat as salmon; and avocados contain 12.5 per cent more potassium than bananas.
The in-store element of the Peruvian promotion will include recipe leaflets with a ‘Win a holiday to Peru’ competition, as well as point-of-sale advertising in major multiple retailers.
PR activity will involve the introduction of a new website, www.deliciouslyhealthyavocados.co.uk, as well as recipes using Hass avocados, photography and a media press pack.
Peru is also teaming up with Fruity Friday, the World Cancer Research Fund’s awareness day on May 15, to distribute samples of Hass avocados to commuters at London’s Kings Cross station on the day, as well as carrying out radio interviews for the regional and national press on the health benefits of avocados.
Peruvian avocados have grown in significance as a source of Hass avocados in the last decade, and the country is supplying increasing volumes to the European market in the summer season.
Peru exported a total of 38,680 tonnes in 2008, a year-on-year increase of 29 per cent, of which approximately 12 per cent was exported to the UK.
ProHass president Carlos Enrique Camet Piccone told FPJ: “Just 23 per cent of people in the UK eat avocados at the moment and this is a great opportunity to increase production and help to teach people how healthy it is to eat avocados and also about how they ripen.
“The main challenge is to increase consumption in the UK and Europe as production in Peru is growing quickly, our orchards are still young and producing more and more.
“We are convinced this is the best way to raise awareness of Peruvian avocados and will be continuing the push in the next few years.”
The campaign is designed to complement the Chilean Hass avocado initiative, which has run for the last four years in the autumn and winter.
