A lack of industry commitment is limiting the impact of abundant healthy-eating messages on fresh produce sales, according to one trade marketing man.
Dickon Poole, marketing manager of JP Fresh, a supporter of the 5 A DAY, School Fruit & Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) and Eat in Colour (EiC) initiatives, told FPJ: “There cannot be any other industry in the UK that gets as much media and PR coverage as the fresh produce industry, yet the marketing opportunity still has to be grasped and capitalised on.
“Concerns over the nation’s health, fitness and the level of obesity get regular coverage in the media. For the produce industry to mount an equivalent advertising campaign would cost millions of pounds, which is quite unaffordable.
“So why is it then, that the industry is slow to capitalise on this massive opportunity and everyone appears to do their own thing, consequently diluting the message?”
Poole added that, while some of the produce industry has backed the EiC campaign, which in his view complements and supports the government’s 5 A DAY campaign, there is depressingly little cross-fertilisation of ideas and messages.
“Both efforts can work together,” he said. “5 A DAY tells consumers why they should eat more fruit and veg for a fitter, healthier and happier life, and the EiC objective is to provide them with ways to do that, through its use of the colour logo, the convenience message and practical ideas to help consumers.
“The multiple retailers use the 5 A DAY logo extensively, but is the fresh produce industry really getting behind this opportunity to increase consumption in other areas, and could more be done?
“Could not every lorry delivering fruit and veg in the UK be promoting the 5 A DAY message and trying to increase consumption amongst consumers? Could not every van delivering products to schools under the SFVS be carrying the same message?
“We at JP Fresh do it, and I can vouch for the fact that the cost is not prohibitive.”
