Communication is seen today as a vital part of the activity of wholesale markets. Struggling with more and more drastic requirements from authorities and large retailers, whose competition is sometimes fatal to greengrocers, wholesale markets know they have to be increasingly present in the media, in whatever format necessary.

The clients of Rungis recently received a new label, pictured, to be stuck in the window of their shop or restaurant. This is therefore a good opportunity to salute this four-year-old initiative from market authority Semmaris - it clearly displays that spin doctors are not necessary in order to come up with a direct and winning message to communicate to consumers.

The smart part of it is that this label aim is indeed aimed directly at consumers, and therefore cannot be mistaken for a B2B operation.

Moreover, it shows that Rungis supports small retailers in their philosophy of providing premium fresh produce, and engages its name on their behalf. This has a double advantage: it suggests the consumer can rely on his or her local greengrocer, because they buy at Rungis, and also allows the market to build a strong brand image.

This symbol, largely used by professionals (walk the streets of Paris, for instance, and you will see it on display), gives the market the opportunity to build a coherent communication programme.

The label has evolved since its debut, despite its relatively young age. The first one - now surely a collector’s item - looked an awful lot like the Blue Ribbon logo, only in red. Then the label became square, but still red. But this year, the colours are more fashionable, and the label looks like the kind used by designers for upmarket restaurants.

The wholesale world is often viewed as backward-looking in terms of its communication strategy, but is clearly showing all evidence to the contrary with this label. And that’s just fine by us.