The three-year campaign is jointly funded by growers and the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX). Implementation of the long-term above- and below-the-line strategy has already begun and in 2005 the campaign will cover grapes, kaki, Picota cherries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and melons from the Spanish peninsula, tomatoes from the Canary Islands. It is expected that additional products will be added to that list as the campaign rolls out.
The campaign will be handled by Foods from Spain and RED Communications, an integrated marketing services provider.
The stated aims of the campaign are:
• To develop a recognisable identity for mainland Spanish and Canary Islands fresh produce to enhance reputation in the eyes of the UK consumer and UK trade buyers,
• To drive the sales of mainland Spanish and Canary Islands lines by using appropriate on-pack and in-store promotion mechanics,
• To enhance consumer awareness of country of origin and position mainland Spain and the Canary Islands as the preferred choice.
The principal objective though is to establish a 12-month presence for that “recognisable identity” for mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.
Maria José Sevilla, UK director, Foods from Spain, says: “We will maintain the individual identities of the production regions of Spain using regional logos and creativity within a consistent theme. The words ‘Foods from Spain’ perfectly represent the essence of our communication and we will make a greater feature of this collective by the consistent use of the words on all advertising.”
The campaign hopes to maximise impact in-store to encourage impulse purchase and share of voice within the produce department with on-pack labels and point-of-sale materials. The target is to incentivise consumer purchases of Spanish product, add value to the purchase of promoted product, encourage repeat purchase and increased consumption through guaranteed rewards.
The campaign will promote what have been identified as the specific and relevant drivers in the marketplace, which are brand extension - through, for example, alternative eating options; country and region of origin identity; versatility of products, with recipes and cooking ideas; and adding value through free gift and linked-product discounts.
For the first time, there will be a significant on-line element to the Foods from Spain effort. A national promotion will be developed inviting consumers to enter a draw for prizes from Spain by sending in a game card along with five “country of origin Spain” product labels. Adverts will carry a promotional flash for the national promotion directing consumers to winwithspain.co.uk which will be linked to foodsfromspain.com.
An individual advert will be developed for each category involved in the campaign, but each advert will have common styling, as well as a new Foods from Spain logo, the regional logo of the product in question and endorsements from the World Cancer Research Fund and the UK government’s 5 A DAY programme.
“The theme will be contemporary, emphasising product quality and origins. All adverts will have strong photography typical of the Spanish region and of the relevant product,” says John Valentine of RED Communications.
National on-pack promotions will be supported for the first time through a website, www.winwithspain.co.uk, which will enable consumers to download details and collect rewards online.
Alongside consumer-oriented promotions, there is recognition of a need to communicate the objectives and timings to the trade. Themed trade advertising will be similar to the consumer creativity, focusing again on the individual identity of the producing region and the product being marketed. “The advertising will communicate the details of the promotion campaign and key information about the season and product, such as availability,” explains Janine Gilson, product manager and assistant director, Foods from Spain. “Trade advertising will be scheduled to start a few weeks before first shipments and continue during the early part of each season.
“Annually for each campaign, we will organise a trade press visit to the production areas. This will bring all involved parties closer together and facilitate understanding of the detailed dynamics of each product and season. It will allow the media to focus in-depth on the key developments and innovations of each sector. This will allow us to communicate to the trade, in greater detail,” says Gilson.
To combine with and draw from the national promotion campaign, a full programme of generic activity has been developed to benefit all Spanish produce and raise the awareness and reputation of Spain as a source of prime quality fruit and vegetables.
This supplement was seen as being among the central cogs of the 2005 campaign, as is Foods from Spain’s sponsorship of the Re:fresh Retailer of the Year Award - for multiple and independent retail operations.
Sponsorship of Fruity Friday, an educational initiative of the World Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF), has also been undertaken for the first time. Cancer is the UK’s biggest killer but science shows that 30 to 40 per cent of all cancers could be prevented through better dietary choices, together with regular exercise and the maintenance of a healthy weight.
Foods from Spain is the first fresh produce organisation to partner with a health charity which has a vision to promote healthy diets and lifestyles by educating people to eat more fruit and vegetables. Fruity Friday is on May 13 and will feature a raft of fun activities around the country. More than 10,000 schools, community groups, government bodies and health professionals will take part.
“The event will attract significant national media coverage and the association of Foods from Spain will align the consumption of Spanish produce with a healthy lifestyle,” says Gilson. “We will organise radio interviews with representatives from Foods from Spain and WCRF during the build up to Fruity Friday.”
The Foods from Spain logo will appear on all the 10,000 information packs which include promotion flyers, breakfast invitation cards, recipe cards, posters and media releases.
Additionally, the Spanish industry has added its endorsement to the UK government’s 5 A DAY initiative to get everyone eating more fruit and vegetables from all sources. By using the 5 A DAY logo, Foods from Spain hopes to remind its customers of the healthy-eating message and ultimately play a part in improving people’s diets.
“The government is putting a massive amount of money and effort into encouraging people, and particularly children, to eat more fruit and vegetables. Our recent research showed 100 per cent consumer awareness of the department of health’s 5 A DAY initiative with many mothers reporting fruit eating programmes in schools,” says Sevilla. “We will work with and support this programme by using the 5 A DAY logo on all the Foods from Spain advertising and as our national promotion is based around five purchases of Spanish fresh produce, we will be able to create further PR links and opportunities.”
The campaign, which has a central theme of Nature’s Finest, promises to leave no stone unturned in its quest to optimise awareness of Spanish fresh produce and build on the country’s stature in the UK.
In the major category areas targeted by the Foods from Spain campaign, the £55 million cherry market grew by 20 per cent year-on-year, the grape market expanded by nine per cent to £380m, the melon category decreased in value by one per cent to £106m, salad sales dropped two per cent to £1,122m and the tomato sector was valued at 486 per cent, down by two per cent on the previous 12 month period.
Whether expanding or static, every category offers opportunity and Foods from Spain believes its joined-up approach will benefit the entire supply chain and every sector of the industry - not only the major supermarket chains - as well as adding clarity to the purchasing decisions of consumers, wherever they buy their fresh produce.
No comments yet