Perfection Fresh group marketing manager Kristie Emerson presented with Australasia’s premier fresh produce marketing award for Quke O’Qlock campaign
Perfection Fresh’s Kristie Emerson has won the 2024 Seeka Marketer of the Year Award, presented by The International Fresh Produce Association Australia New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ) and Produce Plus Magazine.
Australasia’s premier marketing award for the fresh fruit, vegetable and floral industries was presented at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner in Melbourne on 5 June. Emerson, group marketing manager of Perfection Fresh was recognised for her work on the Quke O’Qlock campaign.
“The team and I are so very proud to have been awarded Marketer of the Year at this year’s Hort Connections conference. It is an honour to be recognised and to have been nominated alongside such fantastic, innovative campaigns,” said Emerson.
“The Qukes Quke O’Qlock campaign was developed to encourage adults and kids to eat more fruit and vegetables with 96 per cent of people not meeting their recommended daily intake. We focussed on various eating occasions, creating contextually relevant content to inspire adult and family households with delicious recipes and snack ideas.
“We also introduced Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster on pack, point-of-sale, print and digital to deliver a sense of fun and nostalgia to people of all ages. The campaign’s success can be attributed to its fun, eye-catching creative, broad reach and high number of impressions, inspiring our target audience across their journey to purchase.”
MOYA judges were impressed by the way the campaign identified opportunities for growth in different audiences and eating occasions and implemented focused and cohesive messaging to achieve a new level of success for a brand that has been on the market for a number of years. The partnership with Sesame Street also stood out as an exceptional example of licensing that is not often seen in the fresh produce space.
Emerson acknowledged all those who played a part in the campaign’s success including the Perfection Fresh team and its partners.
“Special thanks go to our marketing team, Luke Gibson - chief marketing and innovation officer and Kiran Afzal - brand manager, our commercial and market teams, our retailers, Rijk Zwaan for a fantastic product and their continued support, and to everyone that contributed to the success of Quke O’Qlock,” said Emerson.
Produce Plus Magazine and IFPA A-NZ congratulated Kristie Emerson and Perfection Fresh on the successful campaign and all three finalists for their outstanding entries.
“The 2024 MOYA field was one of the strongest fields amassed since its inception! I was so impressed with the quality of all entries which demonstrate the professionalism of the Australian and New Zealand fresh produce industry. It should also be noted the increasing number of entries representing campaigns with an export focus. I would like to thank everyone who nominated these great campaigns and in particular the finalists,” said IFPA managing director A-NZ Ben Hoodless.
“To Kristie and the Perfection Fresh team congratulations on a fantastic campaign. Qukes have become a household name and the Qukes O’Qlock campaign demonstrates excellence in execution and evolution to capture new segments and grow an iconic brand.”
Produce Plus editor Liam O’Callaghan said: “Congratulations to Kristie and Perfection Fresh for such a successful campaign. It really demonstrated the role marketing can play in elevating an already great fresh produce product. The judges expressed how difficult it was to narrow down finalists and a winner this year which is a testament to all those who entered.
The Quke O’Qlock campaign was chosen by a strong field of three finalists. The other finalists were:
• Australian Macadamias for the Macadamias Make it Special campaign
• Fresh Markets Australia - A better choice! for the Julie Goodwin AI campaign
The finalists presented their campaigns as part of a MOYA Finalist Showcase event on the trade show floor at Hort Connections on 4 June.
The 2025 Marketer of the Year Award will be presented at next year’s Hort Connections. The award continues to celebrate outstanding achievement in the field of fresh produce and floral marketing across Australia and New Zealand. It is open to both individuals and team members from any part of the value chain.
