Fresh Times – Edition 3, 2021
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Editor’s Note: Summer start
As summer in the Northern Hemisphere begins, the fresh produce sector turns towards a new season of fresh promotion activities. With countries in preparation for the Olympics many operators are capitalizing on the momentum the Olympics’ brings to healthy diet and lifestyle when athletes are in the spotlight. As the holiday season starts, previous campaigns are re-emerging focused on the age-old battle of increasing children’s daily fruit and vegetable intake. However many are also focusing on B2B connections following the long hiatus the pandemic has brought to the sector in forging new relationships. Look out for the next edition of the Fresh Times in August.
Spain: Olympic lemons
With athletes preparing for next month’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Ailimpo’s campaign Welcome to the Lemon Age, is focusing on the importance of lemons in good nutrition. Spanish karate champion Sandra Sánchez and Olympic medal canoeist Saul Craviotto are promoting lemons as part of a healthy active lifestyle. Both athletes espouse the Vitamin C benefits of lemons, which improve iron absorption, especially important for training athletes. Welcome to the Lemon Age is co-funded by the EU and looks at the lemons under the EU production model, including their health benefits and role in a healthy balanced diet.
UK: Berry star
Berry Gardens has a new spokesperson for its More Than Taste campaign. Jessica Ennis-Hill, former world and Olympic champion, has taken on the role of Berry Garden’s first ambassador for the British soft fruit industry. As the build up to the Olympics begins Berry Gardens will show consumers invested in their health how to choose and eat their berries by using Ms. Ennis-Hill’s clout and high profile image in hyper-targeted digital advertising, OOH advertising, social and influencer activity and public relations to show consumers. Berry Gardens hopes to bring berries to the forefront and give another reason beyond their taste to buy berries.
Italy: Made in Nature
This year Made in Nature continues its Italian organic produce promotion activities in Italy, France and Germany. Funded by the European Union and CSO Italy, the campaign is undertaking B2B initiatives to promote Italian organic fresh produce to fresh produce operators. This includes a series of webinars in 2021 highlighting the production path of Italian organic produce. The first webinar, reserved for buyers, focused on organic apricot and cherry production, looking at the entire supply chain process from field to point of sale. The webinar explored key elements throughout the chain taken to preserve the high quality and taste of Italian organic produce.
France: European Fraich’Force
Interfel along with five partners is embarking on a new 3-year campaign to continue its previous programme European Fraich’Fantasy. Co-financed by the European Union the objective of the new campaign instalment, European Fraich’Force, is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by 1-3% in families with children in France, Hungary and Wallonia (Belgium). Common actions among all partners will be on fruit and vegetable knowledge building among children and parents, consumption facilitation of tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and kiwis, and demonstrating how easy and quick it is to prepare fruit and vegetables in the kitchen that can be enjoyed by all the family.
UK: Eat defeat
The highly successful campaign from Veg Power, ‘Eat Them to Defeat Them’, is back and bigger than before! With Total Produce now as an official sponsor, the campaign to encourage children to eat more vegetables is again airing on primetime programming on ITV. A £3 million TV campaign will be aired until 16 July, supported by a £1 million above the line and digital campaign supported by Twitter, Spotify, Mumsnet and others as well as a school programme providing 500,000 children at 1,9000 primary schools with campaign packs. With the campaign’s 2021 outreach climbing, in 2020 the campaign reached some 46 million people.
Europe: PinKids returns
In June Apple and Pear Australia (APAL) unveiled its refreshed Pink Lady sub-brand PinKids. Launched nearly a decade ago PinKids gives added value to fruit that do not meet size standards by instead marketing them to children. This offering undoubtedly a win-win growers and customers, where a naturally occurring variable fruit size is marketed to consumers needing smaller fruit sizes more appropriate for children. The new message behind the brand’s refresh is intended to highly the perfect serving size of PinKids for children. Pink Lady licensed growers have the opportunity to use the PinKids brand when small-sized fruit is produced.
Spain: We are fresh
Campo de Lorca, better known by its brand Cricket, has launched their summer campaign ‘Somos unos frescos’ (We are fresh). The Murcian company’s objective is to change the perception that broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower are only winter vegetables and to encourage vegetable consumption over the summer months. The aim of the campaign is to entice consumers to use the products in barbecues, outdoor parties and everyday summer foods demonstrating the different ways to prepare the vegetables that are appetizing and fresh. Summer recipes will be shared and promotions and prize draws will be conducted with the help of influencers.
Italy: Tomato open day
As restrictions are being lifted across Europe, businesses are returning to physical B2B activities. In June Campania by TSI Italia organised an open day where operators could visit the Pagano Antonio facility. Operators attending explored the range of TSI Italian varieties first hand and were given a tour of the greenhouse operations. A cooking show event also took place to demonstrate how the different varieties could be prepared in spaghetti and risotto dishes and other local delicacies. The open day is a first in a series of B2B activities with local businesses to garner more local interest in the products.
Portugal/Spain: Thank you label
Bimi has embarked on a new campaign in Portugal and Spain to thank the hotel and food service sectors for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. All Bimi trays will now feature a new special label thanking the hotel and food service sector for their efforts, which was one of the worst hit due to COVID-19 measures in the past months. The campaign also includes activities and draws, giving restaurants the chance to win a month of free Bimi products. Bimi trays will also be distributed free of charge in Portugal and Spain’s main markets, with further activities still to be announced.
UK: Cheesy pairing
As consumers search for convenient on-the-go healthy snack options, many in the sector are looking at innovative offerings to support consumers in healthy diet choices. Jupiter Group has teamed up with Babybel, to launch Babybel Light Cheese, Apple & Grapes snack pack. Added value through a healthy on-the-go option is a key consideration, with the snack pack coming under the 100 calorie cap for snacks in England through an interesting, tasty and healthy snack mix. The snack pack will introduce many to the healthy balanced food pairing of crunchy apple, sweet grapes and cheese, perfect for adults and children alike!
Australia: Bunchy top
The National Bunchy Top Project, funded by Hort Innovation and run through the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, works to combat the banana industry’s most devastating viral disease, bunchy top. Bunchy top is found in plantations globally, can infect all banana varieties and is relatively difficult to detect. The National Bunchy Top Project has recently released a detailed video for commercial growers, which outlines symptoms, tactics for spotting bunchy tops and the most effective and safe destruction methods. The new video aims to ensure banana growers feel better equipped to protect their plants and the broader industry from the disease.