As a 200-million-pound influx of Peruvian avocados heads for the U.S. market this summer, Avocados From Peru is launching a comprehensive, customized coast-to-coast promotional blitz to ensure retail velocity keeps pace with supply. President and CEO Xavier Equihua reveals how targeted digital coupons, retail media and synchronized demand-generation tactics help drive sales and engagement at retail.
You are looking at an influx of 200 million pounds of Peruvian avocados hitting the U.S. market this summer. From a pure retail operations standpoint, how are your customized coast-to-coast programs designed to help retailers manage this volume, prevent shrink and maintain high velocity at the point of sale during peak weeks?
Equihua: The first thing to understand is that while Peru is expected to supply approximately 200 million pounds to the U.S. market this season, those shipments will arrive over an extended period from mid-June through late September. When viewed in that context, the volume is very manageable in a market that consumes more than 60 million pounds of avocados per week. The key is ensuring that demand generation occurs simultaneously with product availability.
Our strategy is built around helping retailers maintain strong velocity throughout the season rather than simply placing fruit on display and hoping consumers respond.
That is why AFP invests heavily in customized retail programs across the country, including digital coupons, instant rebates, retail media campaigns, social media contests, flyer support, educational display bins and point-of-sale materials.
These programs are specifically designed to increase purchase frequency and keep avocados moving through the supply chain.
At the same time, we work closely with retailers on merchandising and display execution because strong visibility remains one of the most effective ways to drive avocado sales. When you combine effective merchandising with consumer incentives, media support and seasonal promotions, retailers are better positioned to maintain strong movement, reduce shrink and maximize category performance throughout the Peruvian season.
Designating Avocados From Peru as the “Official Avocado” of the Cincinnati Reds and launching a custom AVO Reds Toyota Tacoma sweepstakes are highly creative and strategic branding plays. For retailers in the Midwest and beyond, how can they directly leverage this specific sports enthusiasm in their own cross-merchandising or in-store displays to capture that fan energy?
The Cincinnati Reds partnership is much more than a sponsorship. The Reds have named Avocados From Peru their “Official Avocado and Superfood,” giving us a unique platform to connect with consumers throughout the baseball season.
At its core, the program supports our “Eat Healthy, Live Green” philosophy. What better way to inspire healthy eating and active lifestyles than through a partnership with one of Major League Baseball’s most historic franchises?
The custom AVO Reds Toyota Tacoma sweepstakes serves as the centerpiece of the campaign, giving consumers another reason to engage with both the retailer and the brand.
More importantly, this partnership reflects AFP’s broader marketing strategy. While many organizations rely on individual influencers, we partner with baseball and football teams because they are trusted, respected and have passionate fan bases. Simply put, our influencers are the teams we partner with, allowing us to promote healthy living while creating meaningful value for our retail partners.
AFP is offering participating retailers custom-tagged TV spots during major summer events like the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and “MasterChef.” In an era where retail media networks are exploding, how does AFP’s approach to tying local broadcast media directly to specific retail partners give them a competitive edge in driving foot traffic and, ultimately, Peruvian avocado sales?
One of the biggest differences in our approach is that we are not simply buying media to promote Avocados From Peru. We are integrating retailers directly into the media strategy.
Through partnerships with select FOX local television stations, AFP is providing participating retailers with custom-tagged television spots during some of the summer’s most-watched programming, including World Cup broadcasts, the MLB All-Star Game and “MasterChef.”
That means consumers are not only seeing the Avocados From Peru message, they are also being directed to specific retailers carrying the product.
In today’s retail environment, retailers are looking for programs that deliver measurable value. By combining traditional television, digital media, retail media and shopper marketing into a coordinated platform, we are helping retailers connect advertising directly to store traffic and sales opportunities.
You’ve teased an upcoming three-way partnership later this summer involving an NFL franchise, a leading Midwestern retailer and AFP. Without spoiling the surprise, what is the strategic philosophy behind combining professional football, a major retail chain and produce into a single coordinated platform? What should the rest of the industry learn from this multilayered approach?
The philosophy is very simple: Consumers don’t think in silos.
Retailers, sports teams and produce marketers have traditionally operated independently. We believe there is tremendous value in bringing those audiences together into a single coordinated platform.
When you combine the reach of a professional sports franchise, the scale of a leading retailer and the promotional support of a produce organization, you create multiple consumer touchpoints that reinforce one another.
The industry can learn that today’s consumers expect experiences, not advertisements. The more seamlessly we can integrate retail, media, sports and consumer engagement into one cohesive platform, the more effective those programs become.
Being invited by the U.S. Navy to host a superfoods breakfast during International Naval Review 250 is an incredibly unique, high-profile honor. How does an experiential, culturally significant event like this — or your annual Guac Off at SeaWorld — translate into long-term brand equity that benefits the grocery retailers stocking Peruvian avocados?
Programs like the International Naval Review 250 and our Guacamole Challenge at SeaWorld San Diego create something that traditional advertising cannot: emotional connections.
Consumers increasingly support brands that align with experiences and values that are meaningful to them. Serving an Avocados From Peru Superfood Breakfast aboard the USS Arlington during America’s 250th Anniversary celebration allows us to honor the men and women who serve our country while reinforcing the healthy lifestyle attributes associated with avocados.
Similarly, the Guacamole Challenge at SeaWorld San Diego creates memorable consumer interactions that generate earned media, social media engagement and community participation.
For retailers, the benefit is that these experiences strengthen overall brand awareness and consumer affinity, making Avocados From Peru more top-of-mind when shoppers enter the produce department.
You’ve said that your goal is to further position Avocados From Peru as the “premium avocado of the summer season” through an integrated “Eat Healthy, Live Green” philosophy. When a retailer prioritizes Peru in their displays from June through August, how does that premium positioning help them grow the overall avocado category?
Premium positioning is not about charging premium prices for avocados; it’s about creating a premium consumer experience.
When retailers prioritize Avocados From Peru during the summer season, they gain access to a competitively priced, high-quality product backed by a fully integrated marketing platform that includes retail promotions, media support, consumer engagement initiatives, sports partnerships and experiential marketing programs.
Our goal is to increase consumer demand for the entire avocado category while reinforcing Peru’s reputation for quality, consistency, reliability and value.
The avocado category continues to have significant growth potential, particularly in markets outside of the traditional high-consumption regions. However, sustainable category growth requires pricing that works for both retailers and consumers.
By combining strong value with meaningful investments in demand creation and consumer education, we help retailers attract new avocado buyers, increase purchase frequency among existing consumers and ultimately grow category sales.
At the end of the day, our success is measured by the success of our retail partners. Every component of our campaign is designed with that objective in mind. We believe that when retailers are successful, consumers receive value and the category grows — everyone wins.
Your next read:
Game On: Avocados From Peru Partners With Cincinnati Reds to Drive Midwest Consumption
