How the Mushroom Council aligns marketing to resonate with consumers

The beauty of fresh mushrooms is that they often are the answer to multiple culinary trends, says Eric Davis, spokesperson for the Mushroom Council.

The council aligns its marketing to take advantage of those trends.

“For example, we promote that mushrooms are the answer to the plant-forward trend by showcasing mushrooms’ umami, meaty qualities and the role they can play at the center of the plate,” Davis said. “We also know that consumers are increasingly curious about foods’ cognitive benefits, and we consistently connect with registered dietitians and the overall nutritionist community about mushrooms and their varying ergothioneine content.”

The council also looks to retail data to see long-term shifts in how shoppers are embracing mushrooms, Davis said. Those trends provide valuable insights to growers, retailers and menu developers as they seek to seize consumers’ enduring passion and interest for mushrooms, he said.

Compiled by retail analyst Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics LLC, “Ten-Year Trends in Fresh Mushroom Sales” explores trends in dollar and volume retail sales, types sold and regional differences, he said.

Among the findings of the report:

• Growth in brown — The 10-year report shows brown mushrooms (criminis/baby bellas and portabellas) growing in sales, bringing different flavors and added shelf-life to retailers, restaurant operators and consumers alike. In 2013, brown mushrooms made up 30% of total mushroom retail dollars. Ten years later, this share is 42%, Davis said.
• Sliced sees steady growth— Whether it’s from consumers’ growing interest in stir-fry meals, adding veggies to sauces or simply a desire for convenience, sliced mushrooms sales have steadily risen in share compared with whole mushrooms. Producers and retailers should take note of this, particularly with browns.
• Specialties on the rise — Specialty mushrooms are still a small part of total mushroom sales, but have more than doubled to 5.8% in 2023, predominantly driven by shiitake mushrooms.

Davis said the council makes it simple for consumers to leverage its recipes for grocery purchases.

“This past year, we began partnering with software company Chicory to transform each of our hundreds of recipes on the MushroomCouncil.com site into ‘click-to-cart shopability,’” Davis said.

“That means with one click, a site visitor can add all the recipe’s ingredients — including mushrooms — to their preferred digital grocery shopping carts — from Instacart to Target to Costco and many more,” he said. “This past fall 2023, we also launched a campaign called 'Real Fast. Real Food' that leveraged mushroom-centric recipes as a way to address home cooks’ pain points when it comes to lacking time for meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking.”

Davis said the campaign included four weekly meal plans featuring a total of 16 mushroom-centric recipes — all taking less than 30 minutes — and available in multiple formats to fit consumers’ lifestyles, including:

• Weekly e-blasts featuring recipes and grocery lists.
• Digital ads including recipe videos and social media promotions.
• Click-to-cart shopability for all recipes.

The campaign resonated strongly with consumers, reaching millions and earning 61,568 campaign page views, up 936% from the same period the prior year, he said.

Health benefits

Fresh mushrooms have multiple health benefits that allow the council to market distinct attributes for distinct campaigns, Davis said.

“For example, our 'Feed Your Immune System' spotlights the micronutrients found in mushrooms that support a healthy immune system,” he said. “We showcase ergothioneine — its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties make it an important bioactive compound that may contribute to healthy aging, cognitive benefits and reduced stress when part of a healthy lifestyle and eating patterns. Mushrooms are the leading source of ergothioneine in the produce aisle. We also market mushrooms nutritional fundamentals: They are low in calories, fat free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium. Those are key messages we communicate with encouraging consumers to blend finely chopped mushrooms with meat and other proteins."

Roerink of 210 Analytics said mushrooms fill a need for consumers.

“Plant-based meat alternatives have experienced two years of double-digit sales declines, and this is fueling retailers and restaurant operators alike to look to the produce department for inspiration," Roerink said. “Retailers are increasingly merchandising stuffed bell peppers, stuffed mushrooms, blended grinds with vegetables, etc. in the meat department — both the full-service counters and the self-serve case. Seeing stuffed mushrooms pop up in the deli and meat department in a convenience-focused solution then translates into consumers experimenting with stuffing or blending mushrooms at home.”

Pam Smith, foodservice consultant for the Mushroom Council, said restaurants also are leading this trend.

“Checkers/Rally’s Mushroom Mania spring promotion featured the Fried Mushroom Buford Burger, topping the Buford with crispy fried mushrooms and a mushroom aioli, and the Mushroom Swiss Burger,” Smith said. “Shake Shack’s White Truffle 'Shroom Burger was a tasty [limited-time offer] in February, joining their every popular 'Shroom Stack. Jersey Mike’s continues to satisfy with their Grilled Portabella Mushroom & Swiss. Burger King recently brought back its 'Shroom & Swiss Melt as an LTO."

Mushrooms as a craveable side are also popping onto menus: Checker’s Fried Mushrooms and Bolay’s new “groovy and fresh” Garlic Mushrooms, roasted with olive oil. Mushrooms as the “meaty veg” in salads was featured in Mod Pizza’s Super Shroom Salad in January, and Sweetgreens Portobello Mix used in their Melissa Woods Health Salad, Smith said.