MIAMI, Fla.- Organic produce may practically sell itself, but well-targeted marketing to consumers can amplify sales.
In a Feb. 1 Global Organic Produce Expo session, focused on how effective marketing is boosting organic sales, a panel of marketers looked at changing consumer attitudes, e-commerce and the need for consumer education about food.
The Packer’s annual GOPEX event was held Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
Related articles: At this GOPEX session, health, flavor and fun meet in the middle
Johnna Johnson, media manager for Marketing Plus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way marketers engaged with consumers.
“I think, in the last few years, marketers have had to learn a new language,” she said. Instead of advertised price promotions and in-store signage, marketers now have to be concerned about customer clicks and keywords.
“E-commerce really opened up the consumer to their supplier,” she said. “We need to focus on omnichannel marketing; we need to really understand the consumer in-store and we need to understand the consumer online.”
Kristina Luna, sales manager for Wholesum Harvest, said modern consumers want to know about the produce they eat and how food is sustainably produced.
“I think that customers are looking for a better experience,” she said. Successful organic marketing is providing retailers with flavorful varieties that will attract new customers to the organic category, she said.
That will help retailers because consumers who buy organic will spend more at retail, Luna said.
“It can’t be just price; I think that (building organic demand) really starts with the best product on the shelf,” Luna said.
Responding to a question from the audience about the most effective way to identify organic produce, the panelists said the USDA organic seal is valuable to call out on packaging and with in-storage signage.
“Calling out the UDSA organic logo in the packaging is the most recognizable thing to a consumer that signals that this is organic,” Johnson said.
Panelists also said that continuing to stress the health benefits of fresh produce will be important in the years to come.
