California Avocado Commission targets at-home consumers
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has prompted the Irvine-based California Avocado Commission to shift some elements of its planned 2020 advertising and social media campaign to use tactics that reach targeted consumers at home, said Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing.
Those tactics include more streaming video and additional recipe-focused content, she said.
The commission launched a new advertising campaign this season that reminds consumers that “the best of California is inside every avocado — right there in the name: avo-CA-dos,” DeLyser said.
“Variations of the new ads fill in the blank in an expanded phrase, ‘The best avocados have California (fill in the blank) in them,’” she said.
“The words that fill in the blanks are ‘freshness,’ ‘summer,’ ‘dreams,’ ‘sunshine,’ ‘love,’ ‘vibes,’ ‘coasts’ and ‘Zen,’ and each are featured with custom illustrated artwork.”
In the public relations category, the commission’s 2020 activities inform consumers about California avocado availability and encourage consumers to purchase California avocados in-season, DeLyser said.
The commission switched some of its planned events to creative home delivery of meals created by some of the West’s top-tier chefs and individual influencers, she said.
The commission’s California Avocado Month public relations outreach, in partnership with top Western chefs and 13 blogger advocates, resulted in 106 million earned impressions, DeLyser said.
Retail avocado promotions were virtually nonexistent during the early months of the pandemic as supermarkets focused on basic supply logistics, she said.
But several summer holidays — including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day — fall within the California avocado season, and that makes California avocados “a great fit for summer promotions,” she said.
Retail promotions planned or underway include:
- Feature ads and ad circulars;
- E-fliers;
- Social media programs;
- Digital advertising;
- Recipe videos;
- Banner ads;
- In-store demos;
- Dietitian programs;
- Savings and reward programs; and
- Produce cross-marketing programs.
During the pandemic, the commission’s foodservice team has gained commitments from partners who feature take-out throughout the season, DeLyser said.
“They were able to gain some additional promotional support through August with some key accounts in the West.”
Within three to four weeks of the initial shutdown of dining services, the commission offered foodservice chains in its marketing region a helping hand to offset marketing expenses, she said.
“Chain partners we had worked with in the past appreciated the offer, and those who could, took advantage of the opportunity,” DeLyser said.
“New chain partners appreciated the support and messaging to reach their customers.”
California avocado foodservice programs this year include a California Avocado Month-themed promotion, a program centered around free California avocado house-made guacamole and chips, social media programs, summer menu promotions, “upsell” programs and loyalty rewards.
Foodservice partners include chains specializing in grilling, natural and organic dishes, burgers, tacos and healthy dining and family meals, DeLyser said.
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