California grape marketers plan numerous platforms to reach shoppers

Color, price and visibility will sell plenty of table grapes at retail, California growers and shippers say.

It’s an effective in-store strategy, but there are effective sales tools to reach consumers before they enter the store, according to the Fresno-based California Table Grape Commission.

The commission said there are plenty of opportunities to promote California grapes this season before shoppers even enter a store.

“With more and more things competing for shoppers’ attention these days, retailers need every advantage to stay top-of-mind with busy customers,” said Cindy Plummer, vice president of domestic marketing with the commission.

New research shows that 55% of grape purchasers make their decision to buy grapes before even going to the store, she said.

She cited social media, for example.

“Research shows that 39% of grape purchasers use social media as a shopping tool, so advertising via social media is important,” Plummer said, noting that the commission will advertise California grapes all season on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

“Retailers will receive newsletters throughout the season offering recipes, photos, usage tips, and health information for use on retail websites and in social media content,” Plummer said. “And when consumers are done surfing social media and go online, retailer-tagged pre-roll videos are available, playing one of two 15-second California grape commercials.”

Health, food, cooking, lifestyle and parenting sites are targeted to entice the primary shopper while he or she is consuming online content that aligns with grocery shopping or thinking about food, Plummer said.

“These spots are tagged with retailer logos and run both nationally and targeted to specific markets as an incentive for retailer promotion commitments,” she said.

Another key promotional incentive item for retailers to reach consumers is through tagged advertisements in magazines, Plummer said, including Food Network Magazine, and Chatelaine and Canadian Living in Canada.

“Full-page ads with tagging opportunities will take place in Food Network Magazine from June through November,” she said. “Canadian retailers can tag ads in Chatelaine in the September/October edition and in Canadian Living magazine’s September and October issues.

The commission is running 10-second promotional messages on “traffic radio” outlets through January, which include mention of California grapes and a retail chain.

In-store display and sales contests can help boost California grape sales and keep customers coming back for more, Plummer said.

“Big, beautiful bunches of California grapes used in display contests will stop even the busiest shoppers in their tracks and may even pull them away from their smart phones,” she said.

Price also is important, said Justin Bedwell, president of Madera, Calif.-based Bari Produce LLC.

“We try to figure out weeks on our calendar on when we will have good promotable volume and relay that with our customers,” Bedwell said.

“Grapes will sell really well when they’re in front of the store and have a good, attractive retail price.”

Flexibility is a crucial issue, too, said Keith Andrew, sales manager with Delano, Calif.-based Columbine Orchards.

“We have different in-store display items,” he said. “It runs the gamut of things we try.”

There are, for example, display bins and point-of-purchase materials, Andrew said.

“A lot of things some stores like and some stores don’t even use,” he said. “Some stores aren’t set up well for certain things, the way their displays are. Some don’t have room. Some love it because it brings in more customers and grabs their attention. It depends on how the store is set up.”

Compelling displays of fresh grapes will sell a lot of fruit, said Louie Galvan, managing partner of Delano-based Fruit Royale Inc.

“We recommend trying to keep that cool chain for as long as possible,” he said. “If you put big, beautiful grapes out there, the eyes will buy. And make sure it has the flavor, and they’ll keep coming back.”