Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Fresh Farms had such a good response to its grape category management program and Candy variety table grape promotion last season that the company plans to bring back an expanded version this spring and summer.
Called “Taste to Believe,” the marketing campaign included displays of Fresh Farms’ preferred grapes and Candy line of grapes — Cotton Candy, Candy Snaps and Candy Hearts — as well as sampling opportunities and informational materials at all 188 Itasca, Ill.-based Jewel-Osco supermarkets, said David Watson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Fresh Farms.
The campaign was supported by in-store displays, digital and weekly ads, social media influencers, billboards, demos and local radio promotion.
This spring, Fresh Farms will relaunch the program at Jewel-Osco stores, including an event-based promotion, and expand it to several other U.S. supermarket chains.
Scott Bennett, produce sales director for Jewel-Osco, said the chain carried the Candy line of grapes in the past but saw a “gigantic increase” in sales with the “Taste to Believe” campaign.
He said he saw added sales throughout the entire grape category.
“The plan is to lift the whole category with the Candy varieties,” he said.
Before launching the campaign, Bennett said he was concerned that the promotion might cannibalize sales of regular grapes.
“We didn’t do that,” he said, “We actually picked up extra volume on the other red, green and black grapes with the Candy grapes.”
The campaign is a return to “old-school” in-store displays, demos and promotions combined with today’s social and digital influences and drivers, Watson said.
“You’ve got to make sure the guests see the display when they enter the store or produce department, provide some demos and provide fun and attractive point-of-sale materials with information about the difference in taste of the type of grapes they are,” he said. “After trials, sales follow.”
Fresh Farms launched its distribution of Cotton Candy grapes about nine years ago, but consumers didn’t know much about the newer Hearts and Snaps varieties, Watson said. The “Taste to Believe” campaign was designed to change that.
“We at Fresh Farms kept the original variety names to avoid confusing the consumer on Hearts and Snaps, so there would be no confusion with retailers and consumers,” he said.
Besides maintaining attractive, well-stocked displays, the stores erected banners and put out picket signs for each variety and offered POS materials telling why the grapes are special.
“The Candy category really moves up in sales,” Watson said. “The customers who bought them last year will be looking for them again this year.”
