COVID-19 changed cherry marketing approach, but crisis is easing

The COVID-19 pandemic demanded course corrections for California cherry marketers in 2020.

And while the pandemic shows signs of heading to the rear-view mirror, marketers said the lessons learned during that time will continue to inform marketing efforts.Cautiousness A smaller crop of California cherries in 2020 limited the harm caused by the pandemic, said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash. “The California cherry 2020 crop was considered small, and we were in a demand-exceed-supply situation,” Shales said of 2020.
“We expect great consumer demand for cherries as we head into the new season."  An expected bigger crop this year will motivate marketers, she said.“It will be important to use all of our tools to celebrate the return of cherries to shoppers and deliver great quality to help the purchase consecutive weeks,” she said.

Weak grower returns with challenged export markets characterized the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, said Chris Medeiros, general manager of Gustine, Calif.-based Meena Farms.

Last year, some customers were more conservative with cherry promotions because of the uncertainly due to the pandemic, said Kyle Persky, sales manager for Rivermaid Trading Co., Lodi, Calif.  “With retail sales solid, there is good demand expected for cherries this season.”

Rich Sambado, president of Primavera Marketing, Linden, Calif., agreed the pandemic’s effect was limited to 2020. “I see no negative effect whatsoever as we look towards this season,” Sambado said.
Retail angles

Retailers have numerous paths to boost cherry sales, shippers said.

Promoting health benefits is one way retailers can sell more cherries, said Chris Medeiros, general manager of Gustine, Calif.-based Meena Farms.

The best thing to spur cherry demand at retail is to give them great placement, Shales said. “Cherries are an impulse purchase and shoppers need to be reminded when they come back into season through a display in a great location and with high-quality fruit,” she said.

Online shoppers need to be made aware of the return of cherry season in digital ads, Shales said, and retailers need to be sure to track the season closely and be nimble enough to make changes as the crop unwinds.

“The best thing retailers can do is make consumers aware that it’s cherry season,” said Jon Bailey, cherry category manager for The Oppenheimer Group. “Position cherries so they are easily seen in the stores and headline the news in e-commerce.” Bailey said COVID-19 changed the focus for some retailers. “Because cherries are not typically on someone’s shopping list, we need to be creative in how we reach an online shopper,” Bailey said. “The key is making them aware that cherries are available.”

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