Congratulations on winning the 2023 IFPA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award, sponsored by Seeka. What does winning the award mean to you and the team at Hort Innovation?
Belinda Van Schaik: Thank you, I’m very grateful! Winning the award is a testament that our collaborative planning process is working. To have the mango marketing campaign recognised as an example of best practice is an opportunity I’m thrilled to share on behalf of everyone who makes up ‘team mangoes’; from our growers to our industry team who co-created the marketing plan, to the retailers and the Hort Innovation team, who have all contributed to the positive shift in the number of Australian households purchasing mangoes in the past season. There were some very impressive campaign results presented across fresh produce at the Hort Connections MOYA showcase, so well done to all involved.
How did the idea for the Australian Mangoes campaign come about?
BVS: Through consumer research we understand that‘ ease of preparation’ and ‘messiness’ are the main barriers to purchase. This presented an opportunity to educate and inspire a hero preparation technique that is simple, easy and creates minimal mess.
The hedgehog technique was the visual device used throughout all touchpoints – including in-store point-of-sale – highlighting the ‘slice, dice, devour’ message. It demonstrated how to cut the cheeks and dice them, for ease of enjoyment and also showcased the delicious appetite appeal of the fruit.
The visual of an idyllic Australian beach was selected as a device to transport everyday Aussies to escape and ‘Taste the sunshine’ – a tropical, delicious, sensorial experience. Because with every delicious mouthful of mango, you’re tasting the iconic taste of Australia.
Hort Innovation conducts its marketing campaigns on behalf of industry. How were you able to work with the mango industry to create a campaign that reflected its needs?
BVS: Hort Innovation is committed to working closely with our industries, to ensure our plans reflect industry needs and priorities. As part of this process we held a collaborative, multi-day workshop with representatives from across the industry to co-design the marketing plan.
Day one focused on a large data download and share. Presentations were given on the broader market context of consumers’ lives, industry feedback on important issues, the retail and trading environment in which we operate, the consumer and shopper, needs and occasions, and a prior year activity evaluation. As a group we then prioritised our learnings and implications and agreed on the focus of our plan.
Day two we regrouped and defined the big shifts required from consumers to grow the mango category and set our vision and goals according to what our category would stand for in the minds of consumers.
With clear objectives, we defined the key strategic pillars which would underpin the activities arising from the marketing plan.
The outcome was the development of an evidence-based 20232026 mango marketing plan that was built on robust analysis and contains actions that clearly link to demand creation and facilitate transparent measurement and evaluation of actions and impact.
Which marketing tools did you use to promote Australian mangoes and why were they selected?
BVS: The integrated brand campaign communication touchpoints included out of home panels on path to purchase, online video, public relations, social media advertising and retail media.
Out of home panels located outside of supermarkets provided a reminder and inspiration prior to entering store. Retail media included digital display banners on Coles and Woolworths online, to prompt ‘add to basket’ purchase, as well as point-of-sale materials displayed at the mango fixture. Social media and online video delivered cost effective mass reach, using a mix of static posts and videos communicating different messages relevant to the season. For example, at the start of season the message was ‘The wait is over, mangoes are back, taste the sunshine’.
Public relations media pitching was selected to create a media moment at the start of the season to announce that Australian mangoes were back. A press release was supported with a range of assets such as seasonal mango data and interviews and imagery with mango growers Bec and Luke McMullin, Australian Mango Industry Association chief executive Brett Kelly and the top bidder of the first tray of mangoes sold at the Brisbane Markets Mango Auction.
A video educating Australian consumers on how to hedgehog a mango was also shared providing a visually exciting format that showed the sensory-loaded, delicious eating experience.
What sort of reach did the marketing campaign achieve?
BVS: All KPIs for reach, frequency and opportunities to see the mango key messages were met or exceeded, supported by the reach of the following activities: Out of home: 4.1m, social media: 3.5m, online video: 3.7m, retail online: 900,000 impressions. Public relations efforts created 57.9m opportunities to see the mango key messages via 169 pieces of coverage.
To delve deeper and understand impact, brand tracking research was conducted during the campaign period. Results show that the advertisement provided a persuasive reminder and emotive connection, with over 59 per cent of consumers more likely to buy mangoes after exposure to the advertising.
How did the campaign deliver on its three key areas of focus and overall goal?
BVS: The consumer goal for the Australian Mangoes marketing plan was to make positive increases in household penetration season to season. There were three pillars of activities that underpinned the plan.
The first pillar was celebrating the iconic joy that is mangoes, which was achieved via the ‘Taste the sunshine’ advertising activity and season launch public relations.
The aim of the second pillar was to be unmissable in retail over the mango season. This included in-store visibility and an online retail plan.
The final pillar was to share the joy of Australian mangoes beyond our shores, which was supported by direct to consumer advertising in New Zealand and in-store activations in the US.
At the end of the season, data from NielsenIQ Homescan showed percentage of Australian households that purchased mangoes rose from 57 per cent to 60 per cent year-on-year (52 weeks ending 26/03/2023).
What’s next for Hort Innovation’s mango marketing efforts?
BVS: We’re anticipating an exciting season ahead with the continuation of activities we know are performing well, such as the ‘Taste the sunshine’ awareness driving advertising and an increased presence of online retail media. New activities include a follow-up mid-season public relations media moment planned for 15 November. We look forward to sharing the 23/24 season plan in more detail with the mango industry at the upcoming AMIA Mango Roadshows.