Hort Innovation’s onion marketing strategy focuses on increasing domestic consumption by encouraging consumers, particularly light buyers, to purchase onions more often. The strategy positions Australian onions as the first ingredient for everyday cooking, supported by two key pillars: building top of mind awareness and consideration through brand marketing and inspiring onion usage through in-store sampling.

Consumer insights informing the strategy

Research shows onions are a household staple, purchased by 88 per cent of Australian households each year and valued as easy to cook, tasty and versatile. However, shoppers often need a reminder to purchase, with just 22 per cent considering onions without prompting. Half of onion buyers are light buyers who purchase only six times per year, highlighting a significant opportunity to increase purchase frequency among existing consumers. Research also identified the main barriers to purchase as shoppers already having enough at home or not feeling a need, alongside a weaker emotional connection, with only 27 per cent describing onions as something they love to eat. 

What's planned

Onion marketing investment will focus on encouraging more frequent onion by inspiring more Australians to start their meals with onions through recipes, pre-store prompting and stronger emotional appeal. Through a combination of social media advertising, influencer partnerships, earned media activity and in-store sampling activations, the activity is working to transform onions from a pantry staple into a flavour obsession.

Key activities include:

• Brand ambassadorship with well-known media personality and home cook Mary Kalafitidis to build top of mind awareness and make consumers fall in love with the flavour hit of onions.
• Social media campaigns and influencer partnerships, across Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok) that highlight the benefits of using onions in everyday meal occasions to encourage purchase.
• National earned media and public relations campaigns with media opportunities to generate conversation and maintain brand salience among Australian consumers.
• In-store sampling program provides an important opportunity to engage consumers close to the point of purchase across major and independent retailers. The program is designed to inspire onion usage across everyday meal occasions by featuring recipes with onions being the first ingredient and tapping into the nostalgic smell of onions cooking.

Supporting investments

A range of investments are underway to deliver the onion marketing strategy:

• Onions In-Store Sampling Program July 2025 – December 2026 (VN24503)
• Onions Domestic Marketing Campaign July 2025 – December 2026 (VN25601)