Avocado claims testing - domestic research 2024/25 (AV24001)

What was it all about?

This project identified the most compelling health claims that drive avocado purchases among Australian consumers, especially light buyers, to guide the development of the new creative campaign for FY25.   

Challenge  

The Australian avocado market has seen strong demand and increased production over the last decade, thanks to favourable market conditions. However, supply is growing faster than demand, leading to a drop in unit prices. New Zealand avocado imports have also increased, resulting in more avocados than ever being available to Australian consumers.  

There is a clear need to boost avocado consumption to match this growing supply. Industry representatives have expressed an interest in using health claims in consumer-facing communications to achieve this. However, research was required to validate the impact of health claims on consumer demand and to prioritise the most compelling claims.  

Response  

A rigorous quantitative research approach was undertaken to validate, rank, and provide confidence in the most compelling health claims. Key steps included:  

• Online surveys: A ten-minute online survey was conducted with 518 Australian main grocery buyers aged 18-75 who had purchased avocados in last six months. The sample was weighted to be nationally representative based on age, gender, and state.  
  
  
• MaxDiff analysis: This trade-off technique was used to rank health claims from most to least motivating, assessing their influence based on relevance, uniqueness, credibility, and persuasiveness. Through multiple iterations, the analysis identified the relative importance and impact of each claim, providing insights to guide the development of the most effective messaging. 

Benefit 

This project provides the avocado industry with validated, data-driven insights into which health claims are most effective at driving consumer demand. By leveraging the right claims, the industry can enhance its marketing efforts, increase avocado consumption, and better align demand with the growing supply. 

Key findings include:  

• Highlighting health benefits is an effective motivator, with 3 in 10 avocado purchasers citing health as a key reason for purchase.
• Recommended claims to proceed with include messaging around staying strong and active, supporting a healthy immune system, and providing energy.
• While heart health claims resonate, they are less unique compared to other messaging.
• Claims related to healthy pregnancy, children’s growth and development, and infant nutrition are particularly compelling for young families.