Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2016, winter

This Hort Innovation Apple and Pear Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2016, winter edition.

Facebook

The Apple and Pear Facebook contract came to a conclusion in April 2016, which provided the opportunity to re-evaluate the budget and to drive additional value for money from this media.

After assessing a number of submissions a one year contract was awarded to Ikon Communications, who have been tasked to:

• Develop a social strategy that is value driven
• Ensure that the strategy aligns and compliments the overarching marketing strategy
• Ensure that there is consistency across marketing messages
• Deliver against engagement, reach and frequency KPIs.

Ikon brings significant experience and expertise to the program and manages the social media for a number of well-recognised brands across a range of budgets, and has experience in managing the social media for a number of horticulture industries.

Recent posts to the Facebook page have focused on content that communicates health and variety messaging to our target audience in a way that is relatable and shareable. The page is consistently achieving in excess of the reach and KPI targets set at the beginning of the campaign.

Hailstorm Heroes campaign

The Hailstorm Heroes pear campaign ran from May 1 to June 30, 2016 to support pear growers affected by the hailstorms in Goulburn Valley at the end of 2015. APAL negotiated with retailers to allow for a variation in the QA specifications and guidelines at Woolworths, IGA and Aldi to allow a percentage of fruit to show hail damage at a minor defects level of 1.5 – 3cm2.

The supporting above the line campaign promoted the hail-affected fruit to consumers by highlighting that despite some superficial damage, the fruit itself was still perfectly good to eat.

The campaign ran across the following media:

• Radio. From May 1-28, the radio campaign ran across the 2DAY FM, FOX FM and Triple M stations in Sydney and Melbourne, including during high-rating shows such as Hamish and Andy, Fifi and Dave, Eddie McGuire, and the Grill Team. A total of 547 placements were delivered.
  
  
• Newspapers. Hailstorm Heroes ads were placed in the The Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier Mail (Queensland) and The Age (Victoria), with prominent page-3 space secured in all three publications at no extra cost.
  
  
• Westfield Smart Screens. From May 2-31, Westfield Smart Screens in New South Wales (15 centres), Queensland (six centres) and Victoria (eight) were activated, primarily located within proximity to Woolworths stores.

An effective PR campaign in May and June supported Hailstorm Heroes, targeting key news, short-lead magazines, online lifestyle sites and foodie and lifestyle/health influencers. A total of 62 clips with a combined reach of over 6.45 million people were generated from this activity, including 27 pieces of coverage across traditional media, including metro news outlets and regional newspapers, as well as 35 social media clips.

For social media, a simple, shareable infographic was created and shared across high-reaching social channels including Women’s Health Australia and Foodwatch. It was also used on the Australian Pears Facebook page, where it received over 1400 reactions.

Orange Apple Festival sponsorship

Aussie Apples was once again a proud sponsor of the annual Orange Apples Festival, held over the weekend of May 6-8, 2016. The festival is now in its fifth year and celebrates the region’s diversity and quality of food and wine, with a specific focus on apples, and attracts a diverse group of local, intra- and interstate visitors. The investment secured Aussie Apples’ position as one of the overall sponsors (Woolworths was the major sponsor of the event) which generated the following opportunities:

• Aussie Apples branded sponsorship of the Apple Ramble, which is a consumer event where groups see an apple packing shed in action, followed by a guided tour of a local orchard and introduction to locally grown apple varieties. Guests are encouraged to pick an apple directly from the tree and are treated to a morning tea of apple pie!
  
  
• Branding at the Apple Core Cooking demonstrations and tastings over the weekend
  
  
• Branding at orchard gates where visitors are encouraged to cycle or drive from orchard to orchard and pick up a complimentary apple along the way
  
  
• Branding at the signature Mother’s Day Long Lunch event which was also an opportunity for industry to meet with a key contact at Woolworths
  
  
• Aussie Apples branding across all festival promotional literature and brochures
  
  
• Mr Crunch attended the Woolworths sponsored schools event which included a dress up day, art competition and visits from growers.

My Foodbook sponsorship

My Foodbook is an online recipe and cookbook destination where consumers can create their own personalised digitalised cookbooks using recipes from top food brands, combined with their own ideas. My Foodbook produces professional, engaging and long-lasting content that is highly relevant to its members.

Australian Pears has a 12 month Recipe Partner subscription with My Foodbook which runs until September 29, 2016. Some of the other partners include major brands such as Western Star, Perfect Italiano, Lilydale and Cadbury.

This subscription allows Australian Pears to be part of the My Foodbook branded content promotions that reach over two million consumers each month and consistently delivers against the Pears brand positioning and reinforces the occasionality of cooking with pears. View My Foodbook.

Seasonal cookbooks through My Foodbook

Australian Pears has secured features seasonal cookbooks developed by My Foodbook, including Winter Warmers (June).