Marketing snapshot - 2019/20

Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the custard apple marketing levy into a range of activities to drive awareness and consumption, under the Hort Innovation Custard Apple Fund. Here’s a quick look at some of the activities and achievements of 2019/20, for both the domestic and export marketing campaigns.

Influencer outreach

The custard apple marketing program collaborated with lifestyle influencer 84th&3rd to develop three recipes that highlighted how simple it can be to add custard apples into everyday meals. These recipes were showcased on the Custard Apples Australia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/custardapplesaustralia) including a hero video on three easy ways to enjoy custard apple. The video was the best performing post of the campaign and had high engagement with 102,000 views, 105 shares, 134 comments and 504 reactions.

Social media

Facebook was used to inspire and educate consumers about Australian custard apples. Content was posted twice a week over the campaign period, focusing on increasing the appeal of the fruit through sharing simple usage ideas. Shots which showcased fresh produce and images of Australian custard apple farms performed the strongest. Facebook advertising was used to boost performance on all posts to extend the reach and engagement.

The Custard Apples Australia Facebook page performed well, delivering over two million opportunities for people to see the content (well above the 975,000 target). During 2019/20 the custard apple marketing program reached three times as many Australians than in the previous year.

Impact of COVID-19

Due to the unfolding COVID-19 situation, the industry’s social media content calendar was reviewed to ensure that communications were appropriate in the current climate while continuing to inspire Australians to eat custard apples. With increasing interest in home cooking and health during this period, the review included the following decisions:

• Refining the tone of voice to ensure contextual appropriateness (for example, no referencing ‘entertaining with friends’)
• Ensuring helpful and useful messaging during social distancing/ isolation periods, such as showcasing recipes that are great for freezing, or sharing tips on extending the life of fresh produce through proper storage techniques
• Dialing up health messaging to educate consumers on the nutritional benefits of eating custard apples
• Continuing educational messaging on selection, usage and storage ideas.