Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2017, edition 3

This Hort Innovation Mango Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2017, edition 3.

Hort Innovation invests the mango marketing levy into a range of activities to drive awareness and consumption, under the Hort Innovation Mango Fund.

Marketing efforts continue to pay off since the last edition of Hortlink, with exciting updates from the mango emoji campaign, testing and validating the activities of the activity through consumer research, and the kick-off of national roadshows to show mango growers how marketing is making its mark with consumers.

The mango emoji – making its way to a phone near you

Some exciting news out of last year’s campaign is that the #mangoemojiplease campaign has had some serious traction towards achieving its objective of landing a new mango emoji. The Emoji Subcommittee is recommending a list of 67 new emoji characters as draft candidates, of which the mango emoji is one.

Keeping consumers close

Understanding the consumer is one of the key drivers of the Mango Fund marketing campaign. The marketing team conducted consumer research in early 2017 to ensure that any strategic marketing plan developed is well targeted and hits the mark with consumers and for growers.

Consumer research highlighted that the strategy that’s been adopted over the last three years has been successful. The recent research shows that the strategy employed will continue to drive the mango industry forward in terms of sales and working with retailers, which importantly will provide the best purchasing and eating mango experience for consumers during the season.

With the 2017 harvest underway, the 2017/18 campaign will involve the below activities:

• Public relations (PR) – the PR program this year will be centered around a new hashtag, #200daysofmangoes, as there are approximately 200 days in the mango season. Other parts of the PR campaign mix will include grower ‘famils’ (education and awareness activities), new recipes, media famils and influencer activity.

• Events, which will include the annual Mango Auction and Mango Mess-tival.

• Social media – an ‘always on’ approach will be adopted for the social program again with tips, inspiration, recipes and of course the crowd favourites of grower profiles.

A recent Darwin and Katherine grower roadshow allowed the marketing team to present to industry the new marketing plan, and to liaise with growers. The mango roadshow happened in Katherine on August 15, and 45 people attend of which 90 per cent were growers. The Darwin roadshow was held on August 16 and 55 people attended.

Roadshows will also be held in other growing regions including Far North and South East Queensland prior to their seasons getting underway.