Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2016, spring

This Hort Innovation Mushroom Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2016, spring edition.

Launch campaign wrap-up

The biggest campaign in the Australian mushroom industry’s history was launched this year, running from May until the end of August. The levy-funded campaign introduced the new Australians Mushrooms brand and had a focus on encouraging home cooks to add more mushrooms to more meals for healthier and tastier dishes. While the campaign activities were reported on in the last edition of Hortlink (Winter 2016), the results are now in.

The campaign included the below components:

» Television advertising. Used to promote the great taste and health benefits of mushrooms, build awareness and drive demand, this campaign involved three bursts of activity over six weeks during May and June across all key markets. The ad was featured during top-performing programs such as MasterChef and House Rules. Results included reaching 36 per cent of the entire target audience (grocery buyers aged 25 to 54) in Sydney at least three times during June, and 46 per cent in Melbourne.

» Out of home advertising. Supporting the TV activity, this campaign was run in shopping centres across the country (strategically near supermarkets), with the recipe-focused messaging reaching well over 11 million people.

» Digital media. Over nine weeks, this aspect of the campaign delivered 12.5 million impressions (displays) of high-quality video and display advertising, social media and sponsorship content. It saw mushroom-related content on top-performing websites including Nine.com.au and Taste.com (where the campaign delivered results 178 per cent above expectation). A partnership with media site BuzzFeed also saw innovative mushrooms articles delivering almost 60,000 clicks.

» Social media. Regular posts featured on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AustralianMushrooms/) and Instagram (@australianmushrooms) to support the TV campaign, with this particular content reaching over 2.3 million people. During the campaign period the Facebook audience grew by 36,600 people to now have a fan base of over 76,000 – enabling it to deliver a total reach of 11.8 million people. With Instagram, there was an over 50 per cent growth in followers, which means mushroom messaging is reaching a wider audience than ever before.

» In-store activities and events. In-store activity was conducted in partnership with Australian Onions. Demonstrations were held in 470 stores across the country, with 54 per cent of shoppers who tasted the mushroom and onion sample (a bolognese) going on to purchase mushrooms. In terms of events, Australian Mushrooms participated in a number of royal shows and foodie-focussed events during the campaign, providing access to 480,000 people and seeing the distribution of 37,000 samples.

» PR. To support the campaign, media outlets, health professionals and food bloggers were sent media packs and Australian Mushrooms hampers to help get the mushroom message out to their audiences.

What’s happening now?

A new two-month campaign began in October, with a focus on meal inspiration to encourage more frequent purchase and consumption of mushrooms. Activities in this campaign include:

» Digital media, with a series of inspiration videos being delivered to consumers on video on-demand sites such as Ten Play and 9Now, as well as YouTube. There will also be a partnership with BuzzFeed, with the delivery of two high-reaching articles highlighting the health benefits, affordability and adaptability of mushrooms during November (‘15 One-Pot Mushroom Recipes For People Who Hate Doing Dishes’ and ‘Literally Just A Whole Post Dedicated To Mushrooms’).

» Out of home advertising, with mushrooms featuring across nearly 700 advertising panels in shopping centres nationally.

» In-store activity, with demonstrations featuring rissole samples being held in nearly 470 stores, again in partnership with Australian Onions. Mushroom meal ideas are also being presented in the free Coles Magazine to inspire shoppers. The magazine is seen by almost three million consumers each month. Point-of-sale materials will appear in 250 Woolworths stores throughout Australia, too, including posters and recipe handouts to further drive home the Australian Mushroom message.

» Social media, with meal ideas and tip videos continuing to engage ever-growing audiences.