Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2017, edition 4

This Hort Innovation Onion Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2017, edition 4.

Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the onion marketing levy into a range of activities to grow awareness and consumption, under the Hort Innovation Onion Fund. These activities revolve around the industry’s Secret Serve campaign.

A strong social and digital media focus has been the key aspect of the onion marketing program over the last quarter. September saw a new free multi-meal e-book launched with a focus on main grocery buyers, aged 25 to 54 years with kids aged four to 12 years. Check out the book here.

The campaign was focussed on showing consumers how to prepare onions, choose varieties, purchase at peak, cut, blend, simmer/sweat/pre-make and store – and of course making it a secret serve to ensure the kids can’t detect it.

The e-book delivers a ready-made meal plan for cooking three meals a week each month, in just one to two hours on weekend.

Onion ambassador Scott Gooding helped launch the book. A strong contingent of media and influencers attended the launch event, and used their reach to extend awareness – with six traditional print articles, 17 online articles and 23 social articles between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This activity amounted to an opportunity for some 4.7 million people to see the content.

The e-book has so far achieved above and beyond 7000 downloads since launching.

The social media campaign is also continuing with its ‘always on’ approach, generating great content and achieving high reach. The page currently has more than 22,400 people following it. Constant insights are taken on the social media strategy and the program is tweaked monthly to maximise opportunities to reach and engage onion lovers – and encourage e-book downloads.

The new year will see another aggressive burst of the social channels promoting the e-book.

Planning for year three will get underway early in 2018.

Get involved!

There’s plenty you can do to get involved with the industry marketing activity…

•  On-farm images of harvest, packing, or general life on an onion farm are always well-received by consumers. Send yours to craig.perring@horticulture.com.au.

• Following, liking and sharing social media posts are another great way to support the marketing program – make sure you follow The Secret Serve on Facebook and on Instagram

• Put a link to the new e-book on your email signature and website: www.secretserve.com.au/multi-meals

Also make sure you continue to liaise with SIAP panellists to express your views about the marketing program – your thoughts and ideas are always welcome, as the more feedback received from growers, the better the marketing program. The list of SIAP panellists can be found here.