Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2017, edition2

This Hort Innovation Persimmon Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2017, edition 2.

Hort Innovation is responsible for industry marketing activities to grow awareness and consumption of Australian persimmons. Using the persimmon marketing levy, recent efforts have included…

Public relations and media activity

With the help of popular nutritionist Lyndi Cohen (‘The Nude Nutritionist’), Hort Innovation has developed content for and circulated a media kit that includes a health-focused fact sheet and media release quoting Lyndi talking to the Autumnal health properties of persimmons.

Lyndi has also created four easy-to-replicate recipes heroing persimmons for media consumption, with the information rolled out in two phases (the latest of which occurred in the second week of May). Lyndi has also been talking about persimmons and presenting these recipes in her own channels.

Off the back of the first phase, at the start of May there had been 39 pieces of media coverage relating to persimmons, including three recipes featured on 9Kitchen.

Social media

A small social media campaign is rolling out across the Persimmons Australia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PersimmonsAustralia) and Instagram account (@persimmonsaustralia). These channels are actively engaging bloggers, media, influencers and persimmon lovers. The key persimmon content messages for this activity are seasonality, serving suggestions and health benefits.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show

Running from April 6 to 19, over 922,000 people attended the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which gave persimmons great exposure. As part of a tropical fruit exhibit in the Woolworths Fresh Pavillion, persimmon ambassadors handed out a total of 17,500 persimmon samples and 40,000 persimmon recipe brochures. And with an estimated 75 per cent of show attendees walking past the persimmon stand at some point, many more people saw the industry’s logo and associated imagery. In particular, the height and colours of the stand meant that it could be seen by most people entering the pavilion, drawing consumers over and raising awareness of persimmons.