A snapshot of the 2023/24 summerfruit marketing campaign 

Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the summerfruit marketing levy into a range of activities to drive awareness and consideration. Here is a quick look at what happened during 2023/24… 

The 2023/24 marketing program for Australian summerfruits aimed to raise awareness of Australian nectarines and peaches, strengthening connections with key players in Vietnam, and supporting major retailers and importers to drive sales and increase export volumes. 

Insights that drove our thinking 

• Consumer preferences: Vietnamese consumers prioritise product safety, price, and taste (particularly sweetness) when purchasing fresh produce.
  
  
• Market potential: Australia’s premium summerfruits are well-regarded in Vietnam, with significant potential for peaches and nectarines during the peak sales period around Lunar New Year.
  
  
• Challenges: Product quality issues, price sensitivity, and a lack of coordination between domestic and international marketing efforts presented challenges for some retail partners and consumers. 

What the campaign looked like in market 

The campaign targeted Vietnam with a two-pronged approach: media events and retail promotions. 

• Launch events – held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in December 2023, the media events featured cooking demonstrations, VIP speeches, and product sampling. The events included over fifty participants, including government representatives, media, influencers, and local trade partners.
  
  
• Retail program – in partnership with retailers like AEON and MMVN, the campaign featured in-store displays, sampling sessions, and gift-with-purchase promotions across 42 stores. 

What did we achieve? 

• Media engagement – the launch events resulted in 30 articles and media coverage reaching over 200,000 consumers.
  
  
• Retail success – 156 sampling days and extensive in-store promotions across 42 retail locations strengthened consumer connections and retail partner relationships.
  
  
• Consumer engagement – positive feedback from both consumers and retailers highlighted the potential for further growth, though improvements in product quality and pricing strategies are key to future campaigns.