Aussie growers band together to boost the whole berry basket

In an industry first, berry growers across the country have joined forces to encourage Aussie shoppers to put more berries in their baskets. 

Delivered through Hort Innovation and led by Berries Australia, the collaboration will see blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries all promoted under a ‘berry basket’ banner. 

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said the aim is to promote buying all berries individually, and together. 

“Aussies love berries, and this campaign celebrates that while helping local growers raise the profile of their produce,” he said. 

“Research shows that consumers who purchase all four berries make up almost 50 per cent of the total category spend, and that a whole-of-category approach lifts sales across all berry types. 

“This new collaboration not only leverages these insights but also gives berry growers more bang-for-their-buck when it comes to their investment in promoting their delicious produce.” 

Following insights unearthed by key consumer research commissioned by Hort Innovation in 2023, the collaboration will use social media and influencers to highlight the standout features of berries including key health benefits (antioxidant richness and nutritional density) and a 30 second commercial to showcase the taste appeal to make Australian Berries a highly sought-after choice, that find their way into more trolleys, more often.  

Activities will lift awareness of berries and ensure that they remain on consumer’s minds throughout the year through a mix of video content, social media, out-of-home advertising, online retail activation and more. 

Berries Australia executive director Rachel Mackenzie said the berry categories working together makes sense for the industry and has been shown to work overseas. 

“Bringing all four berry categories into a cohesive campaign will allow us to talk to the Australian consumer throughout the year, with the right berry, at the right time for our growers,” Ms Mackenzie said. 

“This approach holds great appeal for berry levy payers, as many of them grow more than one type of berry and single berry marketing runs the risk of cannibalising other berry sales.” 

“In addition, the campaign will be flexible to allow for peak supply periods for each berry.” 

The latest in consumer data on berries shows that: 

1. Berries are our most loved fruit, with 64 per cent of Aussie shoppers describing berries as something they love to eat. 

2.  After bananas and apples, berries are the next most popular fruit on shoppers' minds, with 53 per cent of shoppers planning to buy them in the next seven days. 

3. Aussies see the top benefits of berries as ‘health’, ‘easy to eat’, ‘delicious’ and ‘colourful’.