Driving awareness for Australian grapes

Table grape export marketing will kick off in March, with campaign plans shaping up ahead of the peak export season.

Bastion Agency won the opportunity to develop the international marketing program, after Hort Innovation opened the tender process for the 2023 season.

The agency’s campaign will highlight the importance of driving in-market awareness and consideration, increasing the reach of Australian grapes and driving sales.

Season launch events in key markets will put a spotlight on the Grown in Good Nature brand and include activities such as a cooking workshop and presentation about Australian table grapes. Key online leaders (KOL), or influencers, and local media will be encouraged to share on their social media channels about the event, product information and endorse the brand product.

The retail component will be an important part of the campaign, with point of sale, in-store sampling, giftwith-purchase and custom packaging, in some markets, aiming to drive sales.

“Consistent across all markets will be retail sampling due to its effectiveness at driving conversion, and its importance to retail relationships,” the draft plan revealed.

The digital component of the campaign will aide in risk mitigation strategies, with some markets still recovering slowly from the longlasting impact of Covid restrictions.

Email and social media will be geo-targeted to promote tactical activities and key messaging.

The campaign also flagged its objective to provide support to importers with their sales activities as well as strengthen relationships with local trade partners.

In many key export markets, online shopping for fresh produce has become the new normal, a “stark contrast to trends before the outbreak, when grocery shopping was well behind online shopping for nonfood items”, Bastion said.

Vietnam

The consumer class grew to 40 per cent of the whole Vietnamese population. Nutrition, value, and quality are key lookouts when shopping for food. Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased steadily, gaining 5 per cent per annum over the past 20 years.

The Philippines

The Philippine economy is projected to grow by 6.5 per cent this year. The target audience is willing to spend more for healthier options, and the internet is now playing a bigger role in consumers’ lives with the rise of e-commerce. More people have enjoyed staying at home and being with their family.

Malaysia

Trade has continued its upward trajectory in September 2022. A lot of people are spending less on non-necessity items even after the pandemic, with the majority of their budget to food and stockpiling pantries. Fruit consumption is only at 5kg/month lower than the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 40kg/month.

Thailand

Economic activity is lower than prepandemic despite GDP increasing, however people are expecting their incomes to increase in the coming months. Many are still buying food at supermarkets and want to buy things that help them live a healthier lifestyle. Fruit consumption per capita reached 41kg.

Indonesia

The Indonesian economy is set to grow by 5 per cent in 2022. Value for money has become more important than ever as people are looking to save more than to spend. Fruit consumption is lower than in other markets, at only 88.5g per person daily.

Japan

Consumers have become more conservative with their purchase decisions as the Japanese economy is not at its best. However, they do not hesitate to splurge when it comes to food, and place value on taste and price. Quality is determined by looking into the country of origin. Grape consumption is lower during the March–June window, compared with September.

South Korea

The population is rapidly ageing, however when it comes to food, South Korean customers buy to make a statement and rely heavily on the internet to make an informed decision. There is also a growing market which seeks eco-friendly or organic and natural alternatives.v