Hort Innovation’s avocado marketing strategy focuses on increasing domestic consumption by encouraging existing consumers, particularly light buyers, to purchase avocados more often. The strategy positions Australian avocados as both delicious and nutritious, supported by three key pillars: building consideration through brand marketing, educating consumers and retailers, and expanding avocado usage in foodservice.
Consumer insights informing the strategy
Research shows avocados are widely loved by Australian consumers, with almost half of Australians describing them as something they love to eat. However, shoppers often need a reminder to purchase avocados, with just 11 per cent considering buying them without prompting. Half of avocado buyers are light buyers who purchase only five times per year, highlighting a significant opportunity to increase purchase frequency among existing consumers. Research also identified low confidence in selecting ripe fruit and concerns about ripeness, bruising and quality as barriers to purchase. In addition, foodservice already accounts for 26 per cent of fresh avocado supply, making it an important channel for future growth.
What's planned
Avocado marketing investment will focus on increasing household penetration among light buyers by building awareness, reminding consumers to purchase more often and reinforcing the role of avocados as a delicious, nutritious and versatile everyday food. Activity will combine mass-reach marketing, consumer education and foodservice engagement to support demand growth.
Key activities include:
- The "Avo-Can-Do So Can You" campaign, a national integrated marketing campaign designed to increase demand among light buyers by highlighting the versatility, taste and nutritional benefits of Australian avocados.
- Paid media and retail advertising across supermarket digital channels, social media, television, online video, radio and out-of-home advertising to keep avocados top of mind and encourage purchase.
- Earned media and public relations campaigns that leverage cultural moments and media opportunities to generate conversation and maintain brand salience among Australian consumers.
- Consumer education programs focused on improving confidence when selecting ripe avocados, including the "Are You Bruisin' While Choosin'" campaign, which educates shoppers on how to check fruit correctly and reduce bruising.
- Retailer education initiatives designed to improve consumer confidence in avocado quality and ripeness through better in-store experiences and guidance.
Alongside consumer marketing, the industry is investing in the foodservice sector to help absorb increasing avocado supply and encourage greater usage across restaurants, cafes and quick-service outlets. With around a quarter of fresh avocado supply already destined for foodservice, this channel represents a significant opportunity for demand growth.
Foodservice activities include:
- An always-on foodservice communications program providing regular engagement with chefs, operators and foodservice professionals.
- Chef masterclasses and industry events designed to demonstrate how avocados can be used more effectively across menus and foodservice operations.
- Dedicated foodservice resources and educational materials that help businesses reduce waste, improve consistency and create higher-value menu offerings featuring Australian avocados.
- Digital engagement through dedicated websites, social channels and communications platforms that support ongoing adoption and usage within the foodservice sector.
Growing demand beyond Australia
The avocado industry is also investing in export marketing initiatives to unlock the growth opportunities beyond Australia. As production continues to increase, building sustainable demand in international markets will be essential to diversifying distribution pathways, supporting profitable returns for growers and strengthening the competitiveness of the Australian avocado industry.
Australian avocado exports enter FY26/27 in a strong but tightening position, with increased competition from other growing regions such as Mexico, Peru, Tanzania and New Zealand.
The plan is built around two structural realities. First, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia account for roughly 85 per cent of Australian avocado exports and the industry holds a commanding share in each market — but per-capita consumption remains very low (Malaysia at 0.2kg against Australia's 4.94kg), so future gains will come from consumption frequency and new occasions, not from share alone. Second, the markets that will carry longer-term growth — GCC/Middle East region, India, Thailand and Japan — currently make up under a fifth of export volume and need investment ahead of their current share. Cutting across both is a quality and experience challenge: price is the single biggest barrier at 35 per cent, and four of the top five barriers to repeat purchase relate to ripeness, shelf life and inconsistent quality.
The strategy concentrates effort behind three pillars:
- Differentiate: defines and embeds the new Australian Avocados premium brand, providing a consistent identity and proof points that support the price premium with both consumers and trade.
- Defend & Drive: protects the strong market share position in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia while growing consumption — implementing the new brand campaign across high-reach channels, backed by tactical consumer activation and retail support that converts at the point of purchase and educates on selection, ripening and storage.
- Develop: sustains presence in Japan, GCC, Thailand and India through what is an anticipated lower production year, keeping relationships and distribution pathways active ahead of the expected FY26/27 supply expansion.
Key export activities include:
- Development and implementation of a premium Australian Avocados brand platform that communicates the quality, provenance and unique attributes of Australian avocados, helping differentiate Australian avocados from competitors, strengthen consumer preference and reinforce their premium position in export markets.
- Consumer marketing programs driving broader category adoption through high reach channels, retail partnerships and consumer engagements and activations.
- Point of purchase activations designed to increase visibility and consideration for Australian avocados at the point of purchase, helping convert awareness into purchase.
- Social media and influencer campaigns that showcase the versatility and quality of Australian avocados, helping connect with consumers in culturally relevant ways and build demand beyond retail environments.
Supporting investments
A range of investments are underway to deliver the avocado marketing strategy:
- Avocado FY26 Marketing Program Maintenance (AV24507)
- Avocados FY26 Foodservice Program (AV25501)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – Co-promotion (AV25503)
- Avocados FY26 Collaborations (Consumer and/or Foodservice) (AV25506)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing Program – Pillar 3 – India (AV25507)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – GCC Burst 1 (AV25508)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Hong Kong (AV25509)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Malaysia – Burst 2 (AV25510)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Hong Kong – Burst 2 (AV25511)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Singapore – Burst 2 (AV25512)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 1 – Brand Platform (AV25513)
- Avocados FY27 Foodservice Program (AV25514)
- FY26 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 (AV25515)
- Avocados FY26 Thinking, Creative Optimisations, Earned Media and Owned Media (AV25601)
- Avocados FY26 Paid Media – October 2025 – June 2026 (AV25602)
- Avocados FY26 Consumer Education Campaign (AV25603)
- Avocados FY27 Marketing Program Maintenance (AV26501)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – India (AV26502)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – ad Hoc (JP + IN) (AV26503)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – Thailand (AV26504)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 3 – Japan (AV26505)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Malaysia (Burst 1) (AV26506)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing – Pillar 2 – Malaysia (Burst 1) (AV26507)
- FY27 Avocado International Marketing Program – Ad Hoc (AV26508)
- Avocados FY27 Domestic Marketing Program (AV26601)
- Avocados FY27 Consumer Education Campaign (AV26602)
