IN THE midst of a bumper season, strong growth in consumer demand, and following the launch of the nation’s first avocado pop up last year, growers have pushed the button on an innovative $2.4M marketing campaign.

Featuring television advertising and a strong digital push, the campaign was developed by Hort Innovation in close consultation with an avocado industry advisory panel, made up of a cross-section of Australian growers and stakeholders.

John Tyas, panel member and chief executive of the avocado industry’s peak body, Avocados Australia, said the new ‘Smash an Avo’ campaign highlights what people love about the fruit.

“The campaign idea, ‘Avocados make everything better - Smash an Avo’, is inspired by everyday vernacular and the fact that avocados are so incredibly versatile, delicious and nutritious. It is brought to life in video with a quirky series of visuals that not only show how Australian Avocados make any meal better, but also how they make us feel good … all with a good helping of topical satire.”

“The plan is for people to see and hear about avocados everywhere – on Spotify, websites, YouTube, on digital screens at shopping centres, you name it.”
Mr Tyas said the campaign complements what has been the rise and rise of Australian avocados.

“We are seeing a lot of quality product hit the market right now, and Australian consumers are enjoying more avocados than ever with consumption rates more than doubling from 40,000 tonnes in 2007 to almost 90,000 tonnes today,” he said. “All of this has not happened through luck. As an industry, we have invested grower levy dollars into a range of marketing activities through Hort Innovation over many years.

“We also have around 850 growers out there working tirelessly on farms each day to bring consumers quality fruit, supported by a lot of research and development to make our products the best they can be.”

Recent research and development activities includes work to help consumers squeeze avocados less, and improve fruit quality along the supply chain, among more than 20 other projects.

In line with its four-year levy investment plan, the industry aims to increase domestic demand for Australian avocados by at least 20 per cent by 2021, in line with large production increases.

Hort Innovation avocados marketing manager Claire Tindale-Penning said a custom study into insights around consumer behaviour and perceptions of avocados was used to inform the new three-year marketing strategy.

“Research showed us that while avocados are rising in popularity, there is a need to shift them from an infrequent part of the shopping list to an integral part of a happy, healthy lifestyle – which is what we aim to do through ‘Smash an Avo’,” she said.

“This new campaign is fresh, friendly and slightly cheeky. We think it has a little something that everyone can relate to.”