Marketing snapshot - 2020/21

Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the banana marketing levy into a range of activities to drive frequency of purchase and consumption, under the Hort Innovation Banana Fund. Read on for a snapshot of activities and results from the 2020/21 marketing program.

Peel Good Feel Good

2020/21 saw the final year of the ‘Peel Good, Feel Good’ marketing strategy which sought to increase domestic demand through product diversification and targeted marketing initiatives to improve consumer awareness and consideration of bananas.

Consumer research, conducted in 2018, identified ‘young transitionals’ as a new growth audience for Australian bananas. Young transitionals are adults aged 25-39 who do not have children. The research found that this group were motivated by a new type of energy, not just the energy to get through the morning, but the need to feel positive, optimistic and ready for whatever the day may bring for them. This insight is what led to the ‘Peel Good, Feel Good’ campaign that has been executed over the past three years.

The mix of marketing channels that have been used for the duration of the campaign have been responsive and flexible to both the results of the campaign tracking, consumer research and any associated impacts of COVID -19.

Television

Television is an important media channel for the Australian Bananas campaign in continuing its reputation as a memorable household brand, especially with the family audience.  Television advertising was staggered in two bursts, totaling nine weeks from September to October and January to February. The iconic ‘Make Your Body Sing’ themed adverts appeared in premium programming such as Holey Moley, I’m a Celebrity and The Amazing Race. These programs gave Australian Bananas high reach to audiences, delivering a total figure of over 3.5 million main grocery buyers aged 25 – 54, whilst also focusing on the contextual alignment of being active and needing to be at the top of your game.

Digital

Supporting the television buy, Australian Bananas ran digital activity from September to April. The strategy consisted of Australian Bananas’ standard 15-second video ads across catch-up television and a combination of 6-second, non – skippable bumper ads on YouTube. The video aired on catch – up television reached over 4.6 million users and had 5.1 million completed views. YouTube however did see a marginally lower reach of 4.6 million completed views, reaching three million users.

Out of home displays, street furniture and radio

Radio and out of home displays continue to be consistent performers with steady audiences. The priority was to ensure Australian bananas stayed top of consumers’ minds, reinforcing the product as a household staple. In particular, Edentify research shows that out of home displays are a key driver for consumers on the path to purchase. Research also shows that 67 per cent of Australians like big bright and colourful out of home displays with a simple and concise message – exactly like the ‘Peel Good, Feel Good’ creative. In 2020/21, 2,567 panels were seen across shopping center digital screens and street furniture.

On radio, the iconic ‘Make your body sing’ creative reached over 2.7 million grocery buyers, which is 64 per cent of the potential audience. The highest reach was in Melbourne, closely followed by Sydney. To support the banana industry post cyclones, the Australian Radio Network provided free scheduling during April, where the ad was aired over KIIS and Smooth networks.

Social media

The ‘always on’ social approach ensures consumers are continually reminded of Australian bananas through their week, increasing the likelihood of weekly consumption. 2020/21 saw the young transitional audience diversify their social platform preferences, with significant use taking place outside Facebook and Instagram. In response, Australian Bananas created a TikTok account which now has 10.9k followers and videos that consistently gather over 1 million views per post.

Public relations

Australian Bananas also adopted an ‘always on’ approach to public relations to generate a continuous feed of articles, recipes and posts that contribute towards the positive association with bananas, especially in relation to health, exercise, and energy. The 2020/21 campaign generated a total reach of 70 million including 326 pieces of coverage.

The banana marketing program also partnered with three ambassadors to generate earned coverage, this included Susie Burrell, Billy Slater and Laura Enever. Susie has generated over 36 articles for Australian Bananas throughout the campaign and received national press coverage for many of these pieces. Billy and Laura helped to reinforce the relationship between bananas and energy/exercise.

Laura Enever was a new addition to the Australian Bananas ambassador list. She was selected due to her alignment with an iconic Australian sport, surfing, and her huge social following by the young transitional target audience.

National Banana Day

Now in its third year, the day has been adopted by the whole supply chain as a ‘spike moment’ for Australian Bananas. To remind Aussies of the importance of eating to fuel your day, and showcase the benefits and versatility of bananas, this year the campaign encouraged Australians to Get Moving. 

The campaign was supported through social media, public relations and a team of ambassadors under the existing platform of ‘Peel Good, Feel Good’. Outcomes included Social paid activity generating a total reach of 692,101 with 344 engagements and securing 64 pieces of coverage across online, print and broadcast including top tier publications 2GB, 3AW and 4BC. Total audience reach is 982,370.

Events

Australian Bananas usually supports over 15 events throughout the year including those held in grower regions, however because of COVID-19 events have either been cancelled or the marketing program was not in attendance. However, the marketing program was able to provide merchandise to events that did go ahead, including the Tully Show and Innisfail Show in Queensland.

Bounty bags

Distributed through a network of hospitals and midwives, Australian Bananas have gifted over half a million banana cases and nutritional information leaflets to new mums across Australia. Each bag includes an Australian Bananas branded banana case and a leaflet explaining the benefits of bananas as both a ‘one handed snack’ for new mums, and as a baby’s first food.

Other varieties

It is important to educate individuals on the different varieties of Australian bananas with particular importance on promoting Lady Fingers, their strengths and versatility in breakfasts and desserts. Demonstrations were still restricted this year due to COVID-19, but communications included social media posts as well as the development of recipes to be hosted on the Australian Bananas website. Australian Bananas Brand Ambassador Susie Burrell also delivered blog posts featuring the Lady Finger variety to encourage consideration of the variety.

Website

The Australian Bananas website (www.australianbanans.com.au) continues to be a great source of recipes, product information and resources. The website has proven to be a commonly googled site, rated as number 6 in search rankings for bananas and number 1 for Australian bananas.