Marketing snapshot - Hortlink 2016, winter

This Hort Innovation Papaya Fund marketing snapshot has been taken from Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 2016, winter edition.

In-store demonstrations

In a total of 109 in-store demonstrations across Coles, Woolworths and independents, consumers were given samples of freshly cut papaya pieces with lime and provided information on the key benefits and selling messages of papaya by trained brand ambassadors.

The objectives of the sampling were to increase awareness of papaya, encourage trial, communicate the differences between papaya and papaw, communicate usage options and key selling messages, encourage consumers to purchase on the spot and, importantly, to leave consumers with a positive papaya experience.

Over 11,000 samples were provided, averaging 105 per session. Whole papaya sales totalled 923 or 8.5 per session on average and half papaya sales totalled 433 with an average of three per session. Sales were highest in independents, where more stock, particularly pre-cut, was available.

The sampling found 73 per cent of shoppers had either tried or purchased papaya previously. Most consumers who had never tried papaya were surprised by its taste and benefits and said they would consider buying in the future, with health benefits the most popular reason to purchase.

PR & Media Campaign

The key objective of the PR and media campaign was to educate and inspire Australians to enjoy the goodness and benefits of papaya and papaw, focussing on health-conscious consumers, parents with young children and parents-to-be.

The campaign encompassed content creation, media outreach, ambassadors and Facebook. A total of 212 pieces of media coverage were achieved across mainstream and social media with a total reach of close to 14 million. Facebook saw 13,500+ fans with a nine per cent engagement rate.

As part of the media outreach and to ensure that papaya messaging was adequately conveyed, high-impact briefings with health spokesperson Caitlin Reid and grower Daniel McKay were conducted.

Australian papaya family ambassador

Dani Stevens, a family, health and wellness blogger, was appointed as the Australian papaya family ambassador. Throughout the year she provided three recipes, one recipe video in conjunction with Bondi Harvest, 85 pieces of social media coverage and five blogger posts. The total reach of her content was just under five million.

Australian papaya health ambassador

The industry continued working with Caitlin Reid as the Australian Papaya and Papaw health ambassador. As well as providing nutritional knowledge in the media briefings (mentioned earlier), she reviewed all existing recipes to create new specific health messages, conducted an insightful Facebook Q&A for fans and reviewed all content related to the Pregnancy & Baby Expo.

Pregnancy & Baby Expo

Papaya exhibited at the Pregnancy & Baby Expo at Sydney Olympic Park in May 2016, providing the 20,000+ attendees with papaya recipes and information. The fruit was also sampled, on its own, with lime and with banana as a puree. The key objective was to target information-hungry new mums and mums-to-be and get papaya on their baby’s menu early.

Papaya was also promoted via the Expo’s website, which was viewed 28,012 times during the show, as well as its Facebook page which has 457,000 impressions, which massively bolstered the already substantial reach of the Expo.