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HASS AVOCADO BOARD AVOACTION NEWSLETTER - AvoAction Vol. VII, No. 1 |
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NEW SEASON, NEW PRIORITIES
The Hass Avocado Board's mission statement is a model of simplicity: "To increase consumption of Hass Avocados in the United States." Two years ago, the HAB Marketing Committee recommended and the Board of Directors confirmed a major investment in nutrition research, an effort that all parties saw as having the potential to exponentially expand demand if credible health claims and nutrition messages about the benefits of Hass Avocados could be established. In 2009 and 2010, significant groundwork has "primed the pump" for several studies that move HAB toward that goal. The Board expects to see initial nutrition research results this year as it devotes more resources to that effort.
In the meantime, HAB continues the fine tuning of its activities to focus on those that will increase long term demand, while leaving other marketing initiatives to the associations that do them so well.
The single-minded attention to the marketplace created a record year of success in 2010, when growers and handlers saw close to 1.4 billion pounds of avocados absorbed by a willing marketplace - more than ever before. The market discipline developed over a half dozen years served everyone in the industry well last year.
In 2011, even with a smaller crop, the strong public relations effort that focuses not only on nutrition but on the very successful fall football/tailgating program developed over several years will keep Hass Avocados top-of-mind for millions of avo-aficionados.
SPEAKING OF FALL FOOTBALL...
The synergistic fall football promotion sponsored by HAB, the California Avocado Commission and the Chilean Avocado Importers Association could be best described as "really on" this year: on national television, on regional TV, online and on site. The broadcast schedule, running from late August until well into December, saw national exposure for Pac 10® and Big 12® games and regionally for Big Ten® and Southeastern Conference battles.
Savvy media buying resulted in 851 spots delivered, more than 250 units more than originally anticipated - a 43 percent bonus provided by Fox Sports® Network. These spots included coverage on in-game kick-off features, "Pick of the Week®" integration and even SEC Weather Report broadcasts.
Efforts on the Fox Sports® website took the same approach, with Hass Avocados prominent on such pages as the Heisman® Watch List, the College Experiment Hub Page and in co-branded promotions. Total digital media campaign results saw in excess of 34 million audience impressions, 4 million more than anticipated.
Coupled with extensive public relations efforts, tailgate parties and sampling events, 2010's fall football campaign proved highly visible and highly successful.
To see a video recap of the fall football promotion, click here*.
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HAB participated in festive tailgating parties at four major college football games. |
WHAT'S UP WITH CONSUMERS? AVOCADO CONSUMPTION!
HAB's latest "Avocado Tracking Study," which monitors changes in avocado advertising awareness, consumption, consumer attitudes, variety awareness and usage, showed some interesting trends to gladden the hearts of growers, importers and handlers from all of our growing regions. Here are some highlights.
- U.S. household penetration of avocados continues to increase. Avo-fans purchasing to eat at home jumped from 60 to 67 percent nationwide from 2007 to fall 2010. Strongest consumption is in the Pacific region (82 percent) and the southwest (81 percent).
- Customers purchased 79 and 73 avocados annually in these same two regions. But perhaps the most impressive was growth in the southeast, where avocado lovers were less than ardent in 2007, purchasing only 42 per year in 2007 but proved their devotion in 2010 with 67 purchases.
- Sports nuts love pits too! Avocados are used during many sporting events, most particularly while watching professional football games, as indicated by a spike from 20 percent of consumers doing that to 31 percent in 2010. Other sports - baseball, basketball, soccer - are also seeing increased avocado loyalty from fans.
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- Total awareness of Hass Avocados continues to increase significantly, rising from just 32 percent in 2007 to an impressive 62 percent in 2010. Seventy-eight percent know about Hass in the southwest, the leading region for Hass awareness.
- Awareness grew for the three major growing regions during this period: from 55 to 61 percent for California avocados; 45 to 51 percent for Mexican avocados; and 24 to 28 percent for Chilean avocados.
- Perhaps the most gratifying finding for everyone in the business is this one: Who would have imagined even a decade ago that in 2010 the top reason consumers say they purchase avocados is that they consider them "Good for You"! Consumers now have a significantly better understanding of the benefits of eating avocados.
BIG GAME, BIG VOLUME
While all the numbers are not yet reported, once again Hass Avocados scored big during festivities surrounding the biggest game in professional football. Football fans were expected to consume nearly 70 million pounds of avocados during Big Game activities, solidifying the event as one of the largest consumption days of the year for Hass Avocados. Here are a few highlights.
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- This year's online program built on the existing sports website at Sports.AvocadoCentral.com and played up the professional football section while featuring HAB's repeat spokesperson, Joe Montana. The site promoted two new avocado recipes, Joe Montana's Tomatillo Touchdown Guacamole and Hass Avocado "Wings" with Buffalo Sauce. A new, dedicated section with tailgating tips and recipe ideas was incorporated into the site to help HAB capitalize on global tailgating-related searches that occur annually surrounding the Big Game.
- To further encourage consumer purchases leading up to and during this key sales period, HAB implemented a multifaceted public relations campaign, again tapping football legend Joe Montana to serve as the program's spokesperson. National media outreach began with the distribution of a press release highlighting this year's Big Game avocado consumption statistic and Montana's exclusive guacamole recipe, and culminated with Joe's participation in a full day's worth of interviews with national and local media in Dallas the Thursday prior to the Big Game. The HAB public relations team secured more than 15 live and taped, in-person and phone interviews for Joe, resulting in coverage on NFL Network, Westwood One Radio (which was distributed to more than 650 stations nationwide), and multiple ESPN TV and radio shows.
- Additionally, the nutritional benefits of including Hass Avocados in Big Game meals was promoted through HAB's participation in a national television co-op media tour hosted by registered dieticians Julie Upton and Katherine Brooking. Starting on Jan. 20, broadcast segments from the tour aired in major media markets across the country, highlighting Hass Avocados as a nutrient-rich fruit perfect for game day dishes. Hass Avocados are also highlighted on the dieticians' website www.AppforHealth.com.*
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