Supermarket Perimeter - June 2022 - 49

" Papaya grown in Hawaii is the best tasting papaya in the world
because of our rich lava soils, " Weinert said. " People who have visited
Hawaii, and have tried papaya in Hawaii, know the superior taste of
Hawaii papaya. People would like to have it available where they live -
but it's not available everywhere. "
To spread the word even further, the Hawaii Papaya Industry
Association is expanding its social media outreach and efforts to inform
consumers about the year around availability, great taste and nutritional
value of Hawaii papaya.
" Total marketing " and sustainability
Consumer demand has grown for watermelon, particularly freshcut,
over the past year, said Stephanie Barlow, senior director
of communications for the Winter Springs, Fla.-based National
Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB).
In 2022 the board is continuing its efforts to prospect additional
digital avenues to reach the consumer " within their path to purchase, "
said Juliemar Rosado, director of retail and international marketing.
New this year, NWPB plans to work with mobile media company
Genesis to provide " App>Less " immersive storytelling.
" Total marketing efforts are even more important as consumer habits
change and the retail space changes with it, " Rosado said. " It's important
to look at overall promotional efforts at retail during the customer's pathto-purchase
as well as inside the store, particularly in this new normal. "
The NWPB has also begun implementing commerce-enabled
recipes. As the number of consumers buying groceries online continues
to rise, engaging with those shoppers and making it simple to add
watermelon to their online carts is critical, Rosado said.
By implementing shoppable recipe technology on Watermelon.org,
NWPB will open up all recipes and ingredients to be shopped directly on
the website - connecting consumers to retailers with just a few clicks.
The board's spring and summer consumer program is focused on
watermelon's value and versatility benefits with the launch of the Use
the Whole Watermelon 2.0. campaign, Barlow said. " We will educate,
influence and advertise the 100% edible, Zero Food Waste message to
media, educators, health professionals and consumers through digital,
print and streaming outlets, " she said. " The Use the Whole Watermelon
story will be updated with fresh branding and a new campaign landing
page where consumers can virtually break down a watermelon to
understand its parts, its benefits and how to use each delicious piece. "
In addition, refreshed and on-trend instructional and inspirational
videos will visualize the butchery and cooking process, Barlow said. The
virtual experiences will be packaged for consumers and professional
audiences like media and dietitians, as well as challenge influencer
partners to share inspiration year-long. Paid social and streaming ads
will reach targeted audiences to direct them back to the landing page
and continue the journey.
" Use the Whole Watermelon is the ultimate encapsulation for telling
the watermelon value and sustainability story, allowing NWPB to
combat purchase barriers and double down on multi-use, zero-waste
and rind education, " she said. " The sustainability message specifically
refers to lessening a consumer's food waste footprint by using the
whole watermelon, creating less waste at home and less waste going to
landfills. "
Marketing watermelon at retail:
FIVE MUSTS FROM THE NWPB
1. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CUSTOMERS'
PATH TO PURCHASE. Make use of in-store displays
- Colorful bins and large displays grab attention and
grab sales. Also include digital, social media marketing
and video components that provide customer reach
beyond the brick and mortar element. Visit http://www.
watermelon.org/retailers for more information.
2. THE ENTIRE WATERMELON IS EDIBLE.
A top barrier to purchasing watermelon is that it is
" too big/inconvenient " which spotlights the need to
inform consumers on all the ways to use watermelon
in recipes utilizing the flesh, juice and the rind, as well
as incorporating fresh cuts and mini watermelon to
maximize convenience.
3. DISPLAY WHOLE & CUT WATERMELON SIDE
BY SIDE. This creates great eye appeal and can increase
sales of both. Furthermore, watermelon queen in-store
promotions are a great way to educate and promote
watermelon. These young women are smart, educated
and bring something unique to the produce department.
They can help that hesitant customer select the best
watermelon.
4. GET THE WORD OUT - Watermelon is Delicious and
Nutritious. Most consumers would purchase watermelon
in the future if they knew it was healthy and nutritious
for them. Try to include nutrition information wherever
you can - on signs and displays, in social media posts,
newsletters or ads.
5. GIVE CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY CRAVE ALL
YEAR LONG. It delivers year-round sales, even in cold
climates. Keeping watermelon top of mind year-round
is another key ingredient to increasing demand for
watermelon. During the import season, there is a push
for fresh-cut in order to keep the product front of mind.
supermarketperimeter.com
JUNE 2022 - 49
http://www http://www.watermelon.org/retailers http://www.Watermelon.org http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - June 2022

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