Promoting fresh produce is a privilege. That our primary function is the marketing of products, the health promoting properties of which have been firmly and definitively established, and which are widely recognised as having amongst the lowest environmental footprints of all foodstuffs, is something about which we can all be justifiably proud. Few industries can contend with such certainty that their core business- in this instance driving fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, makes so positive a contribution to public diet and general well being. Ours is an industry of worth.
Consumer Insights
A commitment to listening to the consumer underpins Total Produce’s strategy for increasing consumption. Getting under the skin of consumers and garnering a thorough understanding of that which motivates consumer behaviour is a critical first step in promoting the category. In Total Produce we actively engage consumers on what it is that inspires and inhibits consumption. An ongoing process, 2021 will see an important next step as we roll out Kostministieriet 2021; an ambitious, comprehensive research project spanning ten European countries. Sampling over 100,000 Europeans, this investment is dedicated to profiling perceptions and feelings towards fresh produce across the continent. The result, we expect, will be a pioneering project lending voice to the European consumer and pointing the way for Total Produce and our customers to more effectively promote produce.
Educating & Empowering Consumers
Many of the virtues of fresh produce are well documented. That including fresh produce into daily diet is critically important to health is widely understood. Consumers largely understand, in health terms at least, the “why”. Very often, though, the “how”; the means though which consumers can actively integrate more fruits & vegetables into their diet is less clear. Similarly, the role that increasing fresh produce consumption can play in reducing the collective impact of our diet on the environment has yet to find full prominence. In Total Produce, our strategy in promoting fresh produce is predicated on affecting behavioural change. Collaborating with our partners across the supply chain and with other interested Governmental and non-governmental third parties, we work to educate consumers concerning seasonality- when it’s best to each which fruits or vegetables, preparation, the relative nutritional profiles of diverse fresh fruits & vegetables, uses, recipes and serving suggestions. We do this through packaging, in-store promotions and utilising a wide variety of digital resources including social media and by supporting fresh produce promotional programmes such as the Incredible Edibles initiative in Ireland.
Inspiring Consumers
Fresh fruits and vegetables are amongst the most tasty, versatile and in most instances convenient of foods. In Total Produce, we are committed to helping consumers on their journey towards “Finding The Fun In Fruit.” Exploring the vast arrays of tastes and flavours of in-season fresh produce is one of life’s simple pleasures and across our operations we strive to promote produce as a relevant, integral part of a modern lifestyle. We do this by engaging consumers on their own terms, utilising in-store activations, on-pack promotions and a vast array of digital and social media platforms. Dole’s partnership with Disney across North America offers a case in point.
