NZ Avocado promotions update

During the last few years volumes in the New Zealand market have increased. Currently New Zealanders consumer approximately 3.3kg of avocados per person per year. When compared to other countries like Mexico, Australia, Israel and the United States where people consume upwards of 4kg – and in some places over 7kg per person – it is clear that there is room to grow locally. It is important to continue promotions so that this demand increases.

Currently promotional activity has been planned for this season which includes social media, digital billboards, targeted ad placements, giveaways, in-store tastings, and media releases. These activities will have a focal point of highlighting that avocados are nutrient dense, as well as providing recipe inspiration and tips around storage and ripening. The start of this season lined up with World Avocado Day, which was a brilliant way to herald in the new season of avocados and get consumers excited.

Central to the industry’s strategic direction is converting avocado likers into avocado lovers and increasing consumption. Embracing avocados as a vital component of a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle is a primary focus. Leveraging the potency of social media, the industry taps into consumer preferences by delivering engaging, educational, and vibrant content. This content showcases the versatility and nutritional value of avocados, encouraging consumers to include avocados into their daily routines.

Avocado recipe development emerges as a relatable way to position avocados as a year-round option. Beyond the traditional summer associations, New Zealand avocados begin to shine in winter, lending their versatility to a range of dishes all year-round. By curating a diverse array of avocado recipes, spanning appetizers to desserts, the recipes hope to inspire and encourage year-round avocado consumption.

In-store tastings have begun in various supermarkets around the country and have already witnessed great results, including one customer’s purchase of 60 avocados after sampling. Continuous engagement through social media and digital platforms will keep avocados front of mind, with messaging emphasising nutritional benefits. An expansive influencer campaign, featuring 50 content creators in New Zealand, amplifies promotional efforts by showcasing delectable avocado recipes and health tips.

We approached Hannah Mellsop from Real Rad Food with the proposal of a partnership activity to support our wider social media campaigns. Real Rad Food have 44k followers on Instagram, 17k followers on Tiktok and 10k subscribers to an email newsletter. The brand is based in Papamoa and they promote healthy lifestyle habits through organic and raw food, healthy recipes and various organic proteins that in particular target women’s health.

Hannah agreed to create and share a recipe that used some of her protein as well as avocados, we also agreed on a giveaway to her audience in order to further support the activity. The recipe she decided to use was a cacao avocado black forest mousse that incorporated their rad protein.

The recipe was shared as a short video on Instagram and tiktok where it had a total of 35,523 views and almost 1500 likes. The video performed especially well on Instagram where it had almost 1000 comments, 61 saves and almost 300 shares.

NZ Avocado partners with Fresh.co.nz to produce amazing avocado recipes. In December 2021 festive summer avocado recipes have been promoted on two of New Zealand’s most popular online food and lifestyle platforms.

The avocado Christmas wreath is a feature recipe on Now to love, which is the online site of lifestyle magazines Women’s Day and New Zealand Women’s Weekly

The recipe combines avocado with salmon, a festive season favourite, in a dish designed for Christmas dinner parties, or as a brunch or appetiser for the dinner table on Christmas Day.

As we gain more daylight hours  kiwis love to fire up a summer family barbeque. These ultimate loaded beetroot burgers with avocado smash provide inspiration for homemade burgers packing a flavour punch and are ideal for family dining and casual entertaining. The burgers are featured this week on Eat Well, the food and recipe section of NZ Herald online. Check them out here on  NZ Herald Eat Well.

10,000 avocados were sent out in Fresh Start bags from My Food Bag. Subscribers were sent avocados and a recipe card for avocado chocolate mousse. This promotion replaced in-store tasting trials and aimed at increasing house hold penetration of avocados and encouraging consumers to try new ways of eating them.

Avocados were included in the 5+ A Day Spring campaign – Click here to view report

Report: 5+ A Day spring produce report - avocado

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With New Zealand avocado harvest volumes forecast to peak close to Christmas, holiday period avocado promotion activity is planned for December. Recipes featuring New Zealand avocados will appear in the Christmas issues of NZ Women’s Weekly, Women’s Day and Australian Women’s Weekly, with the aim of occupying  coffee tables of homes, cafes and baches throughout New Zealand over the summer holiday period. The Christmas issues of these print titles have a combined circulation of 1.4 million copies in New Zealand, and their online presence has a digital reach of 1.6 million.  While meat and seafood dishes are still the main feature of New Zealand Christmas dinners, this recipe activation intends to get avocado as near and prevalent as possible to the hero on the Christmas plate. The barbequed butterfly chicken with avocado salad has been developed as an option for a Christmas dinner main course, while the salmon platter and festive avocado wreath brings avocado into starter or brunch options for a merry avocado Christmas!

Christmas avocado recipe each numbers: Print – 1,441,000 | Digital – 1,630,000 | Social – 201,000 followers |

New Zealand food influencers

NZ Avocado partnered with six New Zealand food influencers in November to create unique recipes from around the world with avocados. With most New Zealanders currently unable to travel, this campaign was designed to give kiwis a chance to experience different avocado dishes from around the world and remind New Zealander’s of how versatile avocados can be. The recipes were shared on the influencers social media accounts and on NZ Avocado social media.  Top NZ chef Josh Emett created an Avocado and Tuna Ceviche recipe video and recipes from other influencers included an avocado breakfast pizza, avocado Indian fried rice, spiced avocado and ricotta salad and avocado pancakes. This campaign generated 19 posts and stories on Facebook and Instagram and had 165,000 views.

730,000 trays of New Zealand avocados have been exported to Asian markets this season to date. The total volume forecast to Asia is 1.8 million trays, a significant increase on the 535,000 trays exported to Asia last season. New Zealand avocado invests grower promotions levy into activity to support exporters to grow demand in Asian markets and differentiate avocados from New Zealand.

NZ Avocado campaigns are underway in Asia across China, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. The promotion campaign in Asia for 2021 focuses on connecting a story with consumers and trade in Asia of unique nutrients and responsible growing practices, through the Triple Active New Zealand Avocados™ category story and Respectful Harvest™ trust mark.

New Zealand avocados are grown in the right way and harvested at the right time, making them better for you and better for the world. Triple Active New Zealand Avocados contain 19 vitamins and minerals and three very special nutrients. Antioxidants to protect and repair, omega 3 for heart and brain, and folate for safe natural baby development. Find out more here

With covid restrictions and additional risk around some forms of live promotions activity in markets, NZ Avocado promotion campaigns have focussed on connecting these messages with consumers online, through social media such as Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, and direct online advertising through news and lifestyle platforms such as Google and Youtube. NZ Avocado promotion activity has reached 2.3 million consumers since campaigns began on 1 September, with a target reach of 10 million consumers by end of Feb 2022.

A Triple Active New Zealand Avocados video is being promoted in Thailand and Singapore and suite of Triple Active New Zealand Avocado™ recipes have been created that relate to each of the hero nutrients.

The Triple Active New Zealand Avocados™ category story and Respectful Harvest™ trust mark were created in collaboration with New Zealand exporters, to enhance their brands and to create a consistent point of differentiation across avocados from New Zealand. Having key elements of the story implemented across the promotion activity of multiple New Zealand exporter brands helps to increase the visibility of the unique benefits of New Zealand avocados to consumers in market.

Throughout October we have seen some fantastic exporter promotion activity that has utilised this New Zealand avocado story and brought it to life in market. Images from recent exporter promotion activity in markets across Asia follows below.

AVANZA avocados collaborated with Chinese retailer Hema to promote avocados from New Zealand with a range of activations at a live event in Shanghai. The event included an interactive booth to experience and learn more about Triple Active New Zealand Avocados™ nutrients.

In Korea, AVANZA have undertaken a cooking class for chefs utilising New Zealand Korean chef Max Lee. Chef Lee demonstrated three unique New Zealand avocado dishes to 20 trainee restaurant, hotel and cafe chefs, sharing key information about what makes Triple Active New Zealand Avocados™ a great choice for chefs. The activity provided chef education and information and achieved coverage in Korea’s Hotel and Restaurant magazine.

Both JP Exports and AVANZA have been promoting Triple Active New Zealand avocados in Thailand through their own social media accounts and in collaborations utilising retailers social media accounts and online advertising.

Throughout September and October 2021, NZ market volumes have been 65% – 95% higher each week than in 2020 and high volumes are forecast to continue. With more avocados making their way into the NZ market it is critical to create visibility and give New Zealanders more reasons to use avocados.

Our latest burst of television and OnDemand avocado advertising began Monday 11 October to coincide with the high volume supply period. NZ Avocado advertisements target house hold shoppers and foodies and remind them of the amazing nutrients in avocados, their culinary versatility and that all the avocados we eat here are New Zealand grown.

The avocado sizzle reel gives viewers a 15 second amazing avocado sensory experience, demonstrating a range of delicious textures and creative uses of New Zealand avocados. This will be promoted through online placement in new Zealand’s largest online news feeds, Stuff.co.nz and NZ Herald, linking audiences back to the recipe section of the NZ Avocado website.

Avocados were included in the Great Kiwi Barbecue feature in the Labour Weekend issue of Australian Women’s Weekly through our collaboration with Fresh.co.nz. The Australian Women’s Weekly is New Zealand’s most read magazine by women and most-sold monthly consumer magazine with readership of 501,000 in print and online.

Our New Zealand market social media campaign is in full swing and has connected new recipes, avocado tips and excitement through avocado competitions with 210,000 New Zealanders on Facebook and Instagram since 1 September.

NZ Avocado works with 5+a day on avocado promotion. October is 5 + A Day avocado month, check out the great work being undertaken by 5+ a day to promote avocados https://www.instagram.com/5adaynz/

NZ Avocado is a partner of the Auckland Marathon and naming rights sponsor for the family 5km event in 2021. The Auckland marathon was due to take place 31 October, but due to Covid alert levels in Auckland the event has been postponed until 23 January 2022. While not ideal in terms of planning, the positives include an additional 3 months of visibility with New Zealand’s running community, aligning avocados to health and wellbeing for New Zealanders. In addition there will be plenty of avocados around to promote in late January, and mid-summer is a perfect time for avocado on toast and in summer salads.

Across all export markets the seasonal social media activity is ramping up as fruit gets arrives in markets. The new Triple Active New Zealand Avocados promotion theme is being implemented through NZ Avocado social media campaigns across Asian markets, to amplify the same messages being used by New Zealand exporter brands at point of sale. See three recent posts from social media promotions in Taiwan below which reached over 10,000 consumers in Taiwan with unique messages of New Zealand avocado nutrients.

The 2021 NZ Avocado promotions campaign is now underway in Australia, Korea, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. This season in Asia we will focus on promoting the new differentiated story, Triple Active New Zealand Avocados. The new story has been developed in collaboration with exporters and based on insights and testing with over 1000 consumers across 5 markets in Asia.

Triple Active New Zealand Avocados contain 19 vitamins and minerals and three very special nutrients – antioxidants to protect and repair, folate for safe natural baby development, and omega-3 for heart and brain health. They are deliciously creamy and respectfully harvested, with assured treatment of our orchards, planet and people to produce better avocados for a better world.

Click here to see our English language in-market website and learn more about the Triple Active New Zealand Avocados story.

The story is supported by the newly developed Respectful Harvest trust mark. Click here to learn more about Respectful Harvest.

Triple active story development

Development of a differentiated story for avocados from New Zealand is a key project to support exporters with continued growth of New Zealand avocado exports into Asian markets. The story needs to enable positive differentiation for avocados from New Zealand to enhance outcomes for New Zealand growers, and be consumer led to make it relevant and effective in our markets today and into the future.

Consumer research

This project included insights and testing with 1,000 avocado consumers across Korea, Thailand, China, Singapore and Japan. The research told us about consumers’ decision making and trigger points around their food and where it comes from, as well as informing us of their perceptions of avocados from New Zealand and other countries.

The research explored consumer perceptions of New Zealand’s unique growing systems, sustainability credentials, avocado taste profile, unique nutrients and uncovered which elements of differentiation really resonate and compel consumers to purchase and become New Zealand avocado advocates.

Findings highlighted that functional health benefits of produce are a key driver of consumers purchase decision making in these markets, but the consumers surveyed could not articulate what the functional health benefits of avocados were.

As researchers probed further into individual nutrient attributes in New Zealand avocados, three that stirred a high level of interest from consumers were identified.

• Good fats, in particular Omega fatty acids were sought after and understood by consumers to have a functional properties to benefit heart and brain health.
• Antioxidants appealed greatly due to an association with beauty and slowing ageing through protection from free radicals
• Folate was very important and motivated purchase with a specific consumer group of expecting mothers and parents of young children. Folate was understood by these consumers as playing an essential role in health baby development during pregnancy.

Sustainability of avocado production was also noted as an important aspect although all other supply origins are currently investing heavily in public relations and marketing campaigns around this topic area.

Consumer testing led to the core proposition of the triple active New Zealand avocados story, that avocados grown in a different way can be better for you and better for the world.

This starts with New Zealand’s natural environment and is enhanced by how we grow our avocados, which results in an avocado with delicious creaminess and unique nutrient qualities, which can ultimately help consumers reach their full potential.

We bring out the best in New Zealand avocados to bring out the best in you.

Calling out the triple active nutrients moves consumers’ perception of New Zealand avocados from being passive produce to an idea of functional food with active nutrients of benefit to them.

Respectful harvest

To support triple active New Zealand avocados nutrition positioning we have developed the respectful harvest trust mark, which speaks to New Zealand’s growing practices, and responsible treatment of orchards, environment and people to produce better avocados for a better world.

Rules apply right throughout the supply chain to ensure that New Zealand avocados are grown in healthy and fair environments, are harvested only when ready, and are nurtured throughout their journey. When Respectful Harvest New Zealand avocados arrive on your plate, you can be assured you are enjoying a trusted, deliciously creamy and nutritious avocado.

2021 campaign

NZ Avocado will deliver the story this season through our social media campaigns, health and nutrition influencers, traditional media releases, online advertising and outdoor advertising near supermarkets and department stores where New Zealand avocados are sold.

NZ Avocado in-market platforms and websites will be established as a reference point for the story, explaining and authenticating the benefits of the triple active hero nutrients and the respectful harvest trust mark.

A detailed research report from Plant & Food research on the nutritional composition of New Zealand Hass avocados will be used as a reference tool. Click here to view the report.

Social media campaigns are now underway in Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan promoting the triple active and respectful harvest stories. We are experiencing some delays in China and the campaign there will begin shortly. You can view activity at NZ Avocado social media accounts below.

Facebook

Korea  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocado.kr

Thailand  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocado.th

Singapore  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocado.sg

Japan  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocadojp/

Taiwan  https://www.facebook.com/NZAvocadoTaiwan

Australia  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocadoAU/

NZ  https://www.facebook.com/nzavocado

Instagram

Thailand https://www.instagram.com/nzavocado.th/?hl=en

Singapore https://www.instagram.com/nzavocado.sg/?hl=en

Korea https://www.instagram.com/nz_avocado_kr/?hl=en

Japan https://www.instagram.com/nzavocadojp/?hl=en

Australia https://www.instagram.com/nz_avocado_au/?hl=en

NZ https://www.instagram.com/nz_avocado/

While alert level 4 limits some NZ avocado promotion activity such as in-store avocado sampling and live events, online audience numbers and viewing times have skyrocketed during the August alert level 4 lockdown with New Zealanders required to stay inside their homes. With NZ market avocado volumes plentiful, a 4 week burst of online avocado advertising activity planned for mid-September has been brought forward to begin 27 August to reach captive audiences through TVNZ OnDemand.

NZ Avocado ran a competition through Facebook and Instagram to win a kit to grow your own avocado plant at home from a seed. The competition is proving incredibly popular, reaching over 40,000 kiwis and receiving 1,200 entries and comments from plant lovers and parents at home with their children.

Avocado recipe development in August focussed on lockdown  favourites for the family to enjoy at home. This week three of those recipes feature in NZ Women’s Weekly’s Fathers Day issue, out now. The recipes are ultimate loaded avocado burgers, airfryer bacon and egg cups and Crunchy pasta chips n, avocado aioli.

Record winter volumes of avocados have been harvested in 2021, with 506,000 tray equivalents (5.5kg) harvested for New Zealand in July 2021 compared to 312,000 trays during the same period in 2020. These large volumes combined with slower avocado consumption in winter have placed pressure on the market.

NZ Avocado ran a burst of television and online advertising in July to raise visibility for avocados with New Zealand consumers. The advertisements focus on the amazing nutrients and anytime versatility of avocados, with a target reach of 545,000 viewers through television and an additional 45,000 viewers online.

Avocado pricing in New Zealand supermarkets has been in the media this week – see the recent television, online and newspaper articles linked below. NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular talks about the increase in NZ market supply, the impacts that has on avocado growers, and also encourages New Zealand consumers to get out and purchase as many avocados as possible.

Stuff online

Newshub – online and shown on television 3News Sunday 25 July.

In collaboration with St. Pierre’s sushi, NZ Avocado ran a social media competition for International Sushi Day.

There were five St. Pierre’s vouchers up for grabs. The competition had a reach 23,000 and 1,600 engagements across instagram and facebook.

Nielson has provided a report comparing the avocado buying habits of NZ consumers in 2019-20 vs 2020-21 seasons.

HOMESCAN is a state of the art consumer panel providing continuous measurement of actual purchasing from households

Key Findings

• Avocado performs ahead of fresh fruit but growth has slowed versus year ago

  • Average spend increases with higher average prices and $ growth ahead of volume growth
  • Frequency of avocado purchase is stable while fresh fruit purchased less often
  • Fewer buyers of avocado this year but household reach still ahead of 2 years ago

** Source: NielsenIQ HomeScan |  52 weeks to 28 March 2021 vs prior years**

The NZ Market Group met on Friday 9 April in Auckland. The group is comprised of domestic market supplier representatives and was also attended by a Packers’ Forum representative, a NZ Avocado Board exporter rep and the NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Chair. The group is facilitated by NZ Avocado to discuss and take action on the issues and opportunities present in the NZ market, and to inform the strategy and business plan for NZ market growth. Key topics of discussion at Friday’s meeting included:

• A record total value of avocado sales is anticipated for the NZ market for the 2020-21 season. The total value will be published at the close of the season at end of April.
• The NZAGA Chair presented the recommendations of the Avocado Industry Structure Review and the process that the Board will follow to progress the recommendations.
• Early orchards will begin NZ market maturity clearance testing in May. There are no suggested changes to maturity requirements for NZ market in 2021. The group provided feedback on the collection and testing process and needs related to frequency of testing availability during the early season period in 2021.
• Quality standards submissions and EMS submissions were reviewed by the group for feedback on impacts of submissions on the NZ market.
• NZ Avocado presented a draft promotions plan for NZ in 2021. The NZ Market Group provided feedback which will be included in the final 2021 promotions plan when it is presented to the NZ Avocado Board.

Avocado chocolate mousse is one of the most popular recipes on our website and was originally created for NZ Avocado by Nadia Lim. This recipe was jazzed up with an Easter theme and was the top performing post for organic reach (5.6k)  this year. See post here.

March Week 4 | NZ Recipe development

As the Autumn weather looms new recipes have been created to suit the cooler weather and display avocados versatility year round. Check out these pulled lamb tacos in this week’s facebook post.

A spike in NZ market volumes was forecast for the first two weeks of March following the end of the avocado export season. To increase visibility for avocados and support consumption of the large volume of fruit in the NZ market during this period, a nationwide competition was promoted on NZ Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Recent consumer research in Asian markets had identified that avocado consumers recognise avocado as a source of healthy fats and that avocados contain Omega 3 fatty acids. The competition promoted avocados while testing nutrition messaging around avocados containing healthy fats and Omega 3s, and asked New Zealanders what other foods they eat for Omega 3s.

The competition reached 10,900 New Zealanders, and entries provided us with feedback on avocado lovers views of healthy fats, the role they play and what other foods they eat which contain them. Avocados topped the list, partnered by salmon, eggs, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, seeds and cream cheese.

The purpose of the NZ Avocado New Zealand market promotions programme is to support marketers to grow consumption of avocados in New Zealand and improve outcomes for growers. This season New Zealand market promotions activity has included television and online advertising, sponsorship of the Auckland marathon, in-store sampling in New Zealand supermarkets and a social media campaign connecting the unique benefits of avocados with over 1 million New Zealanders. The NZ Avocado website is New Zealand’s largest avocado recipe resource and has been visited 174,000 times so far this season.

NZ Avocado uses Nielsen Homescan research to measure avocado consumption in New Zealand. Total NZ market avocado volumes are down on the prior season, a result of a similar total crop volume but much higher export packouts in 2020-21. As a result, in the 2020 Dec-Feb quarter spend per avocado buyer was up, but purchase frequency and the number of households purchasing avocados was down. Highlights of avocado consumption data from the Dec-Feb quarter in New Zealand can be found below.

Source: Nielsen Homescan

NZ Avocado has secured Primary Growth Partnership funding to develop a differentiated story for New Zealand avocados, to make it relevant and effective in our key markets today and in future.

Qualitative insights interviews were undertaken with 18 target consumers in Korea, Thailand and China over the past 8 weeks. The interviews told us about  consumers decision making and trigger points around their food and where it comes from, as well as informing us of their perceptions of avocados from New Zealand and other countries.

Eight potential New Zealand avocado stories were developed collaboratively by NZ Avocado and exporters, exploring New Zealand’s unique growing systems, sustainability credentials, avocado taste profile, unique nutrients and more. During the interviews these stories were tested with the consumers, exploring which elements of differentiation really resonate and compel these consumers to purchase and become New Zealand avocado advocates.

Initial findings have highlighted that functional health benefits of produce are a key driver of consumers purchase decision making in these markets, but the consumers surveyed could not articulate what the functional health benefits of avocados are. The work has identified some nutrient attributes in New Zealand avocados that have stirred a high level of interest from the consumers in the market and the next stages will allow further investigation into these with a survey of 1,000 consumers in markets across Asia.

These findings and mechanisms to implement them through both NZ Avocado promotion and exporter brand promotion activity were discussed at the Exporter Promotions Working Group meeting on 24 Feb.  The outcome of this project will be a differentiated New Zealand avocado story for use in the 2021 season and beyond.

17 Australian influencers were engaged to develop seasonal food, nutrition and healthy living posts to connect New Zealand avocado story with their Australian followers over summer. Novel recipe content received high response rates with the New Zealand avocado brownie recipe performing the highest. The influencer posts reached a combined 430,000 Australian followers generating 10,000 responses from their fans.

The summer promotion campaign through the NZ Avocado Facebook page in Australia reached 750,000 Australians and focused on grower stories and New Zealand avocado nutrients.

• Social media posts| 11k followers | Reached 1.4m | Engaged 40k
• 31k website visitors
• 17 Influencer collaborations | reached 430k
• Paid digital advertising – results pending
• 

NZ Avocado exports to Taiwan have grown rapidly in the past three seasons, this season Taiwan is forecast to be New Zealand’s third largest market in Asia by export volume.

The first industry promotion campaign in Taiwan launched in 2020. The campaign focussed on connecting the New Zealand avocado story with target consumers in Taiwan through a social media campaign and influencer promotion activity.

A NZ Avocado Taiwan Facebook page was launched and campaign activity through the account reached 413,000 consumers in Taiwan. A collaborating with healthy diet, fitness and cooking influencer May Liu connect New Zealand avocado recipes and nutrient information with 98,000 of her followers.

We connected with ‘How Living‘, Taiwan’s largest online recipe website and community to create New Zealand avocado recipes. These were posted on How Living’s facebook account reaching 218,000 followers.

The campaign consisted of:

• 32 posts | 1535 followers recruited | Reached 413k | Engaged 98k
• KOL collaboration| health and fitness focus | 6 stories 1 post |98k reached
• Platform collaboration | 2 recipe videos | reached 211k
• NZTE post x2

Avocado sampling sessions took place in 45 New Zealand supermarkets this week. During the sessions promotion staff engaged shoppers with avocado treats and distributed NZ Avocado recipe booklets. The recipe booklets showcase avocado recipes at breakfast lunch and dinner and contain facts on avocado nutrients and health benefits. The sampling sessions also promoted the competition to find New Zealand’s Biggest Avocado Lover, with shoppers able to enter the competition scanning a QR code on the sampling stand. New Zealand’s biggest avocado lover competition is running on NZ Avocado Facebook and Instagram pages. Check it out and encourage your friends to enter here.

We are on the hunt for NZ’s biggest avocado lover. The competition launched on Wednesday the 20th with loads of prizes. The competition will run for a month with promotions as supermarket avocado sampling, social media and a web page.

January is a busy month for avocados with peaking demand from the Australian market pushing a spike in harvest activity, which also results in an increase of avocados into the NZ market. Summer holidays and consumer attention turning towards an influx of summerfruit also impact avocado consumption in NZ during this period. A two week burst of NZ Avocado television advertising began on 10 Jan to boost avocado visibility for New Zealand consumers. The commercials focus on New Zealand grown provenance, avocado health benefits and versatility and are played on free to air television, boosted by additional placement on TVNZ OnDemand.

NZ Avocado partners with Fresh.co.nz to create engaging recipes featuring New Zealand avocados. 12 new recipes have been created for NZ Avocado this season, including the three December recipe videos below. These are shared across our websites and social media platforms in NZ and export markets.  They are also promoted on the Fresh.co.nz website, NZ Herald Eat well website, and through social media accounts of other Fresh partner food brands. To see more avocado recipes visit the NZ Avocado consumer website here.

NZ Avocado exports to Taiwan have grown rapidly in the past three seasons, this season Taiwan is forecast to be New Zealand’s third largest market in Asia by export volume. NZ Avocado is undertaking it’s first promotion campaign in Taiwan in 2020. In December we collaborated with ‘How Living‘ , Taiwan’s largest online recipe website and community to create New Zealand avocado recipes for consumers in Taiwan. These were posted on How Living’s facebook account which has 600k  followers.

The avocado cheese pudding recipe had over 450 comments and the avocado baked eggs had over 300 comments. Visit the NZ Avocado Taiwan page here.

In the Thai market  15 influencers are a feature of the marketing campaign this season. A recent post about beauty benefits of avocado has been popular with over 2,272 likes on the post. The influencer @sweetvarnvarn is a popular athlete and nutrition blogger with over 140k followers.

The Auckland marathon provided a fantastic opportunity for NZ Avocado to inspire healthy lives through avocados and exercise. At the finish line we had a photo competition, asking runners to pose for a photo with their avocado props and tattoos, and the photo with the most likes on Facebook received a prize pack of avocado goodies.

Hundreds of avocado-loving runners shared their snaps on social media, and the competition winner’s photo received 104 likes. Spot the avocado tattoos in the photos below…

The Premium Avocados from New Zealand category story was developed in 2013 to differentiate New Zealand avocados in key export markets, and provide consistency to the messages used by NZ Avocado and exporters when promoting avocados from New Zealand. The promotions story is used in eight markets across Asia.

The world has changed since 2013 and so have consumer needs in New Zealand’s avocado markets, with growing volumes from avocados from other countries of origin, increasing consumer familiarity with avocados, global news stories on avocado sustainability, and a world-wide health pandemic.

NZ Avocado has secured Primary Growth Partnership funding to evolve the differentiated story for New Zealand avocados, to make it relevant and effective in our key markets today and in future. A workshop was attended by 8 avocado exporters in November to begin development of the next phase of the differentiated story, with a focus on markets in Asia where volumes from South American supply countries continue to increase.

Multiple stories leveraging the unique qualities of avocados grown in New Zealand will be developed and tested with consumers in key markets, to identify a story that is truly differentiated, defendable and that compels consumers to purchase. The differentiated story will be developed with exporter and grower input and available for use in the 2021 export season.

14,000 hungry runners and 35,000 supporters were fed avocado on toast at the ASB Auckland Marathon in November. NZ Avocado was the official avocado partner of the event and title sponsor of the NZ Avocado 5km race. The partnership with the Auckland marathon was a great match to promote the unique nutrients of avocados to New Zealanders on a health and wellness journey.

Sponsorship included 2 days of promotion at the marathon registration expo, promotion via the Auckland marathon social media accounts, NZ Avocado logos on the medals to every race participant, branded race banners and flags at the start and finish line and a space at the finish line village at Victoria Park for the avocado on toast activation.

Thailand will be the largest market by volume for New Zealand avocados in Asia in 2020, with over 237,000 trays currently forecast for export.

With travel and contact restrictions in place, the 2020 promotions campaign is focusing on online advertising, influencer promotion and promotion via social media. The NZ Avocado Thai translated online advertisement has been viewed 440,000 times in Thailand so far this season. The advertisement combines messages of safe and trusted avocado production with avocado nutrients, health and wellbeing.

The first industry promotion campaign in Taiwan launched in October. The campaign will run through to January 2021, focusing on connecting the New Zealand avocado story with target consumers in Taiwan through a social media campaign and influencer promotion activity.

The NZ Avocado Taiwan Facebook page went live in October and now has  over 1000 followers.

The NZ Avocado social media campaign for Australia 2020 started in October. in Australia, we promote avocados using the promotions theme great avocados, grown with care. Messaging focuses on the care New Zealand avocado growers take in growing avocados for Australia, as well as the care for New Zealand’s unique environment that surrounds our orchards. Promotions activity in 2020 will  focus primarily on recipes, health messages and avocado tips created by Australian food, health and parenting influencers, plus social media posts on NZ Avocado‘s Australian Facebook and Instagram accounts.

15 Australian influencers have been selected and content will be shared over the coming months. Novel recipe content is receiving higher response rates that previous seasons – the New Zealand avocado brownie recipe performing the highest.

An influencer send out was also completed in October. 26 NZ influencers received an avocado chocolate mousse kit, avocados and instructions on how to grow and avocado from a seed. This was shared by 14 influencers with a combined audience of 843k

As we head into April and May we are anticipating a reduction in NZ market volumes. Historically around this time we receive enquiries about avocado pricing from media and consumers.

This week’s post in this social media gives consumers some insight into avocado seasonality and lets them know the new season is a few months off. This is aimed at reducing the negative sentiment and media that is often seen at this time of year as the prices increase. See post here