The biggest and best news out of the California avocado growing regions this year is that the crop is about 30 percent larger than last year. In 2000, about 321 million pounds of California avocados were marketed. This year's crop is around the 415 million pound level.
"That projects to much more consistent supplies throughout the year," said Jan DeLyser, CAC's vice president of marketing. "We should have avocados through September."
Because of increased supplies, the commission is pushing its message that avocados actually offer advertising opportunities "every week of the year." The biggest two selling periods still surround the Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo celebration. In fact, it is estimated that this year, those two days will see about 36 million pounds of avocados consumed. Cinco de Mayo is the top consumption day as about 25 million pounds of avocados are eaten on that day alone.
The consumption of avocados is still heavily skewed toward the Hispanic population and areas where the Hispanic population and Hispanic cooking is prevalent such as the West
and Southwest. And while the California Avocado Commission continually tries to expand consumption in newer, undeveloped markets, DeLyser said the big push remains in the industry's core markets. Those markets include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. In aggregate, these markets get most of CAC's attention with regard to advertising and retail promotion. CAC uses radio advertising and retailer tags to entice retailers to promote the fruit.
Avocados
2001 Crop:
The crop is 30 percent larger than
last year.
Promotions:
Retailer radio tags are available
in most Western markets.
Merchandising Tip:
Selling ripe avocados is the surest
way to increased sales.
Fun Fact:
25 million pounds of California avocados
will be consumed on Cinco de Mayo - representing
about 6 percent of this year's crop.
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But DeLyser said the commission also promotes in other markets and in fact, is in the midst of a promotional research project in Atlanta. That Southeastern city is truly a developing market rather than a developed market. For the past four years, CAC has been giving that market a heavy dose of promotion in an effort to see if it can increase consumption through advertising and promotion in that type of market. "Atlanta has shown good improvement through the years. Awareness of avocados has gone up and the percent of households now using avocados has gone up 4 percent over
the previous year. We have seen a steady rise in the consumption level in that market and that is what we have been trying to measure."
Much of the CAC promotions are centered around the "Ripe Max" idea. Research has shown that sales of avocados increase dramatically when consumers have a choice. "We recommend that retailers follow the one-third, one-third, one-third model," DeLyser said. "One-third of the display is filled with ripe fruit; one-third with breaking and one-third with firm fruit."
This model allows consumers to buy fruit for tonight, another one for a few nights later and one for a week down the road. It also satisfies the needs of the consumer who shops ahead, as well as the consumer rushing into the store to find dinner for tonight. "Retailers on the 'Ripe Max' program are seeing a positive impact on their bottom
line," DeLyser said.
Another effort that CAC is continuing is in the area of co-marketing. In an effort to stretch its promotion dollars, the commission regularly teams up with promotion partners that have products that compliment avocados. One such program this summer will involve Ready Pac packaged salads. This "Summer Salad" promotion rewards and encourages customers during the June through August period to purchase both packaged salads and avocados.
Because much of the CAC effort is in relatively mature markets, DeLyser said the commission continually tries to push new usage ideas on both light and heavy users. More emphasis has been placed on using the avocado in new and innovative ways such as on pizzas or in soups.
Because the two top usage of avocados are in salads or as guacamole, foodservice sales are very important to the commission. Michelle Spelman, communications director, listed numerous promotions CAC will run with a number of foodservice chains this year.
While it works individually with chains trying to set up promotions, much of the foodservice program is designed around CAC's website. Through advertising and promotions in foodservice venues, CAC tries to direct chefs to the commission's website for recipe ideas. Chefs are always looking for new and innovative ideas and the commission has a plethora of them on its website.
Getting a restaurant to add an item featuring avocados is a tremendous coup as it can add to sales in two distinctive ways. Of course, the restaurant will order more avocados, but also consumers are exposed to new usage ideas that they typically qo home and try.
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