As Fresh Farms BB #:194140 enters its second season of the “Taste To Believe” grape campaign, we can see that by addressing a category management approach like our neighbors in the berry, tomato and apple categories, it is evident that there are significant opportunities to grow the expanding grape category beyond the traditional buy-sell model typically seen with grower/shippers and retailers to impact sales.
The campaign’s core objective was designed last year to drive increased grape sales industry-wide by engaging and educating consumers at the retail level. The strategy involves not only leveraging weekly and digital ads but also incorporating vibrant point-of-sale materials that highlight the distinctiveness of different grape varieties.
Complementing these efforts with in-store demos, where customers can sample candy grapes, has proven highly effective. Over the past two years, the campaign has successfully and importantly surpassed previous sales figures, introducing more consumers to newer grape varieties and boosting retail performance.
This season, Fresh Farms expanded its outreach to include more retailers across the country. In our second season with Jewel-Osco, we implemented a more nuanced approach. The campaign for awareness and trial, included the Taste to Believe POS materials at retail with large displays and promotional activities and we also timed the promotion of these varieties with the peak flavor and availability of each grape variety—red, green, black, Cotton Candy, Hearts, Snaps, and Organic Cotton Candy—Fresh Farms created what David Watson, Sales and Marketing Representative at Fresh Farms, refers to as the “X factor.”
This strategy shifted the campaign from mere transactions to a more integrated enterprise effort, delivering an optimal tasting experience and value proposition aligned with the peak season of each variety.
Charlie Molina, Creative Director at Fresh Farms, underscores the campaign’s impact: “We aim for business growth by maintaining ties with consumers. We have revived people’s perception and enjoyment of fresh produce by allowing them into the fascinating world of candy grapes.”
Scott Bennet, Sales Manager at Jewel-Osco, shares his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We were all geared up when we sat down to discuss how we might have an impact on overall grape category sales and introduce candy grapes in a way that would be impossible for shoppers to ignore. Our goal was simple: increase sales of grapes and ensure that every shopper could take a look, taste, and learn about these exceptional products with their unique flavors.”
The sales impact has been great!
Fresh Farms acknowledges that more work is needed to raise awareness of the expanding table grape category across the industry. The company remains committed to working with its retailers who share their vision that taste and education can drive sales growth through the implementation of category management.
The campaign continues to evolve as Fresh Farms and its retail partners strive to elevate the fresh grape category and meet the growing consumer demand for high-flavor grapes.
