Making Australian-grown exotic fruit mainstream was the challenge third-generation growers and integrated fresh produce business, Montague Fresh, put to marketing specialists, Fresh Partners Managing Director, Mike Evans in 2014.
Fast forward to December 2015, and a new Australian exotics brand is attracting plenty of consumer attention. So how has this been achieved?
Essentially it has come down to changing consumer understanding of what ‘exotic’ means when it comes to fruit, and highlighting the real value and accessibility of fruits like lychees.
Why ‘exotic’ posed a marketing challenge
‘Exotic’ fruits by their very name suggest food for special occasions. As Western consumers, this image influences our buying habits in such a way that we often leave amazing, readily-available fruit, such as lychees, out of our shopping trolleys. But, for many of the world’s population, our so-called exotic fruits – lychee, longan, custard apple, and dragon fruit – are normal fare enjoyed just as Westerners eat apples or bananas.
However, the benchmark for exotic fruit popularity in Australia is not all bad. Mangoes for example are loved by many and are a staple part of the Australian diet. The issue with lesser-known exotic fruits is that consumers have not been given the opportunity to better understand the taste and versatility of these fruits.
Our purchasing environment – the facts
Some of the important factors that influenced our development of Somomo™ include:
- Consumers have between 1000 to 20,000 food options when they grocery shop
- Consumers have limited time and money
- Unfamiliar food items often go unnoticed and are not purchased
- Shopkeepers provide countless product lines to shoppers – they cannot know each product inside/out. To create value, produce suppliers and growers need to give retail staff confidence and the best possible dollar return per square meter.
Somomo™ information, education and branding addresses these factors.
The name, Somomo, is exotic sounding yet easy to pronounce: so_mo_mo. This multilingual name is without current meaning, and as such provides a clean palette to develop brand values and product positioning.
Somomo™ the Lychee for consumers
- Packaging describes what to expect in taste
- An eye-catching logo and pack attracts attention
- Simple explanation of storage and preparation helps ensure quality & freshness
- Somomo™ is made easy to try and simple to eat.
These traits mean that a previous ‘exotic’, out-of-reach mystique is replaced by an image of readily-accessible pleasure.
Somomo™ giving retailers confidence through support
- We ensure the needs of current lychee buyers and potential new buyers are understood
- Ongoing, quality communications are provided to relay product developments, timing and seasonal variation and other important issues
- Produce display information and instructions are provided for retailers
- Ongoing joint development and sharing of tools to measure product quality.
Somomo™ commenced with a national retailer in the 2015 season and is now developing the base for expansion in product range and consumer engagement.
Can Fresh Partners help you?
Fresh Partners engage consumers so they value your product and are willing to pay more. Through our support, we elevate your profile and help your business achieve better profits. If you would like to find out more, contact Fresh Partners Managing Director, Mike Evans.