Produce marketers have been keeping COVID-19 and the “new normal” in mind as they prepare to promote their products and support their retail partners this holiday season.
Companies are looking at the batch sizes of the holiday recipes they share, knowing that many households won't be having large celebrations like they do in most years. Along with serving fewer people, some consumers might want single-serving recipes so relatives aren't using the same spoon to portion food out of a communal dish, said Christa Wagner, director of advertising for DeForest, Wis.-based The Little Potato Co. Responding to more ordinary consumer needs is just as important, however.
“At the end of the day, we really just want to make sure that we provide something that grabs the attention of the consumer, and most (important) is that it looks really easy and it looks like something that you can do,” Wagner said. “Everybody is super busy this time of year, busier than even normal, and I think there's so much going on in the world today (that) simplicity has never been more important.”
Charlotte Vick, a partner in Wilson, N.C.-based Vick Family Farms, said sweet potatoes supplies for Thanksgiving are good and quality has been excellent.
“So far demand seems to be really good,” Vick said. “I have heard a few retailers say they expect an increase in sales over last Thanksgiving, and I expect that is because so many people plan to be at home cooking this year due to COVID and the impact that is having on travel.”
Rebecca Scott, grower accounting and marketing director for Nashville, N.C.-based Nash Produce, also reported strong demand for sweet potatoes.
“While I'm sure many holiday traditions may be altered due to the pandemic, cooking those staple holiday comfort dishes in the presence of family, whether together in person or virtually, will provide a sense of unity and familiarity,” Scott said. “We are not seeing any sort of decrease in holiday sweet potato movement due to COVID and are looking forward to providing a sense or normalcy for the holidays.”
Online shopping for the holidays overall is expected to be up significantly from 2019, and the Orlando, Fla.-based National Mango Board is keeping that in mind also.
“2020 has been a year unlike any other, and the NMB has taken a flexible approach to plans, continuing to inspire purchases online and in-store even through the holidays,” said communications manager Jessica Bohlman. “The NMB has pivoted to strengthen and invest in digital strategies including partnerships with retailers for digital advertising and e-commerce.”
In its social media marketing, the board plans to focus on mango-centric holiday recipes, including smaller-batch recipes and recipes that create individual servings. For stores, NMB is offering a brightly colored seasonal header that reads “Merry & Bright!” and features both whole and fresh-cut mangoes along with stars and ornaments.
Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers will look to bring attention to its navel oranges in stores by marketing them in partnership with another classic: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Sunkist will be releasing five Whoville-inspired recipes and will have point-of-sale material including a How the Grinch Stole Christmas 10-pound carton and matching secondary display bins for its navel oranges.
For Lunar New Year, the company also has packaging and a secondary display for Year of the Ox.
Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Co. plans to launch in the coming months a new campaign for its pomegranate arils that includes more than $500,000 for social media advertising aimed at bringing more consumers into the category. The focus of the communication will be on the antioxidant benefits of the fruit and how it can serve as a healthy snack.
“Because we also know consumers love using Pom Poms in their holiday recipes, we'll communicate through public relations and an epicurean social media campaign to share holiday recipes and promote other holiday snacking occasions like cheese (and) charcuterie boards,” said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing for Wonderful.
Cross-merchandising
One thing that hasn't changed in 2020 is that the holidays present abundant opportunities for cross-merchandising.
Wagner noted that, at this time of year, anything that would go in a soup or stew pairs perfectly with potatoes, from broths to other vegetables like carrots, onions and tomatoes. Comfort food is always popular as the weather grows colder, and people are seeking comfort food more than ever this year, Wagner said.
Scott mentioned sweet potatoes as a key component of some traditional holiday dishes that shoppers may be looking to create.
“No holiday meal is complete without a delicious sweet potato casserole for a side or sweet potato pie for dessert,” Scott said. “Having the availability of spices, both sweet and savory, within an arm's reach of sweet potato displays would be a great way for retail locations to promote multiple products and ultimately create one-stop-shops for busy consumers.
“In terms of seasonal displays, sweet potatoes represent the feeling of fall with their vibrant orange color and can be easily paired with other heavily purchased fall items such as nuts, apples or pumpkins,” Scott said.
Ward noted that lemons also have a presence in many holiday recipes.
“November and December are when most consumers utilize this versatile variety to make seasoned dishes and drinks for the holidays,” Ward said. “Since lemons pair so well with seafood and cocktails, we have square, customizable, secondary display bins available for our retail customers for cross-promoting lemons within the seafood and in other departments at the grocery store. These secondary display bins have point-of-sale material to match and are a great way to expand the sales space within a small footprint at the point of purchase.”
The National Mango Board recommends merchandising mangoes alongside the citrus in the winter months.
“This positioning pulls mangoes away from the exotic set and helps establish a semi-permanent placement within the produce department,” Bohlman said. “There is a natural color break between citrus and mangoes that is appealing and draws consumers in. Finally, tying into citrus presents mango as a component (or) garnish to dishes and drinks, thereby extending consumers' menu options.”
Wonderful gave several ideas for how to tie in Halos and Wonderful Pistachios with holiday themes in stores.
“Retailers can have fun decorating our Grove of Goodness displays, our Halos trees and fruit stands, to give them some festive flair during the holidays,” Cooper said. “When Halos are placed near the front of produce, shoppers will be easily able to see them as they're looking for vitamin C — Halos are an excellent source — and Halos are the perfect healthy and delicious snack to have around the house for the holidays.”
Cooper recommended positioning pistachios to suggest their use on cheese boards, fall salads and more. Pistachios can also do well in secondary displays in the liquor aisle, and they can be merchandised at checkout as stocking stuffers, he said.