Anecoop has recently launched an ambitious promotional campaign in Spain to promote the consumption of citrus fruits, emphasizing their healthy qualities, as well as their strategic importance for the agri-food sector, as Spain is one of the world's leading producers, with around 7 million tons per year. The cooperative markets around 350,000 tons of oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruit every year under its Bouquet brand.
"For years, we have seen other fruits and products in the spotlight of communication campaigns targeted to consumers. As big citrus producers, we believe that it is necessary to make an effort to promote citrus consumption. Our producers and the entire sector deserve it," says Nacho Juárez, head of citrus sales at Anecoop.
"For many years now, the promotion of citrus consumption has been quite limited. There is a lack of public institutional campaigns and the sector suffers from a certain lack of drive to lead this kind of initiatives. That is why we think that, within our possibilities, it will be very positive for this one to be carried out," he says.
For the time being, the promotional campaign will take place at national level, which is the third most important market for Anecoop. "Spain is a very important market for us and we believe it can be even more so in the near future. We must not neglect the consumers at home, as they are increasingly encouraged to consume other products," says Nacho Juárez.
In addition to highlighting its flavor, which benefits from the fact that the product is grown 100% locally, Anecoop reminds consumers that buying Bouquet citrus is a way to directly support Spanish agriculture, as stated in its initiative "Rations of life for the countryside".
Alejandro Monzón, president of Anecoop, says that "we are sparing no effort to ensure that the consumption of citrus fruits produced by our growers sees a reversal of its downward trend. The campaign is pursuing this objective: to remind consumers that citrus fruits are currently at their best and that they are very tasty and healthy. Undoubtedly a perfect fruit for the time of year we are in."
The promotional campaign in the media
For the campaign, which will continue during the months of February and March, there will be a big advertising investment that will involve showing graphic images and the broadcasting of a 20-second spot in different kinds of media, from free-to-air television to different channels of the AMC Networks platform. The spot will also be shown between February and March in movie theaters throughout Spain, at big film premieres, and the graphic campaign will be featured in general and specialized press. It will also be launched through applications such as eltiempo.es, one of the most consulted in the morning, second only to social media.
Difficult citrus fruit marketing campaign
The current citrus marketing campaign has, in fact, been difficult so far, with disappointing orange consumption and low prices.
"Although the consumption of these fruits has recovered a little, which has undoubtedly been influenced by the prices on the shelves this season, it has been difficult for these to rise, although the transition to the Lane Late will lead to an improvement of prices," says Nacho Juárez. "The supply of Spanish Navelina and Navel has been poor, as far as sizes are concerned, with shortages in the most remunerative lines. Moreover, juicing oranges have also been directly affected by the presence of batches from South Africa in a period when they are not usually available. This has also had a negative impact on our earliest clementines."
"However, in general terms, we have so far had a good clementine and mandarin season. Now we are in the second part of the campaign and there is a slightly larger supply compared to recent years, which will cause a little more tension," says the head of citrus sales of Anecoop.
"Exports of South African oranges to the EU will be discouraged"
Anecoop is mostly committed to the marketing of Spanish citrus, although its foreign subsidiaries also import from the southern hemisphere in order to have a complementary supply and be able to offer an uninterrupted service throughout the year to certain supermarket chains.
For Nacho Juárez, the recent imposition of cold treatment on all European imports of oranges from countries suffering from the presence of the false coddling moth will mostly take a toll on the production from South Africa.
"At a general level, I don't think this will translate into a very big variation in export figures in the markets. It is something that already applies to South African exports to countries like the United States or China. But shipping costs to Europe will go up and there will be more difficulties in logistics, which will be the biggest constraint. This new measure will discourage the export of South African oranges to the EU," says Nacho Juarez.
For more information:
Nacho Juárez
ANECOOP S.Coop.
C/ Monforte 1 (entlo.)
46010 Valencia, Spain
T: +34963938500
anecoop.com
