It was called “Project Enterprise” and its mission was to develop a marketing campaign that ensures bananas extends its lead as Australia’s number-one fruit.
The project began in 2014, just as the banana industry set out its new five-year Strategic Investment Plan that includes an objective to increase demand for bananas.
The extensive research undertaken in Project Enterprise has set a new direction for the already successful “nature’s energy snack” campaign that began in 2012.
The new project had two phases of both quantitative and qualitative research. The result is a new direction for the campaign that builds on the achievements of the previous three-year campaign as well as the 21-year history of the iconic Make Those Bodies/Make Your Body Sing campaigns.
The following report on the new campaign is from the Australian Bananas marketing team.
Increased value
New goals have been set for banana marketing’s role in ensuring bananas strengthens its hold on the multi billion dollar snack food industry and increases the value of the Australian banana industry.
Australian bananas are already the number one snack food in Australia, the challenge is to capitalise on this position and ensure we not only hold that position but increase the lead bananas has over its competition.
With more than 90 per cent of all major consumer segments now eating bananas, the challenge is clear – how do we get more consumers to eat more A new target market has been identified.
Equal prominence is being given to adults 25-to-39 years of age and families with at least one child under 13 years of age.
It’s a broader target market than in the previous campaign which focused on increasing banana consumption by 18-to-39 year olds.
What to say to our new target market is, of course, crucial.
The research conducted with consumers about what they want from snack foods identified energy as one of the most important drivers.
This is clearly a major competitive edge for bananas which has been recognised as Nature’s Energy Snack for years.
Purposeful energy
The research groups identified that consumers are looking for different types of energy through the day.
At mid-morning, consumers are looking for “purposeful energy” to stay on top of their day.
Consumers also want this “purposeful energy” in a super-convenient form and this is exactly why they love bananas and why they would eat more of them.
The focus of the new campaign will be to grow consumption frequency and steal market share from our closest competitors in the multi-billion dollar snack food category, in particular, our three closest rivals – muesli/cereal bars, nuts and seeds and dairy snacks.
In summary the plan over the next three years is to:
- be the most frequently eaten snack food
- grow our share of the snack food category
- build-on and embed current consumer behavior, increasing frequency of consumption mid-morning as well as growing share of snack food eating in the mid-afternoon.
Non-stop action
“Nature’s Non-Stop Energy Snack” is the new advertising theme.
This theme integrates the current well-known advertising slogan of “Nature’s Energy Snack” and also recognises the emerging need for “purposeful energy”.
A range of media channels is being used to reach the target market and bring the new advertising messages to life.
These include television, video, digital, out-of-home, mobile, social and new “experiential” activities.
After substantial planning, Project Enterprise is now on course.
The advertising campaign began in September.