Only 1 in 5 oppose national produce promotion order
Even in a recessionary economy, those in the fresh produce industry realize they have to spend money to make money. In fact, 80% of 124 respondents to The Packer's May Produce Pulse poll said they’re either in favor of a proposed national fresh fruit and vegetable promotion order or are for it, under certain circumstances.
While 36% of survey respondents said they’re fully in favor of a national promotion order and another 44% said they’re conditionally for it, the 20% against it appeared most adamant about their feelings, mostly disagreeing with the project’s timing.
“It costs me money, (with a) dubious return,” one grower-shipper wrote when asked how the proposed plan would affect his business.
Another also questioned increased cost “with no way to truly measure the ROI (return on investment).”
“It would be another tax on producers who can little afford it, so it had better have clearly defined goals with measurable results,” another cautioned.
Some who expressed dissent admitted they’re opposed for selfish reasons, stating they don’t think the order would benefit their particular businesses.
“More fees and as usual, little help in promoting value-added product that we have developed,” one said.
Others feared the program would not be on a grand enough scale to do much good, while others felt if the current system ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
“They are going in the wrong direction … To be effective, it needs more money than they can assess a grower,” one participant said.
Another responded, “We currently have a successful, active, local marketing order. I am not sure what a national promotion order might contribute.”
“Our state already has an effective marketing campaign on behalf of produce,” one respondent working in allied produce said. “The state effort is much more focused to our products, as opposed to a national order that would dilute our message.”
Retailers, wholesalers, distributors and others in allied fields also expressed concern, although a higher percentage of they were less polarized against it.
“Our department seems to be in a deflationary cycle. I’m not sure the national fruit and vegetable promotion order can help that,” one retailer said.
“While the ideals (of generic promotions) are worthwhile and benefit the entire industry, the timing may not be appropriate,” one wholesaler wrote. “With growers, shippers and retailers struggling with margins and sales, this may be a difficult sell.”
“We’d need something with a plan for longevity, realizing it will take some time to build the right program,” one produce distributor responded.
Still, the national promotion order and the Produce for Better Health’s attributes received plenty of support from those in the fresh produce industry who responded to the survey, with many saying a national order and generic marketing campaigns are at least a step in the right direction.
“I favor it, but am afraid small, special interest groups can kill the deal,” one grower-shipper said. “I’ve seen generic programs get derailed by those who don’t feel they’ll get sufficient representation for their particular products.”
“PBH can’t do (what it needs to do) with the small budget it has,” one retailer said. “If we don’t put together a promotion board, we will always be second or third to the other industries (such as meat and dairy).”
In response to multiple-choice questions about the proposed national order and PBH’s effectiveness, results proved a mixed bag.
While no respondents said PBH had a negative effect on the industry, 17% said PBH had no application to their business and 31% said PBH had little effect on improving business conditions. About 14% said PBH has been a great help and 39% said PBH has helped somewhat.
No clear majority opinion emerged, either, on how industry officials should proceed with assessments. Respondents couldn’t agree whether or not f.o.b. prices should be used as the basis for an assessment, or decide how board members should be appointed, when given these choices: by region (40%), by market sector (36%), by commodity (36%), or by value of overall crop assessments (8%).
Then again, reaching any agreement in the fresh produce industry can be difficult, one grower-shipper said.
“Unfortunately, from my personal experience with the Washington Apple Commission fiasco and all the venom that transpired, it will be like herding cats, and a real source of contention among the partipants. Tread carefully.”
E-mail dgalbraith@thepacker.com.
Showing posts with label fresh produce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fresh produce. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
SELLING PRODUCE SIMPLE WITH SITCOMS
Column by Dan Galbraith, publishing in March 23 edition of The Packer
I doubt there’s any market research to prove it, but, in reviewing recent reruns of TV sitcom “Seinfeld,” the fresh produce industry seems to be missing marketing opportunities since that show suffered its disappointing death in 1998.
Several memorable “Seinfeld” episodes put fresh produce at the top of the food chain — and top of mind for consumers watching the antics of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, the latter two of whom were particularly positive as produce proponents.
As important as it was to Jerry Seinfeld’s career to find the humor in produce — a subject not used to getting a lot of laughs — it was equally vital to the produce industry to be mentioned prominently on the long-running No. 1 show in the U.S.
Although postman Newman once proclaimed steamed broccoli a “vile weed,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJw6Z-MLyBA George never showed much interest in healthful foods except once when it appeared to enhance his sexual performance, and Jerry seemed anything but proud of it when he ordered a salad while on a date with Elaine’s cousin Holly, the show certainly added notoriety to produce.
The series’ writers allowed Kramer and Elaine to promote produce as not only a discussion topic but also a viable food option for the mainstream — and even for the “hip” (or, the “hipster doofuses,” in Kramer’s case).
Who could forget this “Seinfeld” moment? GEORGE: What’s in the BIG salad? JERRY: Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs…
The best part about produce being featured in a sitcom is I don’t think it cost the industry anything. However, if any produce associations paid Seinfeld to slip some produce references into the scripts, it couldn’t have been considered anything but money well spent.
Although I’m not seeing a lot of produce potential in the dialogues of popular sitcoms of today, such as “30 Rock” and “The Office,” perhaps it would be in the produce industry’s interest to slip Tina Fey a few Benjamin Franklins to ensure the next time she uses the line “I-want-to-go-to-there!” refers to her travels to a fruit stand or salad restaurant.
Still, I doubt the promotional value for produce would ever be more valuable than it was on “Seinfeld.” From Kramer’s radish roses, freshly prepared in his garbage-disposal-enhanced shower, to Elaine’s infatuation with the “big salad” at Monk’shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emWKg4vKLbU, to Jerry telling Newman “You wouldn’t eat broccoli if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce,” the moments — and their untold, hidden promotional value — proved priceless.
Perhaps the most prominent produce episode, of course, involved Kramer getting banned from his favorite fruit store, Joe’s, after complaining about a bad peach in “The Fruit Stand.” It featured plantains, papayas, avocados and plums “with the red on the inside.”
Of course, there was also the insinuation that mangoes are nature’s Viagra — at least for George, who exclaims, “I feel like I got a B-12 shot. This is like a taste explosion!”
Then, of course, Kramer enlists Jerry to purchase fruit at Joe’s for him and Kramer tries to educate Jerry on the particulars of picking prime produce while standing just outside Joe’s.
JERRY: All this? It’s too much. What do you need five mangoes for?
KRAMER: I like mangoes.
JERRY: Avocado? I don’t know how to pick out an avocado.
KRAMER: Well, they gotta be soft.
JERRY: How soft?
KRAMER: Not too soft. Better too hard than too soft.
JERRY: (looking over the list) I’m not going through this every week, I tell you that right now. And what are these? Plums? What is that?
KRAMER: Yeah … now, get the ones that are red on the inside.
JERRY: Uh-huh. Well, how do I know what they look like on the inside? What do they look like on the outside?
KRAMER: Oh, and get some plantains!
JERRY: Plantains?
KRAMER: Yeah.
JERRY: What the hell is a plantain?
KRAMER: It’s part of the banana family. It’s a delicacy.
JERRY: You’re not getting any plantains!
I can’t close without this parting shot from George:
“WELL, IT WAS A BIG SALAD! AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS, HOW DOES A PERSON WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BIG SALAD CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT SALAD AND ACCEPT THE THANK-YOU UNDER FALSE PRETENSES - AH — AH? … You know, if it was a regular salad I wouldn’t have said anything. But you had to have the BIG SALAD!”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZ_mlNXVYU
Perhaps free produce promotion through sitcoms will come back in 2009 — or maybe it’s all just a big pipedream stuck somewhere in Seinfeld’s Bizarro World (Episode No. 137)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcjSDZNbOs0.
Unfortunately, the Bizarro World is the only place fresh produce industry officials can readily find a muscle-bound, 4% body-fat Newman using lemon zest to top his frozen yogurt just so he’s able to choke it down.
E-mail dgalbraith@thepacker.com
I doubt there’s any market research to prove it, but, in reviewing recent reruns of TV sitcom “Seinfeld,” the fresh produce industry seems to be missing marketing opportunities since that show suffered its disappointing death in 1998.
Several memorable “Seinfeld” episodes put fresh produce at the top of the food chain — and top of mind for consumers watching the antics of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, the latter two of whom were particularly positive as produce proponents.
As important as it was to Jerry Seinfeld’s career to find the humor in produce — a subject not used to getting a lot of laughs — it was equally vital to the produce industry to be mentioned prominently on the long-running No. 1 show in the U.S.
Although postman Newman once proclaimed steamed broccoli a “vile weed,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJw6Z-MLyBA George never showed much interest in healthful foods except once when it appeared to enhance his sexual performance, and Jerry seemed anything but proud of it when he ordered a salad while on a date with Elaine’s cousin Holly, the show certainly added notoriety to produce.
The series’ writers allowed Kramer and Elaine to promote produce as not only a discussion topic but also a viable food option for the mainstream — and even for the “hip” (or, the “hipster doofuses,” in Kramer’s case).
Who could forget this “Seinfeld” moment? GEORGE: What’s in the BIG salad? JERRY: Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs…
The best part about produce being featured in a sitcom is I don’t think it cost the industry anything. However, if any produce associations paid Seinfeld to slip some produce references into the scripts, it couldn’t have been considered anything but money well spent.
Although I’m not seeing a lot of produce potential in the dialogues of popular sitcoms of today, such as “30 Rock” and “The Office,” perhaps it would be in the produce industry’s interest to slip Tina Fey a few Benjamin Franklins to ensure the next time she uses the line “I-want-to-go-to-there!” refers to her travels to a fruit stand or salad restaurant.
Still, I doubt the promotional value for produce would ever be more valuable than it was on “Seinfeld.” From Kramer’s radish roses, freshly prepared in his garbage-disposal-enhanced shower, to Elaine’s infatuation with the “big salad” at Monk’shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emWKg4vKLbU, to Jerry telling Newman “You wouldn’t eat broccoli if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce,” the moments — and their untold, hidden promotional value — proved priceless.
Perhaps the most prominent produce episode, of course, involved Kramer getting banned from his favorite fruit store, Joe’s, after complaining about a bad peach in “The Fruit Stand.” It featured plantains, papayas, avocados and plums “with the red on the inside.”
Of course, there was also the insinuation that mangoes are nature’s Viagra — at least for George, who exclaims, “I feel like I got a B-12 shot. This is like a taste explosion!”
Then, of course, Kramer enlists Jerry to purchase fruit at Joe’s for him and Kramer tries to educate Jerry on the particulars of picking prime produce while standing just outside Joe’s.
JERRY: All this? It’s too much. What do you need five mangoes for?
KRAMER: I like mangoes.
JERRY: Avocado? I don’t know how to pick out an avocado.
KRAMER: Well, they gotta be soft.
JERRY: How soft?
KRAMER: Not too soft. Better too hard than too soft.
JERRY: (looking over the list) I’m not going through this every week, I tell you that right now. And what are these? Plums? What is that?
KRAMER: Yeah … now, get the ones that are red on the inside.
JERRY: Uh-huh. Well, how do I know what they look like on the inside? What do they look like on the outside?
KRAMER: Oh, and get some plantains!
JERRY: Plantains?
KRAMER: Yeah.
JERRY: What the hell is a plantain?
KRAMER: It’s part of the banana family. It’s a delicacy.
JERRY: You’re not getting any plantains!
I can’t close without this parting shot from George:
“WELL, IT WAS A BIG SALAD! AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS, HOW DOES A PERSON WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BIG SALAD CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT SALAD AND ACCEPT THE THANK-YOU UNDER FALSE PRETENSES - AH — AH? … You know, if it was a regular salad I wouldn’t have said anything. But you had to have the BIG SALAD!”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZ_mlNXVYU
Perhaps free produce promotion through sitcoms will come back in 2009 — or maybe it’s all just a big pipedream stuck somewhere in Seinfeld’s Bizarro World (Episode No. 137)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcjSDZNbOs0.
Unfortunately, the Bizarro World is the only place fresh produce industry officials can readily find a muscle-bound, 4% body-fat Newman using lemon zest to top his frozen yogurt just so he’s able to choke it down.
E-mail dgalbraith@thepacker.com
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