International Australian Pears campaign boosts sales and brand awareness

A high-impact promotion marketed pears to consumers in New Zealand, Singapore and Canada. 

The 2023–24 Australian pear international marketing campaign aimed to elevate the profile and demand for Australian pears in international markets, with a primary focus on New Zealand, Singapore and Canada. These regions were targeted due to their growth potential and historical contribution to Australian pear exports, accounting for 70 per cent of total pear exports in 2022.1 With exports to New Zealand alone generating an average of $5 million in export value per year since 2020, the campaign’s focus was clear: solidify these high-value markets and expand the international reach of Australian pears.  

With a modest 7 per cent of Australian pear production currently exported (as of June 2023),2 this marketing campaign sought to maximise export growth by increasing international customer preference for Australian pears. A tailored, co-promotional approach was taken, with Hort Innovation seeking a suitable partner to work with for the International pears co-promotion FY23 (PA22501) project via an open tender, which was awarded to Fruit Growers Victoria (FGV).  

With assistance from Fresh Intelligence Consulting and Impetus Media, FGV implemented a marketing program utilising digital campaigns, retail promotions and engaging instore activations to encourage purchase of Australian pears in New Zealand, Singapore and Canada during the main supply periods.  

• Canada: April 

• Singapore: May and September  

• New Zealand: July to September  

The campaign had two main objectives: 

• Increase customer (i.e. buyer) loyalty and consumer preference, building sustainable brand awareness of Australian pears.  

• Create value back through the supply chain for growers.  

Importantly, the programs helped build customer relationships and provide exporters with an extra line of support that gives Australia a competitive advantage. The project team maintained regular contact with exporters by circulating updates and weekly trade figures. By observing these figures, they were able to identify periods to pause and restart the program, which was necessary particularly in Singapore where there was a period of no trade from Australia. 

New Zealand: a key market with high engagement 

Although New Zealand accounted for 40 per cent of Australian pear exports in 2023, export volumes have seen a gradual decline in recent years – from 3,161 tonnes in 2021 to 2,231 in November 2023 (Figure 1). Therefore, there was a need for focused marketing activities in the region to increase consumer demand and encourage sustainable growth in exports.  

Figure 1: Pear export volumes from Australia to New Zealand have declined in recent years.  Source: Fresh Intelligence Consulting

Marketing efforts included an engaging social media campaign, along with instore activations at major retailers Woolworths NZ (previously Countdown) and Foodstuffs, which dominate the nation’s supermarket sector. Woolworths NZ launched a late-August campaign featuring Australian pears recipes on its website, instore radio promotions, online banner ads and attention-grabbing ‘try me’ wobblers (point-of-sale signs). Foodstuffs, Woolworths NZ-owned Fresh Choice and other independent supermarkets franchised by Woolworths NZ also used the instore wobblers, with theirs featuring the messaging “Good things come in pears”. Retail activations successfully increased consumer awareness of Australian pears, leading to a 63 per cent increase in instore sales. 

Using information provided by Fresh Intelligence Consulting about weekly export shipments of Australian pears to New Zealand, exciting new recipes were shared across Facebook and Instagram during peak supply periods. The recipes spurred consumer interest and drove engagement – particularly the unique pear and cucumber soup recipe, which drew the highest number of click-throughs to the Australian Pears website (www.australianpears.com.au). 

Feeling the direct benefits of marketing activities in New Zealand is Goulburn Valley-based grower Kalafatis Fresh Produce, who shared: “Thanks to the pear export campaign, we were able to significantly increase the demand for our pears in international markets, especially in New Zealand. The visibility and promotion of Australian pears provided by the campaign led to a surge in interest, prompting us to send additional fruit to meet the growing demand. We look forward to seeing this campaign continue in the future and further expanding the reach of Australian pears.” 

One of the attention-grabbing ‘try me’ wobblers in the pears section at a Woolworths NZ supermarket.

 The New Zealand program was initially delayed due to high volumes of domestic fruit in the market. However, once Australian fruit began to enter the market, the campaign was ramped up. Total pear exports to New Zealand reached 2,399 tonnes, representing 40 per cent of the total pear exports, although this was 14 per cent lower than the previous year. 

Singapore and Canada: building market presence 

Singapore and Canada were also targeted during the campaign, since both countries demonstrate high growth potential for pear exports. As seen in Figure 2, both markets have experienced a decline in export volumes over recent years, highlighting an opportunity to rebuild market presence through demand creation.  

Figure 2: A decline in pear export volumes from Australia to Singapore and Canada highlighted an opportunity to increase market presence. Source: Fresh Intelligence Consulting

In Singapore, social media ads featuring newly developed recipes were distributed across two bursts (ads heavily promoted over a short period) to coincide with peak supply periods. During burst two, posts received 8.3 million views and more than 54,000 clicks to the Australian Pears website. The Pear, Avocado and Fresh Herb Salad recipe captured the most views, while the Stir Fried 5 Spice Chicken with Pears and Noodles recipe saw the highest engagement, capturing local tastes and inspiring new ways to enjoy pears.  

New recipes using Australian pears were developed for the program and uploaded to the Australian Pears website. These were promoted on social media (Facebook and Instagram) in the three target markets at times to suit the peak supply periods.

Similarly in Canada, digital promotions and recipe posts on social media targeted main grocery buyers – predominantly those shopping at Costco. The campaign resonated well with Canadians, driving nearly 4 million views on social media and over 19,000 clicks to the Australian Pears website, with the stir fried chicken recipe leading in engagement again. Consumers were inspired by the innovative ways of using pears, encouraging them to add Australian pears to their shopping trolley.  

Domestic campaign: elevating pear sales in Australia 

With domestic pear sales slipping – only 54 per cent of households purchased pears in 2023, down from 61 per cent in 20213 – the One Pear, Five Ways campaign sought to reinvigorate Australian consumer interest by positioning pears as versatile, affordable and suitable for diverse culinary uses. Collaborating with MasterChef finalist Simon Toohey, the campaign promoted versatile pear recipes to appeal to all stages of ripeness. Media coverage of the campaign spanned major publications, reaching nearly 560,000 people. Content was also shared across social media to inspire consumers to cook with pears, achieving an impressive 8.9 million views.  

To further encourage Australians to purchase pears, the campaign also involved an instore sampling element, distributing over 40,000 samples in Woolworths and Coles from May to September 2023. On average, 88 per cent of shoppers who tried a sample purchased pears, leading to close to 32,800 pear sales over the sampling period.  

The “Good things come in pears” message featured on the instore wobblers used in Foodstuffs, Woolworths NZ-owned Fresh Choice and other independent supermarkets in New Zealand.

Looking ahead: 2024–25 pear marketing campaign 

The 2024–25 Australian Pears marketing campaign will focus on sustaining consumer demand domestically and building international market share. Planned instore sampling and quality, education and merchandising programs will support domestic sales, while the international effort will concentrate on strengthening relationships with New Zealand and Canada. In New Zealand, the focus will be on maintaining market share, this time partnering with retailers Woolworths NZ, Pak’nSave, Foodstuffs and independents to keep pears top of mind. Identified as a market with significant growth potential, efforts in Canada will focus on re-engaging consumers through partnerships with major retailers such as Costco.  

By maintaining a strategic focus on both international growth and building brand loyalty at home in Australia, the upcoming campaign promises to strengthen Australian pears’ market position, driving ongoing success for Australian pear growers and exporters. Stay tuned for further details on the 2024–25 campaign!  

This article was first published in the Summer 2024 edition of AFG.