SummerStar Ruby grapefruit marketing campaign is a fresh direction for the industry
South African citrus producers have launched a new consumer campaign to raise awareness of SummerStar Ruby grapefruit, the first such campaign since the heydays of the former Jaffa grapefruit campaigns of the previous century.
Fruitnet spoke to Barry Landman, chairman of the Grapefruit Variety Focus Group (Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa), and Nicci Stewart, SummerStar Ruby campaign manager, about the key objectives of a campaign to change consumer perceptions about a fruit category which has been in decline for many years.
“A lot of people remember eating grapefruits with a layer of sugar on them, but Star Rubies are sweet and tangy. We’re telling the market this and encouraging them to taste the product,” Stewart said.
One of the campaign’s objectives is to differentiate between the products from South Africa and those found in other countries. “Our key positioning is ‘Taste Summer’ to differentiate between our Star Rubies and the ones found in other markets, but also to encourage people to taste them,” Stewart continued.
“Importantly, we’ve renamed them SummerStar Ruby to differentiate between the Star Rubies from South Africa and our Northern Hemisphere counterparts. We’re positioning them as being perfect for summer, bringing a fresh and delicious flavour to menus over the warmer months. We are not launching a new variety of grapefruit, we are rebranding it as a summer fruit to enjoy on long sunny days.”
Landman, who guides the activities of the CGA’s grapefruit focus group, said the initial focus would be on Europe because growers recognised the strong potential of this market. “There is a legacy of long-standing trade relations with South Africa and a consistent track record of demand for citrus fruit. It also offers a reliable network of buyers and well-established supply chains. The campaign is starting out in Germany and then moving to other countries in the region. But in time, once momentum is established, we will look to target other regions,” he stated.
Explaining that the campaign is targeting younger generations, Stewart commented: “We want to entice them with the vibrant colour of SummerStar Rubies and explain that the sweet and tangy flavour is a perfect addition to any summer meal or drink”.
She said younger generations are looking for healthy, sustainable, Instagram-worthy’ products, and that SummerStar Ruby Grapefruits tick all those boxes, noting “they are resilient and have a longer shelf life and can be used in many ways which means that they are hardly ever wasted”.
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