Understanding consumer awareness of Irish eating apples · Consumer awareness of Irish grown apples...

Understanding consumer awareness of Irish eating apples 8th December 2016

Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations

Agenda

1.  To understand the consumer awareness & perpceptions of Irish grown eating apples

2.  To explore how we could position Irish grown eating

apples as a premium option within the category

Objectives

Methodology

Groundwork

Desk Research,

Stakeholder Calls,

In-store review*

To provide a background

understanding & identify the

challenges that exist within the

category

Online Survey

1000 respondents

Nat. Representative

Quan,ta,ve

To quantify levels of consumer

awareness & purchase

behaviours for apples

Online Community

7 Days

14 Respondents

Qualita,ve

To gain a deeper understanding

of behaviour & perceptions of

Irish eating apples

*Tesco,DunnesStores,SV,Lidl,Aldi

Age Lifestage Sex Location

25-34 Pre-Family Mixed Dublin/Cork

35-44 Family Mixed Dublin/Cork

45-54 Older Family Mixed Dublin/Cork

Who did we speak to?

Qualita,ve

Quan,ta,ve•  Na$onallyRepresenta$vesurveycovering1000Irishadultsaged18+.•  Quotas were set on age, gender, social class & region to ensure that the sample was

representa$veofthena$onalpopula$on

Who did we speak to?

Criteria 1 Regular purchasers of apples (once a week) Criteria 2 Agree with; Supermarkets should offer more Irish sourced veg & fruit

Criteria 3 All to have trialled Pink Lady apples Criteria 4 Aware of at least 1 of the following varieties; •  Braeburn •  Cox •  Discovery •  Elstar •  Jonagold •  Katy (Katja)

Qualita,ve


Agenda

Apple behaviour

Awareness levels

Perception of Irish eating apples

Intent to purchase

Differences in life stage but similar attitudes prevailed around

Consumer awareness of Irish grown apples is very low...

However, there is a desire for a greater emphasis of origin.

Quality is more important than price & consumers aspire to support a premium Irish eating apple

But they need help in education & in-store merchandising

Key finding

Key finding

HavingapplesproducedinIrelandshouldbeencouraged,aswearenotonlylessdependentonimportsbuthaveabe?erqualityproduct.Theoriginofthefruitisnotalwaysmadeclear,soconsumersdon’talwaysknowthattheycanmakeachoice

Donal, Age 48

Thekeyinsightfortheprojectwassummedupbyoneoftherespondents,Donal…


Agenda

Health & Wellbeing Todealwiththeirmaxed-outlives,today’sconsumerhasfullyembracedamoreholis$capproachtolookingaLertheirwell-being. Paying aNen$on to all facets of health has become asymbolofstatus.Food & drink remain key health and wellness strategies.Consumerscon$nue towatchout for “nas$es”andscru$nisewhatgoesintotheirmouths.

“Natural” is an ever important shortcut for “good for me”. People are increasingly embracing theconceptofpuritytoguidetheirnutri$onal&lifestylechoices,rediscoveringsimple,clean,wholesomecomponents&processesthatgiveenergytothebodyandbalancethemind.Parentsarealsoevermorefocusedonwhatcons$tutesgoodnutri$onfortheirchildren.Beyondsimplyfeedingtheirchildrenhealthily,adultsdesiregreatereduca$oninfoodandhealthycooking,toensurethatgoodhabitscon$nueintolaterlife.

Diet perceptions

26 22

61 56

9 12

4 9

* 1 * -

ROI 2015 GB 2015 My Diet is …

Very healthy

Fairly healthy

Not sure

Fairly unhealthy Very unhealthy

Don’t know

87%

Thisdrivetowardshealth&wellness ishighlighted inthechart to the leL. Irish adults con$nue to posi$onthemselves as healthy, with 87% of Irish adults claimingtheir diet is very or fairly healthy. This figure has beenconsistentlyrisingsince2003.Overaquarterofadultsbelievethattheirdiethasbecomemorehealthy in thepast12months. InROI this is ledbyfemalesaged25-34yearsold.Whilst actual behaviour might not reflect their ownaspira$onalposi$oning,ithighlightsthefactthatthereisastrongdesiretoleadahealthierlifestyle.

Source;PERIscope2015

Fruit & Veg consumption

42 36 31 29 27 24 26 32 26 32 30 30

38 39 44 44

41 47 38 34

36 39 38 38

16 19 22 23

28 24 28 28 31

23 25 24

2 2

2 2 2 3 3 1 3 2 2 3 2 2 * * - *

1 3 1 1 1 2 - 2 1 - 2 1 4 2 3 4 3 2

ROI 2005

ROI 2007

ROI 2009

ROI 2011

ROI 2013

ROI 2015

GB 2005

GB 2007

GB 2009

GB 2011

GB 2013

GB 2015

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8 9+

None

Qs.Onaverage,howmanypor3onsoffruitandvegetablesdoyoueateveryday?

With health as a top of mind considera$on,consumersaremoreconsciousof their intakeofhealthyornaturalfoods.Over the last few years we have seen adecrease in the number of people who statethattheyconsumejust1-2por$onsof fruit&vegetableseachday.Thisisduetotheincreaseinthosewhoreportthattheyarenowea$ng3-4por$onsperday.TherehasbeenashiLintheincreaseoffruit&vegetableconsump$onasconsumersbecomemoreconsciousabouttheirdiet.


%

Keeping it Real

Real productsmade from real ingredients by real people areincreasinglyimportantanchorsforconsumersinourevermoredigitalised,intangibleandshiLingworld.Simple&tradi$onal ingredientsandproduc$onprocessesareplaying an increasingly important role in reassuring andgroundingconsumers.

At the same $me, trust in food and drink brands con$nues to be compromised by product safetyscandals.Searchingforproductswithtotaltransparencyaboutorigins&ingredientshasbecomeanevermoreimportantconsumercopingstrategy,nolongeradesire,butanecessity.

Keeping it Real

Consumers want products that are holis$cally natural &authen$c. This means having nothing added (no chemicals,addi$ves or preserva$ves) and being as far as possible in it’snaturalstate(e.g.seasonalingredients&products).

Provenance has evolved from being an area of interest toconsumers, to one of the key markets of quality & trust.Peopleexpectbrands tobe totally transparent aboutwhereproducts are made; the place of produc$on should thendemonstrateitsroleincrea$nganexcellentqualityproduct.

Origin labels

31 17

43

40

25

43

1 *

ROI 2015 GB 2015

Always check

Sometimes check

Never check

Don’t know

Whenitcomestocheckingtheoriginofourfood,1in3consumersalways check for a labelwhichwill tell themthecountryoforigin.Almost half of consumers report that they some$mescheckwithonlyaquarterclaimingthattheynevercheck.TheimportanceofOrigincandifferbycategorybutitcanbetopofmindwithinprimaryproducecategoriessuchasmeat,fruit&vegetables.Consumersaremoreconcernedwithwheretheirfoodiscomingfromandthetransparencyaroundorigin.

Qs. What extent do you check for country of origin, i.e. what country the food was produced in?

%


Quality Labels

Always check

Sometimes check

Never check

Don’t know

Qs. What extent do you check for a symbol or certificate that guarantees the quality of the produce?

%

28 16

46

40

24

44

1 *

ROI 2015 GB 2015 When it comes to checking the for quality labels, justunder 1 in 3 consumers report that they always check.Similar to checking origin, just under half of consumerssome$mescheckforqualitylabels.Sinceorigincanbeaby-wordforquality,thebehaviourofcheckingfortheselabelscanoLengohandinhand.Today there a number of different types of markers oforiginhowevertheleadingmarqueistheBordBiaQualityMarkwhichisfoundonprimaryproduce.Qualityis importanttodayasconsumersaremorecarefulastohowtheyspendtheireuro.


Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Learnings

Agenda

Frequency of eating apples

95%ofalladultsclaimtoeatapples.Theaverageannualconsump$onis126apples.Thosewhoeat apples canbe segmented into regulareaters (those who eat at least one a week) &occasional eaters (thosewhoeatonceor2-3$mesamonth).Regular eaters represent 63% of the popula$on,whilst1in3areoccasionaleaters.

15

8

24

16

12

6

14

5

%

Everyday

2-3 times per week

4-5 times per week

Once a week

2-3 times a month

Once a month

Never

63%Regular

AppleEaters

32%OccasionalAppleEaters

Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16

Who is eating apples?

%

Total Gender Age Region

Total Male Female 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-55 55+ Dublin RoL Mun Con/Uls

Everyday 15% 13% 17% 10% 14% 17% 13% 18% 16% 15% 14% 15%

4-5$mesperweek 8% 9% 7% 2% 10% 10% 9% 7% 6% 10% 11% 4%

2-3$mesperweek 24% 25% 24% 24% 27% 23% 25% 22% 24% 19% 29% 25%

Onceaweek 16% 18% 15% 20% 16% 17% 14% 15% 16% 14% 16% 21%

2-3$mesamonth 12% 12% 12% 13% 11% 11% 14% 12% 15% 14% 11% 5%

Onceamonth 6% 7% 5% 8% 5% 4% 6% 7% 7% 6% 3% 8%

LessoLen 14% 12% 14% 19% 9% 13% 14% 14% 11% 14% 12% 16%

Never 5% 4% 6% 4% 8% 5% 5% 5% 5% 8% 4% 4%

RegularEaters 63% 65% 63% 65% 67% 67% 61% 62% 62% 58% 70% 64%

OccasionalEaters 32% 31% 31% 31% 25% 28% 34% 33% 33% 34% 26% 32%

AverageConsump,onp.a. 126 121 131 91 134 137 119 131 125 127 131 117


Who is eating apples?

Femalesaged25-44livinginMunsterconsumethemostoLen,at136applesperannum.Theseareourregulareaters.Ouroccasionaleatersarethoseadultsaged45-55+whoarelivinginLeinster.18-24yearoldsconsumetheleastamountperyear,at91apples.


Associations by types

Aswewillcometosee,themajorityofconsumersdifferen$ateapplesbasedontheircolourasopposedtovariety.Red&Greenapplesarehowtheconsumerviewsthecategory.

•  Sweeter•  SoLer•  Juicy

•  SymbolisesbiNer•  Tart/Sour•  Crisp•  Crunchy•  Juicy•  WaxySkin•  LookFresher

Purchase behaviour

Formost,applesaretypicallypurchasedonceaweekaspartofashop.Incidencesofpurchasinglooseapplesaremorealignedtotheconsumerbeingonthegoorintendingtoconsumethereandthen.Consumersarepurchasingonepack,beitabagoratrayofapplesastheyknowthattheywillnevereatmorethanoneappleaday.Baggedapplesareexpectedtocontain6-8appleswhereastrays(cardboardwithaplas$cwrapper)typicallyhouse4apples.ThetraysarethepreferredpackagingformatastheyinferbeNerqualityapples.TheapplesthemselvesareperceivedtobeinbeNercondi$on.Keyvarie$espurchasedincludePinkLady&GrannySmith.

Why are they purchasing?

Applesareportable,perfectforthehandbag&robust.Theydon’trequireanyprepara$on,areeasytoeatonthego,easyforchildrentoeatwithoutassistance.Convenience

Occasion

Health

Taste

ShelfLife

Price

Applesserveasagreatsnackforlunch&lunchboxes,3pmslump,aLerschool,pre/postexerciseandforjourneysinthecar.Applesarealsousedforcooking.

Thereareavarietyoftastesandlevelsofaciditybutthecommonfactoristhattheyarerefreshing.

“Anappleadaykeepsthedoctoraway”.Consumersunderstandapplestobegoodforyouintermsofhydra$onanddeliveringnutri$onviavitamins&minerals.

Animportantbenefittoapplesisthattheylastalong$me.UnlikesoLfruittheywilllasttheweekandcanlastevenlongerifrefrigerated.

Forthemostpart,applesareunderstoodtobeinexpensivepar$cularlywhenyouconsiderthebenefitsabove.

Price for bag/tray

ThepriceofapplescanvarywithinthecategorydependingonwhethertheyarearetailersownbrandorelseabrandedapplesuchasthePinkLady.Consumersreportthattheydon’ttendtocheckthepricetoooLensinceapplesareknowntobegoodvaluei.e.theyarecheapforhowfarabagwouldgo.Consumersreportthattheyhavestoppedbuyingcheaperapplesorthosefromdiscountersandinsteadhavetradeduptothemoreexpensiveapples.

<€1.80 €2 €2.99

Private Label


Agenda

Quality

When it comes to freshproducewecan lookatgeneralconsumersen$mentintermsoftheimportancethattheyplaceonqualityversusprice.We can see that the quality of fresh produce becomesmore important that price for three quarters ofconsumers.This means that consumers are willing to spend a bitmoreonsomethingwhichhasprovenitselftobeofgoodquality.

37

42

38

40

40

36

45

42

40

38

39

41

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

2015

79

79

% agree slightly % agrees strongly ROI

77

Quality of fresh food is more important than price


Quality- Channel Perceptions understanding

Consumersbelievethatthequalityoffreshfruitcanvarybydistribu$onchannel,eventhoughthismaynotbethecase.Theul$matebeaconofqualityreflectsmarketstallsatfarmersmarketsandalsogreengrocers.Thepercep$onthatfruitpurchasedhereisthefreshest,in-season,qualityproduce.ThisbeliefalsoreflectsourKeepingitRealtrendasagreengrocer/farmersmarketismuchclosertothelandthanamainretailer.Amorepersonal,humanelementexistsandonethathasamorevestedinterestintheprovenanceandproduc$onoftheproduce.Forthemainretailers,qualitydoesnotappearconsistent.Itcanvarybystoreorby$meoftheweekthataconsumervisits.Qualitywithinthemainretailenvironmentiscomprisedofsomekeyindicators;Freshness,Variety,Display&Origin.

Quality – Retailer Perceptions

Supervalu isperceivedashavingthebest fruitdisplays,evokingnaturalandalmostgreencrogcerlikedisplays(MOPIstores).TheyarealsoperceivedasbeingthebestforIrishproduce.


DunnesStoresalsoperformwellonperceivedOriginandsupplyofIrish.Theyarelessconsistentin termsofgooddisplays, varietyand freshnessof fruit.These seemtodifferby storebut theoneconstantisthattheyhavegoodpromo$onsoroffers.


Tesco performs well in the off-season as consumers believe that the consistency of their fruitremains the sameyear round. Theyareunderstood tohavea goodvarietyof fruitwhich is clearlydisplayedinstore.


The discounters are unanimously understood to have the best prices within retail for fruit,however they suffer on the consumer belief that their fruit goes off quicker & that they haveunaNrac$vefruitdisplays.

ALDI LIDL

Quality – Class System

Earlier, we talked about the consumer trend of checking for labels of quality on products. Theul$matemarkeristheBordBiaQualityLabelwithinprimaryproduce,othersincludethelikesofGreatTasteawardlabels,GuaranteedIrish&Na$onalDairyCouncil.Within fruit, there is some awareness of the Class System. Consumers do no$ce this on pack andunderstandittobeamarkerofthequalityofthefruit.Theyareunfamiliarwiththefinerdetailsbutitis sufficient enough for them todetermine that a pieceof fruitwith aClass 1marking, is thebestqualityproducefromtheoriginalsupply.Whilstthislabelisknown,itisnotcheckedeach$mefruitispurchased.Insteadthesell/usebydateisthegotopieceofinforma$ontohelpdeterminequalityalongwiththevisualappearanceofthefruit.

Quality – Shelf life

Theshelflifeofanapplecanalsobeanindicatorornavigatorofqualityfortheconsumer.As men$oned, those consumers who report that they have stopped buying cheaper apples, havedone so because they tend to go off very quickly aLer purchase. This is a trait which consumersassociatewith the discounters. The shelf life of apples is a purchase considera$on and consumersneed to know that their fruitwill be las$ng theweek,par$cularly as theywon’t eatmore thananappleaday.

IknowthepricesarecheaperinothersupermarketsbutIpreferthequalityoffruitthatIbuyinDunnesorfromthegreengrocers.

Thefruitfromthediscountersseemstogooffveryquickly.

Triona,39

Quality - Taste

Aswithany foods, taste is a keydriverofpurchase for consumersandone that is very subjec$ve.Withinapples,thereisageneralconsensusthatthemoreexpensiveapplesaremoretasty.The Pink Lady is the ul$mate tasty apple and one which as an accompanying premium price tag.However,consumersarewillingtospendthatliNlebitextraonagreattas$ngapple.Mumsalsoarewillingtospendmoreforproductsthattheyknowtheirfamilywilleat.Theywillspendextraontastyapplesastheyknowthattheywillgeteatenwhereascheaperapplescansome$mesgetthrowninthebin.

IfIbuycheaperapplestheyendupinthebinastheygooffandaren’teaten

Joan,46

Taste Attributes So,whatdoconsumerswantfromanapple,whatismostimportanttothem?

1.  Juicy2.  Crispy3.  Firm

4.  Crunch

It’sallaboutthesweetjuiceandthebiteforconsumers.Textureisveryimportantforall,thisincludeschildrentoo.MumsreportthattheirchildrenpreferthesoLerbitetoaredappleandarethereforewillingtospendaliNleextratoensurethattheyareeaten.Athinnerskinispreferredtoasitreflectsanicerbite.Whatconsumersdon’treallywanttohearismen$onsofacidityorsharpness.Thisstartstoremindthemofgreenorcookingapples.

The Pink Lady

So,thePinkLadyisthefavouritewithinthecategory…

Theappleitselflooksfreshandappealing.Theredandyellow$ngetotheskingivesitapinkblushorrosy colour. Whilst colour is low down on the key aNributes sought (as it’s all about taste) theappearances$lllooksinvi$ng.Thetasteoftheappleisfullofflavoursinceitissweetandjuicy,matchingthoseaNributessoughtbyconsumers. It’s the juice thatgivesa feelingof refreshment.Afirmandcrunchy textureprovidesagoodbitetotheapplebutonethatisnottoohard.Consistencyiskey.

AnapplethatwouldsaNsfyyouwithoutfail

I’veneverhadabadexperiencewithaPinkLadyapple.It’sconsistent,youknowwhatyouaregeYng.

Johnathon,37

Elaine,29

Understanding of Premium

Whilstconsumersareawareofthepricedifferenceswithinthemarket,thepricetagdoesn’tappeartohaveasignificantimpactonpurchasedecisionforthosethatwespoketo.TheyclearlydefinePinkLadyasbeingthemostpremiumpricedapple inthemarketbutalsoknowthattheycanpickupabagofredapplesfor€1+cheaper.ThePinkLadyisthebestinclassforquality&tasteandservesasthebenchmarkforpremium.LoyaltytothePinkLadyisstrongsincethedeliveryofit’squalityisconsistent&availableyearround.

Ihavenoproblemgoingforthemoreexpensiveapplesi.e.PinkLadiesbecausecomparedtoothercheaperapples,theywouldn’thavethesametasty,juicy,crunchyflavourtothem

Johnathon,37


Agenda

Perception of Local

Food produced locally results in higher quality products 75%

I like to know the area where my food comes from 71%

I think food produced locally has less preservatives and artificial ingredients 68%

I feel food produced in my local area is better for my health 68%

% Agree slightly/strongly

Almost7in10ROIadultsbelievethatbuyinglocalisimportantandclaimtopurchaselocallyproducedfoodat leastonceaweek.Thevastmajoritybelieve that the term“local food”refers to foodmadewithinacloseproximitytowheretheyliveand1in5thinkitisfoodwithintheirrespec$vecountries.Thereisastrongunderstandingandaposi$veattudetowardslocalfood,withover7in10believinglocal foodtobeofhigherquality,contain lesspreserva$ves/ar$ficial ingredientsandthat it isbeNerfortheirhealth.Thisisimportantwithinapplesduetotheexpecta$onofpreserva$vesandpes$cidesusedonimportedapplestoensurethattheyhavealongershelf lifeforthefoodmilesthattheyarecovering.Irishea,ngapplesareperceivedtobemorenatural&beVerforyouasaresult.


Importance of Origin for fruit

Itisimportanttorevisitwhatorigincanmeanforfruit&apples,beforeweunderstandIrishea$ngapples.Foreign&importedfruitsareexpectedtohavebeensprayedwithchemicals&pes$cidestoensurethat theymaintain their consistency during transport. Consumers believe that our produc$on ismorenaturalanddoesn’tuseharmfulpes$cidesandchemicals.LocalorIrishfruitsaredeemedtobefresherbecausetheyspendless$meinstorageonaccountofthesmalldistancethattheytravel.Consumer’sfeelthatthereshouldbeclearindicatorsofOriginforfruit.Forpackedfruittheseareunderstoodtobedisplayedonthepackwhereas for loose,aconsumerwouldexpect tofindtheoriginontheshelfpricelabel.

Originforfruitdoesma?er.ItrytobuyIrishasit’sbe?erquality&hasn’tbeenincoldstorageformonths

Joan,46

Spontaneous Awareness of apple varieties

Within our quan$a$ve study we asked consumers tospontaneouslynameanyvarie$esofIrishea$ngapplesthattheywereawareof.1in3citedGrannySmithasanIrishapplevariety/brandthattheywereawareof.PinkLadywasthenexttopofmindapple/brand.1in4consumersstruggledtorecallanyapplevarietyorbrand.This highlights the extremely low awareness that apples have ingeneral, as the majority of consumers do not pay aNen$on tovariety or brand in most instances. Instead they appear todis$nguishaccordingtocolourpreference;redorgreen.

34

28

13

10

8

7

3

3

2

14

25

Granny Smith

Pink Lady

Golden Delicious

Royal Gala/Gala

CoxesOrangePippen

Bramely

Keelings

Braeburn

KerryPippen

Other*

Don’tKnow

%


Prompted awareness of apple varieties

Having understood if any varie$es/brands are top ofmind,weshowedconsumersa listofbrands&varie$esto see if they had heard of any of them. By promp$ngthemwewouldhopetojogtheirmemoryastoonesthattheyhaveseenorheardofbefore.However, even promp$ng them with a list of op$ons,awarenessremainedverylow.

Almost half of consumers,46% to be exact, had notheard of any of these varie$es or brands. Keelings &Bramley were the most salient once prompted toconsumers.

%

Keelings

Bramely

Donnelly Fruit & Veg

Jonagold

BigAppleFruitCompany

RedPrince

TheFruitPeople

Discovery

LlewellynsOrchard

Elstar

Katja(Katy)

Freshnfruity

3

7

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

SpontaneousAwareness

â

TotalAwareness

â64%

60%

11%

10%

8%

7%

6%

4%

4%

3%

3%

2%Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16

Irishness within the retail environement

Asmen$onedearlier,percep$onsofqualitycanvarybyretailer.Percep$onsalsovariedaccordingtothesupplyofIrishproduceandcommitmenttoorigin.Asweknow,consumerstypicallyshoponauto-pilot, lookingout forthosefamiliarbrands/productsthat they habitually buy.Whilst reports of checking for origin labels are high, it can edge towards“some$meschecking”withinthefruitcategory.ThealarmingfindinghereisthatsomeconsumerscanassumetheproduceisIrishbecauseofthetypeofstore that theyare in.This ismorerelevant toDunnesStores&SupervaluasconsumersbelievetheyarethebestatdoingIrishproducesincetheyareIrishcompanies. IbelievedthatbrandssuchasDunnesStoresorKeelingswereIrish

brands.IthoughtIwasbuyingIrishproducts.

Triona,39

YouhavetobecarefulwithAldiastheyputasNckerontheirfruitofIrishRugby.Onfirstglanceyouthinkit’sastatementoforigin…butit’snot

ThetrustplacedintheretailermeansthatlessaNen$onispaidtoorigin.However,thisdoesnothelpwhenweexploretheavailability&displaysofIrishea$ngapples…

Andsomeconsumershavenearlybeencaughtoutbyaddi$onalcommunica$onsonpackthattheybelievedtobeanindicatoroforigin;

Jacqualine,47

In-store availability

OneofthemaincontributorstothelackofawarenessofIrishea$ngapplesandeventheknowledgethattheyareavailable,istheinconsistencyofsupplywithintheretailenvironment.SomeretailersstockIrishea$ngapples,howeverthiscanevendifferbybranch.Ontheotherhandsomeretailersorloca$onsdon’tappeartostockanyatall.LidlhadnoIrishea$ngapplesforsalenordidtwooftheTescostoresthatwevisited.Thiswasechoedbyoneofourconsumersduringthepurchasetask(wherebytheywereaskedtogooutandpickupsomeIrishea$ngapplesaheadoftas$ng).

Iwenttotwostoresandtheydidn’thaveanyIrishapples

Nicky,28

In-store Merchandising

ThereisveryliNleornoemphasisbyretailersplacedonIrishea$ngapplesin-store. Wefoundaseverelackofin-storesignagehighligh$ngIrishea$ngappleswiththecommunica$onoforiginleLtothepacklabelortheshelfpricelabel.Oneofourconsumersduringthepurchasetaskstated,“thatitwashardtofindthem(Irishapples)”.DunnesStores(Rathmines)andSupervalu(Blackrock)weretheonlyretailersfromourvisitsthathadaclearsignindica$ngthatsomeoftheirappleswereIrish.Theoriginwasalsoclearlydisplayedonpack.

Origin on pack

The communica$on of origin for Aldi was leL to the packaging and for their ea$ng apples, thecommunica$onwasclear.Dunnesstoresalsohadoriginclearlydisplayedontheirpackaging.

Northern Irish apples

WhilstTesco&Lidldidn’thaveanyIrishea$ngappleswithinthestoresthatwevisited,theydidhaveapplesfromNorthernIreland.However, the origin on the Tesco label statedN.Iwhilst theshelfpricelabelstatedthemasbeing“Irish”.OnfirstglanceaconsumercouldassumethattheyarebuyingapplesfromtheRepublicofIrelandpar$cularlyinthat1.5secondwindowthataconsumerhastomaketheirdecision.To some this would appear misleading depending on theconsumer defini$onof Irish.Whenwe think about the trustplacedintheretailertocommitmenttoIrishwewouldexpectthemtobetransparentintheircommunica$on.

Expectations of Irish apples BeforewetaskedconsumerswithpurchasingIrishea$ngapples,weaskedthemwhattheywouldexpectfromthem;

Taste

Visual

Price

Availability

Vibrantincolour

Aflavoursomesweetapplethatisjuicy,crunchy&crisp

MoreexpensivethanothersbecauseitisIrish(premiumassocia$onwithlocalproducts)butontheotherhandithastravelledmuchlessthananimportedsothisshouldbereflectedintheprice

Seasonallyavailable(Autumn)butshouldbeavailableinallretail.Consumersques$oniftherearetheresupply/stockissuesduetotheirlackofavailability

Actual Taste

ThetwotypesofIrishea$ngapplesthatconsumersfoundaspartoftheirpurchasetask,wereElstar&Jonagold.Consumershadn’theardofthesenamesbeforeandfoundthemunusualinthesensethattheydidn’tsoundIrish.Thismeansthattheyhavetoworkharderincommunica$ngoriginviaothermeans.Theapplesthemselvesweredeemedtobejuicy,crispyandcrunchy.Thinkingbacktothekeytastecuesthatconsumerslookforfromaqualityapple,theIrishea$ngapplesthattheytasted,deliveredonthiscriteria;However,tasteisalwayssubjec$vesodifferencesinopinionarecommon…

1.  Juicy2.  Crispy3.  Firm

4.  Crunch

Vs. Pink Lady

Forsome,theactualtastewasverysimilartoPinkLady(juicy,crispy,crunchy)butforothers,theypreferredthePinkLady.The main reason here was according to sharpness or acidity of the Irish ea$ng apple. Someconsumersenjoyed theirperceived tartnessof their Irishea$ngapple,whilstothersdidnot,withsomedescribingasbiNer.Atarter,moreacidictasteprofileistobeassumedaslesssuitableforchildren,whoprefersweetertastes.Therefore,anIrishea$ngapplewithmediumaciditymaybebeNerposi$onedtowardsadultsforamorecomplexflavourthanthePinkLady.

IpreferredtheIrishappleasitwasmorecrunchy&acidic

Elaine29

Other

Visually,theappleswerereportedaslessuniformthanimportedapplesandtheskinwasmoremaNthanshiny.However,forsomealessuniformorimperfectappleimpliesamorenatural&healthierproduct.The pricewas deemed to be onparwith Pink Ladywhichwould infer that itwould also have similaraNributes.

Idon’tmindifapplesdon’talllookthesame.Itseemsmorenatural&healthier

Niamh,39

Intent to purchase

Thereisastrongsen$mentoflikelihoodtopurchasebyconsumers(oncetheyareaware).Trialiskeyhereasformostconsumers,thetaste&flavourisveryposi$ve.Thedesirecomesoncetheytheknowledgethattheseappleswouldbeinseasonandasaresultwoulddeliverfreshnessandflavour.Onceaware,theyhavethechoicetosupportlocalalso&statethattheywilllookmorecloselyatorigin.

Ididn’texpectthemtobeasflavoursome,Iwasveryimpressed.IwoulddefinitelybewillingtopurchaseIrishapplesinfuture

Theflavour,bite&juicinessoftheapplereallyappealedtomeElaine,29

Elaine,29

Intent to purchase

However,thetastecanbeakeybarriertosomeoncetasted…

IreallywanttotobuyIrish,howeverIdidnotlikethetasteofthe(Irish)applethatItried.Unfortunatelythisisthedecidingfactorforme.

Triona,39

Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness of Irish grown Perception of Irish eating apples Communications Recommendations

Agenda

Campaigns

Weaskedour consumers if they could recall seeinga campaignadver$singorpromo$ng Irishea$ngapples,howevernoonecouldrememberseeingone.Thereweresomemen$onsofcampaignsbyKeelingspromo$ngtheirfruitandberriesinpar$cularbutthatwastheextentofrecall.Strawberriesweremoresorecalledduetotheirin-storepromo$onswheninseasonandalsotheliNlestallsatthesideoftheroadthatpopupinseason.Thereisalackofpromo$onalorcampaignmessagingfortheapplecategorywhichleadsconsumerstofindtheirownwaysofnaviga$ngthecategory.i.e.Trus$ngtheoriginoffruitbasedontheoriginoftheretailer.IntermsofwhatcouldbecommunicatedaboutIrishea$ngappleproduc$on,weexploredanumberofmessagessoastogaugeappealandrelevancetotheconsumer…

Flavour

Irishea$ngapplesarepackedfullofflavour.Theirdeepredblushedcolourandthinnerskin,makeforamoreenjoyableea$ngexperience.Irishea$ngapplesarefreshtas$ngduetoamedium

aciditylevel.Theyarefirmwithagoodcrunchwhenyoubiteintothembuttheyremainveryjuicy

Thisdescrip$onofflavourwasput in frontof consumerswhoall found it appealing. Itwas reflectedtheirexperiencewiththetas$ngtaskofanIrishea$ngapple.Theonlyelementthattheydidn’tenjoybeingmen$onedwastheacidity.

IlikethedescripNonasitisaccurate,relaNngtotheIrishappleIatelastnight

ItdescribestheappleexactlyasIexperiencedeaNngitElaine,29

Eoin,35

Acidity

Theonlyelementthattheydidn’tenjoybeingmen$onedwastheacidity.We men$oned earlier that taste is subjec$ve and the level of acidity can differ by consumer. Themen$onofthewordacidityisenoughtoputsomeconsumersoff.

Theword“acidity”turnsmeoff

Iwouldagreewiththeflavourstatement,exceptfortheacidityaspectwhichIwouldsayisinaccruate

Jacquline,47

Niamh,39

Seasonality

ThereisalackofconsumerunderstandingoftheIrishea$ngapplegrowingseason.Consumersmakeassump$onsbasedonourclimate, inthatthesummermonthsarethewarmestandtherefore best for growing. They assume that the season lasts approx 4-6 months un$l autumn.Harves$ngorpickingisassumedtotakeplaceattheendofsummerormidtolateautumn.They have a clearer understanding of Irish strawberry season due to the prominence of the roadsidecartsandalso thenostalgiaofea$ngstrawberries&cream insummer.Theyhavenosuchassocia$onwithIrishea$ngapples.Whatappealstoconsumersisthefreshmessagethatcomesfromaseasonalproduct.Oncetheylearnthattheapplesaretypicallypickedandstoredonthesamedaytheyunderstandthattheyarekeptasfreshaspossiblewithouttheuseofchemicals.

Grower Investment Themainlearningconcerningtheinvestmentmadebygrowerswasintermsoftheworkputin.Consumersaren’tawareoftheworkthatisneededtogrowandharvestapples.Theyaren’tawareoftheinvestmentputinandhowthatcanaffectthequalityofthefinalproduce.Themanhoursinvolvedwereastandout indicatorofthecareandaNen$onput intodeliveraqualityapple.Detailingthe landandthinningandpruningbyhandvalidatedthequalitymessage.Themonetaryinvestmentwhichisalsoinvolvedinre-plan$ngorchardsisn’tasmo$va$ngasthecare&aNen$ondeliveredbythemanhours.

IliketheNme&carethatisputintoproducingIrishapples.ItalmostgivesmeasenseofproudnessofthequalityIrelandproduce.

Ineverrealisedtheamountofworkputintoit(growing).Ilikethefactthatthereisalotofcaretakentoproducethebestqualityapples.

Louise,27

Nicky,28

Sustainability

Irish ea$ng apples have a low carbon footprint and a minimal number of food miles compared toimportedapples.Consumersneedremindingofthesustainabilityimpactoflocallyproducedfood.Itbecomeslessrelevantwithinfruitcomparedtoothercategoriesbecausetheconsumerassumesthatwedon’tgrowmuchfruithere.Apples with low food miles are deemed to be fresher, safer and healthier. There is a lower risk ofbacteriaorinsectsthatmaybebroughtinfromanothercountry.

Ihadn’treallythoughtofit,butnowIwilltrytobuymorehomegrownfood

It’snotreallyanissuebutcanunderstandthebenefittotheenvironmentoflocal

Elaine,29

Fintan,33

Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness of Irish grown Perception of Irish eating apples Communications Recommendations

Agenda

Awareness Themajorityofconsumerssimplyaren’tawareoftheavailabilityofIrishea$ngapples,theydon’tknowthattheyhaveachoicetomake.

Moreneeds tobedone in termsofdrivingawarenessof Irishea$ngapples.Themosteffec$vewaytodosoistopromotein-storeviamerchandisingandsignage.

Retailersneedtoplacemoreemphasisondisplays&signagewhichclearlyindicateIrishorigin.

Flavour Trialisacri$calelementtothesuccessofIrishea$ngapples.

ConsumersusePink Lady tobenchmarkagreat tas$ngapple,howeveronce theyhave trialledanIrishea$ngapple,theyunderstandittobeonparandinsomeinstances,superior.

Irish ea$ng apples deliver on the core aNributes that consumers seek from a great tas$ng apple.Theseshouldbecommunicatedonpackoratthepointofsalesoastoeducatetheconsumer.

It’sallaboutthejuicinessandthecrunchytexture.Textureisn’toLencommunicated&thisprovidesanopportunityforatalkingpoint. Men$onsofacidity&sharpnessshouldbeavoidedasthesecanbeoff-putngtosomeconsumers.

1.  Juicy2.  Crispy/3.  Firm

4.  Crunch

Quality Qualityisakeywordforea$ngapples.

WeneedtostarttotalktoconsumersaboutthevariousaspectsthatcontributetothequalityofIrishea$ngapples.

Tasteiscentralaswehavealreadymen$oned,howeveranyon-packcommunica$onsintermsoftheClassSystem&shelflifedateshouldbeclearandprominent.

Traypackformatsalsodeliverapercep$onofquality.

Qualityisalsoreflectedintermsoffreshnessthebehindthescenesinforma$on…

Best in Season Freshnessisanimportantconsider$onforconsumerswhenitcomestoea$ngapples.

Locally produced apples are perceived to bemore natural& beNer for you because they haven’ttravelledasfarasimportedapples&won’thavebeenexposedtoaddedchemicalsorpreserva$vestoensurethattheykeep.

Makingthebestofseasonalproduceismoretopofmindforconsumersthesedayssoweshouldbecommunica$ngthebenefitsofin-seasonIrishea$ngapplesandencouragingconsumerstopurchase.

Dunnes Stores have a communica$on on pack that begins to touch the surface of thisrecommenda$on.

Seasonalcampaignsshouldbeintroducedtodriveawareness.

Backing up campaigns Tobackupanyapplecampaignsorpromo$ons,thereisanarsenaloffurthermo$va$nginforma$onthatcouldbecommunicatedtotheconsumer.

More educa$on in the care & aNen$on and grower investment that is involved in growing Irishea$ngapplesshouldprovideafurtherstorytoIrishea$ngapples.

Thekeyhookistheworkthatiscompletedbyhand.

Theman hours involved and the hand touch for thining, prunning andharves$ngemphasisthecare&aNen$onthatisinvovled.

Thepicked and storedon the same day is anothermo$va$ngmessagethatcommunicatesthequalityaroundfreshnessandnatural.

Positioning as premium

Oncethequalityandtasteof Irishea$ngapplesareunderstood, there isastrongsen$menttopurchase.

Because of the quali$es& taste profile thatwe havemen$oned, consumers place Irish ea$ngapplestowardsthepremiumendofthecategory,onparwithPinkLady.

ThereforeIrishea$ngapplesshouldbeposi$onedatthesamepricepointin-storeasPinkLadies.

Thankyou

Understanding consumer awareness of Irish eating apples · Consumer awareness of Irish grown apples...

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