THE AVOCADO: FROM UNKNOWN FRUIT TO KITCHEN STAPLE

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Hiya everyone!What you're about to read is arguably one of the best examples of marketing/PR you will ever read. There are very few times when a marketing campaign directly results in billions of dollars worth of sales.This is one of them.The chances are you've contributed. I'll hold my hands up, I have to.

$9 billion dollar market value.$2.6 billion dollars in sales in the US alone.

Buckle your seatbelts.

Be prepared for one of the best marketing/PR case studies of your life.This is the story and the strategy of how the avocado became one of the most in-demand fruits on the planet.

Overview

Global Market Value: $9 billion (Source)

US Retail Sales: $2.6 billion (Source)

I hope everyone reading this knows what an Avacado is - and yes, it's a fruit, not a vegetable. It comes from a tree originating in the Americas which is likely native to the highland regions of south-central Mexico to Guatemala.But I'll stop there because none of you really care about the origins of the avocado. You care about how it went from a fruit with (virtually) no demand to being the superfood of the century.From an unknown ingredient to a kitchen staple.So how did it happen?A stroke of luck? A new discovery? No.It was all down to damn good marketing.

Breaking Down The Strategy

When we think of avocados today, we think of this:

It's the go-to healthy snack that every Gen Z and millennial will die by - especially health influencers on Instagram. How many times have you seen your friends (or maybe you personally) post a snap with an avocado? I see a minimum of 1 per day. Why do they post it? Two reasons:1. For culture (Avocados are cool)2. They feel good (Avocados are healthy)

Both of these things are just perceptions though. Perceptions that once of a day didn't exist. So let me take you back to 1915 when the baby steps of the avocado marketing mastermind started...Pre-1915 the avocado had two common names the "Ahuacate” and the "Alligator Pear". Yep, both are not very "marketable". So, a bunch of American farmers came together and decided that if they were ever going to sell the fruit it had to have a new name. That name would be "avocado".

Just as a company would undergo a rebrand when they hit a rut, the avocado did the same. But this was just the start of the long journey to the top for the avocado. These American farmers had a lot more to do if they were going to make this a hit.Branding? Nailed it.However, it took another 80 years for the avocado to take off. You see, the farmers had now branded the fruit. The industry even did its best to fund research, run TV ads, and shout about the health benefits of the fruit, yet sales didn't increase.

In marketing terms, they were getting a bunch of exposure, but no conversions. All because they weren't providing education. People had no understanding of what an avocado was or what to do with it. So, even if they know it had health benefits, there was no point in them buying it if they didn't know how to eat it. 

Then in the 1990s, everything changed. The California Avocado Commission (yes that's a real thing) hired the PR firm Hill and Knowlton, who went on an aggressive, years-long crusade to finally put avocados on the map.The firm went right to the heart of the problem and began to educate Americans on avocados. Starting with the introduction of Mr. Ripe Guy, which was often a Hill & Knowlton associate appearing at various events in an avocado costume.

In 1995, the Mr, Ripe campaign picked up steam when it was announced that Mr. Ripe Guy was "feeling lonely". A nationwide search for “Ms. Ripe" would commence, looking for a human woman who “exemplified the California lifestyle of good health and healthy eating.” Women were told to send in videocassettes of themselves explaining why they deserved the honour of being Mr. Ripe's partner. (Source)

If you're wondering if Hill and Knowlton's efforts paid off, just take a look at the graph below.

You could see clearly that avocado consumption was on the rise from 1993 onwards. It's important to note that this was in the prime "no-fat diet" era. So, the avocado industry was literally trying to swim against a tsunami - and succeeding. 

Then, in 1999, everything changed for the avocado. The "fat-free" diet began to die off. In fact, high-fat, low sugar was becoming THE diet of the day. It was a matter of the right place, right time. The avocado industry had just spent 100+ years pushing the avocado. Now, everyone knew the fruit, everyone knew its benefits and in 1999 the demand finally came.The avocado rocket ship had taken off. But it was nowhere near where it is today. Fast-forward to 2015, the avocado would take on its next evolution - guacamole. 

As many know, the Super Bowl has become more than just a sporting event – it is a spectacle filled with Americans who over-indulge in all types of food. This was the exact audience to market to, and the timing to advertise was perfect because January was the prime time when avocado crops would ripen.

Thus, they pitched the “Guacamole Bowl” idea, getting popular NFL players to share their favourite recipes with a wide audience, and sharing test samples of guacamole to players, fans, and reporters.

It worked.

Most people may not have given a guac before, but now they did. The now-viral story of avocados was in everyone’s minds – and mouths.

• Avocado crop value spiked nearly 70%

• Weekly sales of avocados rose over 50 million pounds

More impressive than the initial reaction, is the aftermath that still holds true today.It's estimated that 139 million pounds of avocados were eaten last Super Bowl Sunday.

This was just the beginning of the avocado being categorised as a healthy and (more importantly) aesthetic snack. 

The true age of the avocado was born. It would no longer be a healthy fruit. From now on it would be a staple in the Gen Z/Millenial American diet.

Next minute we saw:

- Chips and guac

- Avocado on toast

- Avocado tacos

- Avocado salads

No matter what food you have, whack a bit of avocado on it and the next minute it's healthy. That perception is all down to the education the avocado industry pushed for decades. 

For the avocado industry, this is essentially earned media. But not just any earned media, this is some of the craziest stats for earned media you'll ever see:

• 13M #avocado Instagram posts

• 2M #avocadoontoast Instagram posts

It took decades of education from the avocado industry, with some great timing giving a helping hand. But now a once odd and obscure fruit is not just a common feature in your kitchen but a symbol of healthy food. It just goes to show, that if you want to position yourself as anything, you can.I'm sure the avocado industry never expected to see people selling avocado sheets, jumpers, and phone cases. However, they positioned the fruit as a symbol of health and they were rewarded heavily long term.

I know avocados aren't a company.Yet, this has to be one of the most insane marketing/PR examples ever.

This wasn't someone who had created a great product that basically marketed itself. This is taking a product (fruit) that has been around forever, with virtually 0 demand for it and pushing it to the top with hardcore, traditional marketing and PR.

Avocados were always a great thing, but it just took some marketing to get the rest of the United States to see it.

Great branding, great marketing and a tad of amplification.That was the winning formula for avocados.

How To Implement It

Now, at this point, you're probably thinking, "There's no way he's going to show me how I can market my business like an avocado." However, the strategy here is easily replicated and more than likely replicated to produce huge success.There are 3 key takeaways:1. Branding matters

No one buys a product (or from a business) that they hate the name or feel of. If there's no demand for your product/services yet, and you're confident you have something to offer, maybe it's time for a rebrand?

2. Educate like crazy

If you're bringing a new product/service to market, education has to be your top priority. No one is going to want a product/service they don't know they need. Showcase the benefits of your offering, and specify exactly how they help your target audience.

Educate first, sell later.

3. Your time will come

The avocado industry did everything right for a decade from 1990-1998 to no real avail. But in 1999 everything rocketed. Not because of anything the avocado industry did, but because the perception of a "healthy diet" changed. Think about the number of businesses that folded months before the demand for their services rocketed. Keep educating and your time will come. 

Follow these 3 steps and you never know, maybe you have the next avocado right at your fingertips?

That's all for today!

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This has been a breakdown of the marketing strategy behind the avocado. I hope you have learned something and can implement a similar strategy in your business!

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