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Understanding consumer awareness of Irish eating apples 8th December 2016
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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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
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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
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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$on
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Who did we speak to?
Criteria 1 Regular purchasers of apples (once a week) Criteria 2 Agree with; Supermarkets should offer more Irish sourced veg & fruit
Criteria 3 All to have trialled Pink Lady apples Criteria 4 Aware of at least 1 of the following varieties; • Braeburn • Cox • Discovery • Elstar • Jonagold • Katy (Katja)
Qualita,ve
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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Apple behaviour
Awareness levels
Perception of Irish eating apples
Intent to purchase
Differences in life stage but similar attitudes prevailed around
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Consumer awareness of Irish grown apples is very low...
However, there is a desire for a greater emphasis of origin.
Quality is more important than price & consumers aspire to support a premium Irish eating apple
But they need help in education & in-store merchandising
Key finding
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Key finding
HavingapplesproducedinIrelandshouldbeencouraged,aswearenotonlylessdependentonimportsbuthaveabe?erqualityproduct.Theoriginofthefruitisnotalwaysmadeclear,soconsumersdon’talwaysknowthattheycanmakeachoice
Donal, Age 48
Thekeyinsightfortheprojectwassummedupbyoneoftherespondents,Donal…
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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Health & Wellbeing Todealwiththeirmaxed-outlives,today’sconsumerhasfullyembracedamoreholis$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$nueintolaterlife.
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Diet perceptions
26 22
61 56
9 12
4 9
* 1 * -
ROI 2015 GB 2015 My Diet is …
Very healthy
Fairly healthy
Not sure
Fairly unhealthy Very unhealthy
Don’t know
87%
Thisdrivetowardshealth&wellness ishighlighted inthechart to the leL. Irish adults con$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$oning,ithighlightsthefactthatthereisastrongdesiretoleadahealthierlifestyle.
Source;PERIscope2015
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Fruit & Veg consumption
42 36 31 29 27 24 26 32 26 32 30 30
38 39 44 44
41 47 38 34
36 39 38 38
16 19 22 23
28 24 28 28 31
23 25 24
2 2
2 2 2 3 3 1 3 2 2 3 2 2 * * - *
1 3 1 1 1 2 - 2 1 - 2 1 4 2 3 4 3 2
ROI 2005
ROI 2007
ROI 2009
ROI 2011
ROI 2013
ROI 2015
GB 2005
GB 2007
GB 2009
GB 2011
GB 2013
GB 2015
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8 9+
None
Qs.Onaverage,howmanypor3onsoffruitandvegetablesdoyoueateveryday?
With health as a top of mind considera$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.
Source;PERIscope2015
%
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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.
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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.
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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$mescheckwithonlyaquarterclaimingthattheynevercheck.TheimportanceofOrigincandifferbycategorybutitcanbetopofmindwithinprimaryproducecategoriessuchasmeat,fruit&vegetables.Consumersaremoreconcernedwithwheretheirfoodiscomingfromandthetransparencyaroundorigin.
Qs. What extent do you check for country of origin, i.e. what country the food was produced in?
%
Source;PERIscope2015
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Quality Labels
Always check
Sometimes check
Never check
Don’t know
Qs. What extent do you check for a symbol or certificate that guarantees the quality of the produce?
%
28 16
46
40
24
44
1 *
ROI 2015 GB 2015 When it comes to checking the for quality labels, justunder 1 in 3 consumers report that they always check.Similar to checking origin, just under half of consumerssome$mescheckforqualitylabels.Sinceorigincanbeaby-wordforquality,thebehaviourofcheckingfortheselabelscanoLengohandinhand.Today there a number of different types of markers oforiginhowevertheleadingmarqueistheBordBiaQualityMarkwhichisfoundonprimaryproduce.Qualityis importanttodayasconsumersaremorecarefulastohowtheyspendtheireuro.
Source;PERIscope2015
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Learnings
Agenda
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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$on,whilst1in3areoccasionaleaters.
15
8
24
16
12
6
14
5
%
Everyday
2-3 times per week
4-5 times per week
Once a week
2-3 times a month
Once a month
Never
63%Regular
AppleEaters
32%OccasionalAppleEaters
Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16
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Who is eating apples?
%
Total Gender Age Region
Total Male Female 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-55 55+ Dublin RoL Mun Con/Uls
Everyday 15% 13% 17% 10% 14% 17% 13% 18% 16% 15% 14% 15%
4-5$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
Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16
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Who is eating apples?
Femalesaged25-44livinginMunsterconsumethemostoLen,at136applesperannum.Theseareourregulareaters.Ouroccasionaleatersarethoseadultsaged45-55+whoarelivinginLeinster.18-24yearoldsconsumetheleastamountperyear,at91apples.
Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16
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Associations by types
Aswewillcometosee,themajorityofconsumersdifferen$ateapplesbasedontheircolourasopposedtovariety.Red&Greenapplesarehowtheconsumerviewsthecategory.
• Sweeter• SoLer• Juicy
• SymbolisesbiNer• Tart/Sour• Crisp• Crunchy• Juicy• WaxySkin• LookFresher
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Purchase behaviour
Formost,applesaretypicallypurchasedonceaweekaspartofashop.Incidencesofpurchasinglooseapplesaremorealignedtotheconsumerbeingonthegoorintendingtoconsumethereandthen.Consumersarepurchasingonepack,beitabagoratrayofapplesastheyknowthattheywillnevereatmorethanoneappleaday.Baggedapplesareexpectedtocontain6-8appleswhereastrays(cardboardwithaplas$cwrapper)typicallyhouse4apples.ThetraysarethepreferredpackagingformatastheyinferbeNerqualityapples.TheapplesthemselvesareperceivedtobeinbeNercondi$on.Keyvarie$espurchasedincludePinkLady&GrannySmith.
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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$cularlywhenyouconsiderthebenefitsabove.
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Price for bag/tray
ThepriceofapplescanvarywithinthecategorydependingonwhethertheyarearetailersownbrandorelseabrandedapplesuchasthePinkLady.Consumersreportthattheydon’ttendtocheckthepricetoooLensinceapplesareknowntobegoodvaluei.e.theyarecheapforhowfarabagwouldgo.Consumersreportthattheyhavestoppedbuyingcheaperapplesorthosefromdiscountersandinsteadhavetradeduptothemoreexpensiveapples.
<€1.80 €2 €2.99
Private Label
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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Quality
When it comes to freshproducewecan lookatgeneralconsumersen$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
Source;PERIscope2015
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Quality- Channel Perceptions understanding
Consumersbelievethatthequalityoffreshfruitcanvarybydistribu$onchannel,eventhoughthismaynotbethecase.Theul$matebeaconofqualityreflectsmarketstallsatfarmersmarketsandalsogreengrocers.Thepercep$onthatfruitpurchasedhereisthefreshest,in-season,qualityproduce.ThisbeliefalsoreflectsourKeepingitRealtrendasagreengrocer/farmersmarketismuchclosertothelandthanamainretailer.Amorepersonal,humanelementexistsandonethathasamorevestedinterestintheprovenanceandproduc$onoftheproduce.Forthemainretailers,qualitydoesnotappearconsistent.Itcanvarybystoreorby$meoftheweekthataconsumervisits.Qualitywithinthemainretailenvironmentiscomprisedofsomekeyindicators;Freshness,Variety,Display&Origin.
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Quality – Retailer Perceptions
Supervalu isperceivedashavingthebest fruitdisplays,evokingnaturalandalmostgreencrogcerlikedisplays(MOPIstores).TheyarealsoperceivedasbeingthebestforIrishproduce.
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Quality – Retailer Perceptions
DunnesStoresalsoperformwellonperceivedOriginandsupplyofIrish.Theyarelessconsistentin termsofgooddisplays, varietyand freshnessof fruit.These seemtodifferby storebut theoneconstantisthattheyhavegoodpromo$onsoroffers.
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Quality – Retailer Perceptions
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.
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Quality – Retailer Perceptions
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$vefruitdisplays.
ALDI LIDL
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Quality – Class System
Earlier, we talked about the consumer trend of checking for labels of quality on products. Theul$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.
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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
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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
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Taste Attributes So,whatdoconsumerswantfromanapple,whatismostimportanttothem?
1. Juicy2. Crispy3. Firm
4. Crunch
It’sallaboutthesweetjuiceandthebiteforconsumers.Textureisveryimportantforall,thisincludeschildrentoo.MumsreportthattheirchildrenpreferthesoLerbitetoaredappleandarethereforewillingtospendaliNleextratoensurethattheyareeaten.Athinnerskinispreferredtoasitreflectsanicerbite.Whatconsumersdon’treallywanttohearismen$onsofacidityorsharpness.Thisstartstoremindthemofgreenorcookingapples.
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The Pink Lady
So,thePinkLadyisthefavouritewithinthecategory…
Theappleitselflooksfreshandappealing.Theredandyellow$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
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Understanding of Premium
Whilstconsumersareawareofthepricedifferenceswithinthemarket,thepricetagdoesn’tappeartohaveasignificantimpactonpurchasedecisionforthosethatwespoketo.TheyclearlydefinePinkLadyasbeingthemostpremiumpricedapple inthemarketbutalsoknowthattheycanpickupabagofredapplesfor€1+cheaper.ThePinkLadyisthebestinclassforquality&tasteandservesasthebenchmarkforpremium.LoyaltytothePinkLadyisstrongsincethedeliveryofit’squalityisconsistent&availableyearround.
Ihavenoproblemgoingforthemoreexpensiveapplesi.e.PinkLadiesbecausecomparedtoothercheaperapples,theywouldn’thavethesametasty,juicy,crunchyflavourtothem
Johnathon,37
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness & perceptions of Irish grown Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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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$cidesusedonimportedapplestoensurethattheyhavealongershelf lifeforthefoodmilesthattheyarecovering.Irishea,ngapplesareperceivedtobemorenatural&beVerforyouasaresult.
Source;PERIscope2015
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Importance of Origin for fruit
Itisimportanttorevisitwhatorigincanmeanforfruit&apples,beforeweunderstandIrishea$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
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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
%
Source;QuanNtaNveOmnibusNov16
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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
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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
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YouhavetobecarefulwithAldiastheyputasNckerontheirfruitofIrishRugby.Onfirstglanceyouthinkit’sastatementoforigin…butit’snot
ThetrustplacedintheretailermeansthatlessaNen$onispaidtoorigin.However,thisdoesnothelpwhenweexploretheavailability&displaysofIrishea$ngapples…
Andsomeconsumershavenearlybeencaughtoutbyaddi$onalcommunica$onsonpackthattheybelievedtobeanindicatoroforigin;
Jacqualine,47
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In-store availability
OneofthemaincontributorstothelackofawarenessofIrishea$ngapplesandeventheknowledgethattheyareavailable,istheinconsistencyofsupplywithintheretailenvironment.SomeretailersstockIrishea$ngapples,howeverthiscanevendifferbybranch.Ontheotherhandsomeretailersorloca$onsdon’tappeartostockanyatall.LidlhadnoIrishea$ngapplesforsalenordidtwooftheTescostoresthatwevisited.Thiswasechoedbyoneofourconsumersduringthepurchasetask(wherebytheywereaskedtogooutandpickupsomeIrishea$ngapplesaheadoftas$ng).
Iwenttotwostoresandtheydidn’thaveanyIrishapples
Nicky,28
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In-store Merchandising
ThereisveryliNleornoemphasisbyretailersplacedonIrishea$ngapplesin-store. Wefoundaseverelackofin-storesignagehighligh$ngIrishea$ngappleswiththecommunica$onoforiginleLtothepacklabelortheshelfpricelabel.Oneofourconsumersduringthepurchasetaskstated,“thatitwashardtofindthem(Irishapples)”.DunnesStores(Rathmines)andSupervalu(Blackrock)weretheonlyretailersfromourvisitsthathadaclearsignindica$ngthatsomeoftheirappleswereIrish.Theoriginwasalsoclearlydisplayedonpack.
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Origin on pack
The communica$on of origin for Aldi was leL to the packaging and for their ea$ng apples, thecommunica$onwasclear.Dunnesstoresalsohadoriginclearlydisplayedontheirpackaging.
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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.
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Expectations of Irish apples BeforewetaskedconsumerswithpurchasingIrishea$ngapples,weaskedthemwhattheywouldexpectfromthem;
Taste
Visual
Price
Availability
Vibrantincolour
Aflavoursomesweetapplethatisjuicy,crunchy&crisp
MoreexpensivethanothersbecauseitisIrish(premiumassocia$onwithlocalproducts)butontheotherhandithastravelledmuchlessthananimportedsothisshouldbereflectedintheprice
Seasonallyavailable(Autumn)butshouldbeavailableinallretail.Consumersques$oniftherearetheresupply/stockissuesduetotheirlackofavailability
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Actual Taste
ThetwotypesofIrishea$ngapplesthatconsumersfoundaspartoftheirpurchasetask,wereElstar&Jonagold.Consumershadn’theardofthesenamesbeforeandfoundthemunusualinthesensethattheydidn’tsoundIrish.Thismeansthattheyhavetoworkharderincommunica$ngoriginviaothermeans.Theapplesthemselvesweredeemedtobejuicy,crispyandcrunchy.Thinkingbacktothekeytastecuesthatconsumerslookforfromaqualityapple,theIrishea$ngapplesthattheytasted,deliveredonthiscriteria;However,tasteisalwayssubjec$vesodifferencesinopinionarecommon…
1. Juicy2. Crispy3. Firm
4. Crunch
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Vs. Pink Lady
Forsome,theactualtastewasverysimilartoPinkLady(juicy,crispy,crunchy)butforothers,theypreferredthePinkLady.The main reason here was according to sharpness or acidity of the Irish ea$ng apple. Someconsumersenjoyed theirperceived tartnessof their Irishea$ngapple,whilstothersdidnot,withsomedescribingasbiNer.Atarter,moreacidictasteprofileistobeassumedaslesssuitableforchildren,whoprefersweetertastes.Therefore,anIrishea$ngapplewithmediumaciditymaybebeNerposi$onedtowardsadultsforamorecomplexflavourthanthePinkLady.
IpreferredtheIrishappleasitwasmorecrunchy&acidic
Elaine29
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Other
Visually,theappleswerereportedaslessuniformthanimportedapplesandtheskinwasmoremaNthanshiny.However,forsomealessuniformorimperfectappleimpliesamorenatural&healthierproduct.The pricewas deemed to be onparwith Pink Ladywhichwould infer that itwould also have similaraNributes.
Idon’tmindifapplesdon’talllookthesame.Itseemsmorenatural&healthier
Niamh,39
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Intent to purchase
Thereisastrongsen$mentoflikelihoodtopurchasebyconsumers(oncetheyareaware).Trialiskeyhereasformostconsumers,thetaste&flavourisveryposi$ve.Thedesirecomesoncetheytheknowledgethattheseappleswouldbeinseasonandasaresultwoulddeliverfreshnessandflavour.Onceaware,theyhavethechoicetosupportlocalalso&statethattheywilllookmorecloselyatorigin.
Ididn’texpectthemtobeasflavoursome,Iwasveryimpressed.IwoulddefinitelybewillingtopurchaseIrishapplesinfuture
Theflavour,bite&juicinessoftheapplereallyappealedtomeElaine,29
Elaine,29
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Intent to purchase
However,thetastecanbeakeybarriertosomeoncetasted…
IreallywanttotobuyIrish,howeverIdidnotlikethetasteofthe(Irish)applethatItried.Unfortunatelythisisthedecidingfactorforme.
Triona,39
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness of Irish grown Perception of Irish eating apples Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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Campaigns
Weaskedour consumers if they could recall seeinga campaignadver$singorpromo$ng Irishea$ngapples,howevernoonecouldrememberseeingone.Thereweresomemen$onsofcampaignsbyKeelingspromo$ngtheirfruitandberriesinpar$cularbutthatwastheextentofrecall.Strawberriesweremoresorecalledduetotheirin-storepromo$onswheninseasonandalsotheliNlestallsatthesideoftheroadthatpopupinseason.Thereisalackofpromo$onalorcampaignmessagingfortheapplecategorywhichleadsconsumerstofindtheirownwaysofnaviga$ngthecategory.i.e.Trus$ngtheoriginoffruitbasedontheoriginoftheretailer.IntermsofwhatcouldbecommunicatedaboutIrishea$ngappleproduc$on,weexploredanumberofmessagessoastogaugeappealandrelevancetotheconsumer…
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Flavour
Irishea$ngapplesarepackedfullofflavour.Theirdeepredblushedcolourandthinnerskin,makeforamoreenjoyableea$ngexperience.Irishea$ngapplesarefreshtas$ngduetoamedium
aciditylevel.Theyarefirmwithagoodcrunchwhenyoubiteintothembuttheyremainveryjuicy
Thisdescrip$onofflavourwasput in frontof consumerswhoall found it appealing. Itwas reflectedtheirexperiencewiththetas$ngtaskofanIrishea$ngapple.Theonlyelementthattheydidn’tenjoybeingmen$onedwastheacidity.
IlikethedescripNonasitisaccurate,relaNngtotheIrishappleIatelastnight
ItdescribestheappleexactlyasIexperiencedeaNngitElaine,29
Eoin,35
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Acidity
Theonlyelementthattheydidn’tenjoybeingmen$onedwastheacidity.We men$oned earlier that taste is subjec$ve and the level of acidity can differ by consumer. Themen$onofthewordacidityisenoughtoputsomeconsumersoff.
Theword“acidity”turnsmeoff
Iwouldagreewiththeflavourstatement,exceptfortheacidityaspectwhichIwouldsayisinaccruate
Jacquline,47
Niamh,39
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Seasonality
ThereisalackofconsumerunderstandingoftheIrishea$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.
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Grower Investment Themainlearningconcerningtheinvestmentmadebygrowerswasintermsoftheworkputin.Consumersaren’tawareoftheworkthatisneededtogrowandharvestapples.Theyaren’tawareoftheinvestmentputinandhowthatcanaffectthequalityofthefinalproduce.Themanhoursinvolvedwereastandout indicatorofthecareandaNen$onput intodeliveraqualityapple.Detailingthe landandthinningandpruningbyhandvalidatedthequalitymessage.Themonetaryinvestmentwhichisalsoinvolvedinre-plan$ngorchardsisn’tasmo$va$ngasthecare&aNen$ondeliveredbythemanhours.
IliketheNme&carethatisputintoproducingIrishapples.ItalmostgivesmeasenseofproudnessofthequalityIrelandproduce.
Ineverrealisedtheamountofworkputintoit(growing).Ilikethefactthatthereisalotofcaretakentoproducethebestqualityapples.
Louise,27
Nicky,28
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Sustainability
Irish ea$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
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Background Key finding Consumer trends Apple behaviour The meaning of quality Awareness of Irish grown Perception of Irish eating apples Communications Recommendations
Agenda
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Awareness Themajorityofconsumerssimplyaren’tawareoftheavailabilityofIrishea$ngapples,theydon’tknowthattheyhaveachoicetomake.
Moreneeds tobedone in termsofdrivingawarenessof Irishea$ngapples.Themosteffec$vewaytodosoistopromotein-storeviamerchandisingandsignage.
Retailersneedtoplacemoreemphasisondisplays&signagewhichclearlyindicateIrishorigin.
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Flavour Trialisacri$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
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Quality Qualityisakeywordforea$ngapples.
WeneedtostarttotalktoconsumersaboutthevariousaspectsthatcontributetothequalityofIrishea$ngapples.
Tasteiscentralaswehavealreadymen$oned,howeveranyon-packcommunica$onsintermsoftheClassSystem&shelflifedateshouldbeclearandprominent.
Traypackformatsalsodeliverapercep$onofquality.
Qualityisalsoreflectedintermsoffreshnessthebehindthescenesinforma$on…
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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$on.
Seasonalcampaignsshouldbeintroducedtodriveawareness.
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Backing up campaigns Tobackupanyapplecampaignsorpromo$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$ngmessagethatcommunicatesthequalityaroundfreshnessandnatural.
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Positioning as premium
Oncethequalityandtasteof Irishea$ngapplesareunderstood, there isastrongsen$menttopurchase.
Because of the quali$es& taste profile thatwe havemen$oned, consumers place Irish ea$ngapplestowardsthepremiumendofthecategory,onparwithPinkLady.
ThereforeIrishea$ngapplesshouldbeposi$onedatthesamepricepointin-storeasPinkLadies.
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Thankyou