The Chilean Cherry Committee has carried out its first promotional campaign in China in an effort to widen availability and boost both consumption and market penetration ahead of Chinese New Year.
The initiative was organised under the auspices of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex) and with the support of the Chilean Embassy in China as well as Chile’s overseas promotion agency ProChile.
Activities were focused principally on the end consumer at the point-of-sale, according to Ronald Bown, president of Asoex, and were complemented by additional promotions at fruit and vegetable wholesalers, as well as in the media.
The committee said in a press release that one of the main activities of the campaign was held on 18 January in Guangzhou where a large pavilion of Chilean cherries was designed for a major supermarket chain in the city.
The pavilion was designed to simulate a cherry orchard and offered tasting opportunities. Visitors also had the chance to learn about the availability of Chilean cherries and purchase the fruit.
Other promotional tactics included short rides in a cherry red-coloured hot air balloon advertising the Cherries from Chile logo from the outskirts of a shopping centre in Guangzhou.
In addition, diverse recipes using Chilean cherries will feature in cooking programmes to be aired nationally on Chinese television, especially the Xinshang channel.
An online shopping campaign is also planned to promote Chilean cherries given the market’s growing tendency to buy Chinese New Year presents, such as cherries, on the internet.
Last year 75 per cent of the cherries imported by China were sourced from Chile.
During 2011/12, Chilean cherry exports rose by 23.2 per cent to more than 70,000 tonnes, of which the majority were shipped to Asia, registering an impressive 136.9 per cent growth in arrivals.
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