Mexican avocados

The Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers Association of Michoacán, Mexico, (APEAM) has launched a new marketing program just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s 5 May holiday.

Featuring general and Hispanic market radio and television spots in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, as well as Chicago, the four-week advertising flight hit the airwaves on 6 April and is expected to generate more than 50m broadcast impressions during the peak avocado consumption season that culminates with the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

Additionally, the new spring program will include public relations and merchandising efforts aimed to further increase avocado consumption, build market demand and boost overall sales volume by tapping into the excitement of the impending Mexican holiday.

Later this month, famous Chef Pepín will appear on Univision stations promoting new and innovative Avocados from Mexico recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

“Cinco de Mayo drives two of the biggest avocado sales weeks of the entire season,” says Steve Lutz, executive vice-president of the Perishables Group. “Retail sales leap by approximately 25 per cent over the previous four-week average during Cinco de Mayo.”

APEAM has been working closely with the Perishables Group to gain insights on best practices for promotions and to provide category reviews for retailers that include recommendations on how to improve sales in their market.

“APEAM realizes the immense value that research can provide when utilized to develop a fully-integrated, marketing plan,” says Emiliano Escobedo, APEAM’s marketing director. “Cinco de Mayo is just the first of many multi-tiered efforts that will be implemented and unveiled throughout this year.”

Ideal growing conditions in Michoacán allow for year-round avocado production in the Mexican state, which accounted for 49 per cent of global avocado supply and 51 per cent of total US avocado volume in 2008, according to APEAM.