Six UK companies that grow, market and distribute asparagus have jointly funded a national PR campaign to promote the British 2004 Asparagus Season - Barfoots, Bomfords, Exotic Farm Produce, Kitchen Garden Produce, Mack Multiples and Tuddenham Hall.
This year’s group included four new members to the £32,000 campaign. The campaign focus was to attract new consumers, raise awareness on the nutritional and health benefits of asparagus and to encourage consumers to buy it regularly.
Spokesman for the 2004 campaign Chris Kitchen of Kitchen Garden said: “This season has been the best quality with constant growth. UK production was 460 tonnes, and an additional 214t were taken up. At the start of the season demand was slow to take up availability - there was a 10-day lag from when first supplies hit the market when there should have been sales. Overall volume sales were up on last year’s figures - May sales rose by 25.5 per cent and June by 41.6 per cent, outstripping the overall luxury vegetable category growth of 7.8 per cent.”
Kitchen said asparagus demand was driven by in-store promotions, and media coverage in print and trade media, TV and radio. The PR campaign, run by BCLO PR, achieved the objectives set out for 2004 as 25 per cent more people bought asparagus during the seven-week season. Health was adopted as the campaign theme this year, promoting the benefits the asparagus can offer, such as protection against heart disease and cancer, and its low fat and high folic acid and iron levels.
“As an industry we are keen to maintain a premium image and quality reputation,” added Kitchen. ” We are eager to keep the momentum of the 2004 campaign going after the season and keep price promotions to a minimum.”
Looking to 2005, the members plan to build on the previous campaigns’ successes, include a regional event programme, increase co-operation with retailers and support smaller growers. The 2005 campaign will be launched in January with eight members in the group.
For more information visit the website www.british-asparagus.co.uk
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