The British Onions PR campaign upped its game last year by generating an advertising equivalent value of £721,682 and TNS figures showed that onion sales rose 12 per cent over the year, with volume up by almost nine per cent.
The year was split into several campaigns focused on a combination of important health benefits, recipes and seasonality.
The activities kicked off with the Winter Warmers campaign, based around health properties that can help prevent winter colds. This led into the Brain Foods campaign, which was backed by research and highlighted components that are recognised for helping with memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Moving into the spring, the health focus switched to onions as a natural alternative to hayfever remedies because of their levels of quercetin.
In September and October, the campaign concentrated on the British onion harvest and in-season messaging to support sales throughout these key trading months for sales of British onions.
The campaign is supported by key trading companies Albert Bartlett & Sons Ltd, Allium Alliance, Allium & Brassica Centre, FB Parrish & Son, G’s Marketing, Home Farm Nacton, Interveg, Moulton Bulb Company, Nationwide Produce, RH & R Paul, Rustler Produce, Stourgarden, 3M’s.