Marketing resources
Explore resources related to marketing Australian mushrooms, including brand strategies, campaigns and data insights
Brand strategy
With the current landscape of consumer behaviour heavily impacted by the cost of living crisis, brands must adapt their marketing strategies to stay competitive. Aligned with the 2022-2026 Mushroom Fund Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), the Hort Innovation marketing team has devised a new three-pillar strategy. The key components of the strategy are win the mind, win at point of purchase and win the future.
The Australian Mushrooms media plan is in full flight with retail out-of-home, shopper and social media programs underway. The call-to-action campaign created in late 2023 is currently inspiring shoppers to ‘Reinvent the Meal’ across breakfast, lunch and dinner occasions.
The marketing team at Hort Innovation has developed a new approach to the Marketing Planning Process through close collaboration with industry. This fresh approach for the FY23, presented in September 2021 by Hort Innovation General Managers of Marketing Jane Smith and Kylie Hudson, laid out a commitment to foster better working relationships with growers and peak industry bodies.
Current and past campaigns
With an increased media spend in the final quarter of 2023, the reach of the Australian Mushrooms campaign packed a punch.
The campaign’s overall objective is to inspire people to consume more mushrooms daily by adding Mighty Mushies to everyday meals. The multi-media approach aims to reach consumers at various touchpoints including radio, out of home environments, for example shopping centre screens in close proximity to supermarkets, social media channels, and while they are shopping online.
March has proven to be the month of successes for the ongoing FY24 mushroom marketing campaign. Aiming to inspire people to consume more mushrooms daily, the campaign continues to generate positive results and attract new customers.
A collaboration between Nutrition Research Australia (NRAUS) and the AMGA is working hard to show the benefit of adding mushrooms to the menu, not only to improve the palatability of institutional meals, but to boost their nutritional offering as well. Initial research reveals the Australian food industry has a lot more to learn about the health benefits of the mighty mushroom, with taste and culinary benefits overshadowing the vast nutritional benefits of mushrooms in the nationally accredited commercial cookery curriculum.
When it comes to planning dinner, nearly half of Australian cooks are last minute larry’s, providing the perfect opportunity to remind shoppers of the wonders of mushrooms as they do their dinner shopping. With this key statistic in mind, the Hort Innovation marketing team developed the Mushroom In-Store Sampling Program.
Data insights
The Mushroom In-Store Sampling Program (MU21503) has reached over 70,000 shoppers in supermarkets across the nation. Conducted throughout 2022, the strategy has delivered important insights into consumer attitudes, which will help inform future marketing activities.
In realigning their approach to mushroom marketing, Hort Innovation has committed to strong collaboration with the Mushroom Industry Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP). This will ensure that any decisions regarding mushroom messaging are data-driven, rather than being based on opinion or hearsay. The objective is to drive demand for mushrooms through increasing consumer knowledge, attitudes and purchase intent.
