Marketing California Avocados

From April 16 – 18, the California Avocado Commission joined female leaders from across the globe at the International Fresh Produce Association 2023 Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference hosted in Orlando, Florida.

Since 2020 Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, a California-based chain headquartered in Tustin, has leveraged the California Avocados brand logo to showcase their use of locally-grown produce in season. This year the chain transitioned to California avocados in early spring and ran a six-week promotion featuring the fresh fruit.

The California Avocado Commission’s Brand Advocate program leverages trusted and well-known influencers to drive awareness of the California avocado season. The partners are chosen because of their compelling and exciting storytelling abilities, excellent photography skills, significant followings and love for the Golden State fruit. 

The Cinco de Mayo holiday, which has long been associated with avocados and guacamole, provides the California Avocado Commission with an impactful means of building demand for California avocados by securing timely distribution of the fruit with targeted retailers. Learn more about CAC's partnerships with retailers for the holiday.

To drive awareness and excitement for the California avocado season, the California Avocado Commission conducted consumer public relations outreach in early April, including the distribution of a press release and a mat release, which is a short feature story designed to read like a newspaper article, making it easy for publications to pick up and run as is.

The California Avocado Commission’s foodservice team attended the invitation-only FoodOvation event in Sun Valley, Idaho, where R&D/product innovation, corporate and executive chefs, purchasing/supply chain and marketing personnel from restaurant chains across the nation gathered — offering CAC the opportunity to expand its target base of chain and high-volume independent contacts.

Loyal chain partner Erik’s DeliCafé transitioned to California avocados in early spring to promote the use of local produce to their customers; a move they have been committed to for the past three years. Throughout the promotions, the chain will feature fresh California avocados in menu items and the California Avocados brand logo on its digital channels.

As a sponsor of the Fresh Produce and Floral Council luncheon, the California Avocado Commission had the opportunity to celebrate the start of the California avocado season and demonstrate the importance of the locally grown fruit to Southern California produce and floral industry retailers, distributors, vendors and other industry members.

In light of competition for placement at retail, it is important the industry is reminded of the high consumer demand for California avocados and the support the California Avocado Commission provides. The Commission’s retail trade advertising campaign is a highly effective means of reminding decision makers of the volume sales lift they can generate during the peak season.

To encourage early season demand for and awareness of California avocados, the California Avocado Commission launched pre-season media on popular online platforms — including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram — to engage with targeted consumers and generate excitement for the start of the California avocado season.