August 2024 Marketing Digest

Southern California-based Foodservice Chains Add California Avocados to Draw Customers 

Dog Haus and MIXT, two California-based fast casual chains, added seasonal flavor to popular menu items with fresh California avocados during the peak of the season, maximizing flavor throughout their dishes.

Dog Haus emphasized six menu items featuring California avocados – including its Sooo Cali hot dog – from May 15 through June 30. Dog Haus proudly stands in support of locally grown California avocados and the efforts of the California avocado growers’ commitment to sustainability with a permanent salute on their website.

MIXT promoted their best-selling produce, California avocados, with a “man-on-the-street” Q&A among customers, reinforcing the love for the state’s favorite fruit through knowledge, fun and California Avocado branded giveaways. MIXT promotions ran all through California Avocado Month from June 1 through July 31.

Summer Consumer Media Support for California Avocados

Media Highlights: 

• The California Avocado Commission kicked off a digital banner ad campaign geo-targeting shoppers surrounding CAC retail partner locations to help drive foot traffic into stores and purchases of California avocados
• Leveraging successful video ads, CAC initiated a Connected TV (CTV) streaming ad trial. CTV describes any television set that can connect to the internet. This includes smart TVs, TV sticks, gaming consoles and set-top boxes. CTVs allow users to stream videos and music, browse the web, and use apps like Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Freevee. CTV is also the method by which most over-the top content is delivered to users; it can include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, YouTube, and Disney+. CTV advertising can target viewers who might not be reached by traditional TV commercials and its use allows CAC to repurpose video assets and target premium relevant outlets (e.g., the Cooking Channel)

Social Performance:

• Retailer social ads are seeing even better performance since adding animated ads on July 2. The new motion ads are leading to a 20% increase in ad click-through rate (CTR) at no increase in cost per click
  • Motion ads from July 2 through 9 achieved a 2.22% CTR, which is a 20% increase from static ads
  • Static ads from March 21 through June 1 achieved a 1.85% CTR
• On Pinterest, California Coleslaw was CAC’s top-performing recipe pin in June with more than 329,000 impressions

Consumer Public Relations Put California Avocados in the Media Spotlight

• Media shined their spotlight on California avocados throughout California Avocado Month and continued into summer
  • The Orange County Register Online (circulation: 1.97 million) highlighted California Avocado Month in a recent article, You Might Be Surprised At How Many More Avocados Americans Are Eating. This article was syndicated by an additional eight outlets in California and more than 20 nationwide. “You may see avocados in stores year-round, but it’s important to know that California avocados are not available all year. They are in season from spring through summer and early fall with the bulk of the fruit staying in the western United States” 
  • Fresno TV devoted more than 5 minutes to California avocados with local food stylist Patty Mastracco celebrating the season by preparing multiple avocado-centric recipes.  See segment 1 here and segment 2 here
  • Publications such as the Sacramento Bee, Daily Californian and Oregon Family Magazine are among 140 outlets in the Western region that are running a syndicated California avocado focused article and recipe overview called “Cool, Creamy Flavors That Elevate Entertaining.” The article has reached shoppers more than 20 million times