Australian Mushrooms FY25 Marketing Strategy
Monique Emmi, Marketing Manager at Hort Innovation, presented the key facts that informed the FY25 marketing strategy and the pillars that are the focus of the up-coming marketing plan.
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New Three Pillar Strategy to Guide Marketing in FY2025
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.
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.
Latest from the Marketing SIAP
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 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.
Australian Mushrooms marketing rebooted
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.
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.
Reset and Refresh – towards better collaboration between Hort Innovation and industry
In mid-last year, the Seftons review was commissioned to examine the working relationships between industry peak industry bodies (PIBs) and Hort Innovation. The review identified a number of issues, particularly relating to governance and communication.
As a result, a working group was established consisting of representatives from the PIBs, the Hort Innovation board and the Commonwealth government. The working group has been developing a new framework for collaboration between industry and HIA.
On 14 and 15 June mushroom industry representatives Geoff Martin, Nick Femia and Leah Bramich took part in two “Reset and Refresh – Roles, responsibilities and advice mechanisms” industry workshops. The aim was to find ways to work together better, particularly in terms of developing advice mechanisms for both research and development and marketing and promotion.
Discussion was constructive and focussed on raising the quality of outcomes for all industry participants. Hort Innovation has committed to communicating clearly and regularly with industry and is currently considering how best to act based on industry feedback. The outcome should be maximised returns on investment for all levy payers.
According to AMGA General Manager Leah Bramich “This was an extremely important and positive first meeting, with Hort Innovation and industry working together collaboratively and transparently. I am really pleased to see this important first step towards meaningful change and a better future”.
Access the HIA report on this initiative or download the DAWE Best Practice Guide to Stakeholder Consultation.
New look mushroom marketing strategy built on collaboration
The team at HIA have developed a new approach to the Marketing Planning Process, through close collaboration with industry.
The fresh approach, presented in September by HIA General Manager Jane Smith, laid out a commitment to foster better working relationships with growers and their peak industry bodies.
Included in the plan are workshops with industry and the AMGA, farm visits, as well as ongoing consultation with the SIAP
The collaborative workshops will provide an opportunity to share ideas and discuss recent developments. Results from these events will shape activities for the 2023 financial year.
Concurrently, and responding to feedback from growers, the Hort Innovation Australia (HIA) Mushroom marketing team, Head of Consumer Marketing Gillian Reilly and Marketing Manager, Emma Day have been busy refocusing their marketing strategy.
Through leveraging current diet trends, there are ample opportunities for mushrooms in the vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, meat-reducing, plant-forward, superfood and sustainability spaces.
Riding on new consumer data that Australian eating habits post-COVID are leaning towards more home cooking, less meat and with a greater focus on nutrition, the new brand strategy is focused on pitching mushrooms as an everyday, for everyone, essential ingredient
Guiding the new strategy is a four-pillar approach designed to unlock the core challenge: How do we inspire consumers to consider and use mushrooms more often?
Top of mind awareness is the first pillar and seeks to increase prominence of mushrooms through media and communication activities. In practice, this means positioning Australian mushrooms as an essential ingredient in everyday meals to improve taste and nutrition. A highly successful campaign with celebrity Chef Adam Liaw at the Mushroom Meatery is a great example of this initiative in action.
Promoting the nutrition and unique health benefits of mushrooms by educating and inspiring to incorporate mushrooms in home cooking consumers forms pillar two. The consumer claims research run by Fiftyfive5 is a great example of this initiative in action. Consumers were asked to rank a variety of mushroom health claims against criteria of appeal, credibility & uniqueness. The results have been summarised in a handy grower fact sheet, which can be accessed www.australianmushrooms.com.au in the new Industry Portal section.
Increasing the visibility of mushrooms in retail settings to capitalise on impulse buying is the basis of pillar 3. Activities here include inspiring shoppers to purchase mushrooms via in-store inspiration mechanics i.e. product demonstrations and sampling, retail out of home advertising panels close to or inside of stores, and retailer in-store and online advertising.
Weaving mushrooms into café culture, and Australia’s beloved brunch, is an exciting project and the fourth pillar of the brand strategy. Mushrooms are in a position to follow in the wake of smashed avocado on toast and become a must-have menu item. The AMGA-run project has developed and is executing this “ Foodservice Program” work with cafes.
Look out for further updates on the new brand strategy in the quarterly Mushroom Link magazine.