Kiwifruit men told to advertise

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 7

Kiwifruit men told to advertise

By

JOHN HUTCHISON

in San Francisco

California kiwifruit growers have been told that they should spend millions to advertise actively for several years before their product is genuinely established in the American market.

The campiagn would require the investment of 5 per cent of the sales value of their fruit, said Mr Ralph Pinkerton, president of the California Avocado Association, who described to members of the Kiwifruit Growers of California the methods his organisation has employed successfully.

When his association began its promotion campiagn. the avocado, like the kiwifruit a relatively unimpressive item . along’side more colourful produce, was not widely known or appreciated among American consumers. Todav it is in

brisk demand throughout the nation and is an important California tree crop.

Mr Pinkerton said it was essential to advertise to millions of readers of women’s magazines, and that the cost of each advertisement was about S 5 a prospective customer. He told the kiwifruit growers that the campaign would not show great early results. “The first advertisements,” he said, “will hardly make any impression.” Long repetition of advertising would cost a great deal of money, he said, but it would be worth it. He recommended through market research and initial concentration on market areas where kiwifruit was already accepted, expanding the promo Jon from those bases.