Global communication consultancy

Re-launching apple consumption in France

Apples are the most frequently eaten fruit, are sold all year round and have acknowledged nutritional values. However, they have to fight incessantly against seeming commonplace.

The producers' aim is to encourage behavioural change so that apples are eaten on a regular daily basis. This revival means, first and foremost, winning back young adults as apple eaters.

Sopexa's solution

• Sopexa offered to implement a communication campaign relying on a synergy of methods involving the target's various channels of communication: above-the-line, new technology and events.
• Furthermore, in light of the market's ambitious growth objectives, Sopexa recommended aiming more informative operations at a wider target and launching instructive and amusing communication for children - the apple-eaters of today and tomorrow.
• Sopexa recommended suitable means in terms of the form and tone, with high levels of consistency between operations for added impact:

Young adult target:

• TV - terrestrial, cable and satellite channels - was recommended for this target which is highly receptive to advertising, using a powerful strategic concept with an off-beat approach in a 20 second commercial: "bite into apples while you've got teeth".
• To encourage web surfers to become apple consumers/munchers, a partnership was formed in 2001 between an on-line purchasing site and a games site: www.coccipomme.com. This initiative was launched with an e-mail to 80,000 targeted young web surfers. In 2002, a campaign site, www.croquez.com, was also suggested.
• A partnership was created with Rollerblade associations, "tribes having something in common with this nomad-style fruit".
• This year, the apple is the object of an SMS or text-messaging competition and is therefore boosting its presence in new technologies used by this target.

For a broader target SOPEXA has also recommended:

• Two major communication bursts in the distribution field by creating POS information material to guide consumers' choice (more than 5,000 sales outlets involved) and promotional events negotiated in partnership with certain brand names to create sales incentives around the product.
• Information communicated via chemists.
• Promotional operations carried out directly in partnership with certain restaurant chains or via wholesalers to build consumer awareness in their company canteens.
• Various PR operations adapted to the messages promoting the product and to the different types of media used.

The child target:

• Direct communication via a partnership with a children's print medium. Sopexa will continue the work with schools using instructional tools and with school canteens via "discover the apple" events. Sopexa is organising a promotional presence for apple producers at the "Kids With Taste" trade show.

Results

For each operation, a means of measuring results is determined with the client.

Examples:

• TV campaign: results during the first year were highly satisfactory with recognition exceeding 80%, and approval ratings at over 90%. A successful commercial that was effective with young people and also appealed to the older age group (high consumers).
• Website: access rate, click rate, number of visitors, number of pages visited, viral rate ( + 500% for the "coccipomme" competition), average length of connection, etc.
• P.R.: Analysis of qualitative and quantitative results. For the 2001/2002 campaign more than 350 clipping generated as a direct result of the operations carried out.

Operations in the restaurant sector were monitored by an appreciation form included in the kits. Telephone interviews and spot check visits were also carried out in a certain number of restaurants.

At the same time as this French programme was underway, Sopexa was developing communication operations for apples in 10 European Union member countries and 9 other countries abroad (Asia, the Middle East and South America).