Blind Taste Test: Modi™ Apple wins a crunchy and juicy battle

As marketing professionals, the team at Freshmax are highly conscious of the marketing and advertising challenges of competitive scale, diverse channel selection, and overcrowding in the food-based advertising space — all of which contribute to messaging overload. So how can your product really stand out in this clutter? Freshmax recently delivered its first Blind Taste Test activation to challenge traditional methods of produce marketing. The event was designed to create a competitive advantage for one of their IP (Intellectual Property) brands, Modì™ apples, by harnessing the importance of consumer opinions.

Modì™ apples delivered an experiential activation where the consumers were given an opportunity to voice their opinion on Australia’s leading apple brands. On 18th July 2018, a blind taste test was conducted in Westfield, Bondi Junction Sydney, where Modì™ apples were showcased amongst popular apple brands across Australia. Consumers were blindfolded and asked to select their favourite apple based on two key criteria: crunchiness and juiciness. Completely unaware of the brands they consumed, about 85% of the consumers said that they loved Modì™ apples.

Sona Padman, Campaign Manager, says, “Experiential campaign activities of this nature certainly generate an immediate call-to-action, but their greatest benefits actually relate to longer-term brand recognition, recall and loyalty in an increasingly influencer-led world. We understand top-of-mind awareness is about making an emotional connection and consistently offering value. Activations like a blind taste test help us not only to understand how Modì™ is perceived by the consumers but also to create a fun and memorable way of enjoying Modì™ apples. It’s a whole new way of getting to know a produce brand that digital or traditional marketing cannot emulate”.

“At its core, marketing is about getting attention. And the best way to get attention is to start people talking about your brand,” says Padman. “Questions like ‘What will make your target audience talk?’ and ‘What will make them recommend?’ are critically important. Our aim is to always explore how we turn a fan into an advocate”.

At the activation, a copy of the recently produced Modì™ ‘recipe book’ was also given out. This recipe book featured recipes from Modì™ growers, social media followers and chef ambassadors — and was ranged nationwide as a tip-on with Eat Well Magazine. “Consumers were also given branded fridge magnets and other giveaways, as this better drives the brand into the home and ensures recall when shopping lists are being built,” says Padman.

A few of the noteworthy comments received during the promotion were:

  • “It is so fresh and refreshing”
  • “Great for my kids”
  • “Burst of flavours”
  • “I will definitely purchase it”

 

To watch the video, please click here

“Freshmax has a long-standing track record for innovating in the marketing and brand space and these days our biggest mantra is to make sure that any campaign elements that we engage are both content-orientated and as multi-channel as possible,” says Matthew Crouch, Group Marketing Manager. “The Blind Taste test, although not a new concept to the wider FMCG community, has not been so commonly engaged within Fresh Produce. But with a category as rife with new brands as the apple category, an activity like this was a really important step,” continues Crouch. “Its impact was clear, and the insights will prove valuable for seasons to come”.

Modì™ apple is a proprietary licensed aaple brand that is grown exclusively in Australia by the Modi Australia PTY LTD grower group, and marketed exclusively by Freshmax across Australia and New Zealand. Freshmax has long history of Intellectual Property (IP) commercialising, particularly through its dedicated subsidiary Innovar®.