AsiaFruit Logistica ?Marketing campaign in the year? award for Australia

Australian marketing campaign 'Now! In Season', Chinese fresh produce group Golden Wing Mau and specialist fresh fruit retailer Pagoda were announced as the winners of the prestigious Asia Fruit Awards in a presentation ceremony at Asiafruit Congress-ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA in Hong Kong. The Asia Fruit Awards, the annual pan-Asian awards for the fresh produce business, were presented, last week, by ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, Asia’s leading fresh fruit and vegetable trade show, and Asiafruit Magazine, the industry’s premier publication. The awards celebrate excellence and recognise achievement for the best players in Asia’s fresh fruit and vegetable business, with the winners selected by the two organisations. The Asia Fruit Award is given in three categories – ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’, ‘Importer of the Year’ and ‘Produce Retailer of the Year’. Marketing campaign in the year: "Now! In season"The Marketing Campaign of the Year Award was presented to ‘Now! In Season’, a multi-industry, multi-market promotion for Australian fruits. The campaign, launched in April by the Victorian State Government in collaboration with Austrade and Horticulture Innovation Australia, takes a whole-of-industry approach to promoting Australian fruits across Asian markets. Through a mix of in-store tastings, point-of-sale materials and networking events, the campaign promotes seasonal Australian produce. Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines were the initial focus for the promotion, which launched with stonefruit, table grapes and apples and pears, with the support of the respective peak industry bodies. Citrus has since been added, with cherries to follow, while the campaign has been rolled out to more markets, including China and Japan. "The Victorian Government, in collaboration with peak industry bodies, Horticulture Innovation Australia and Austrade, is extremely pleased with the success of the Now! In Season programme,” said Brendan Larkin, ASEAN market manager at the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. “To date the programme has reached over 150 stores in five countries across Asia, profiling the best Australia has to offer in high-quality, safe and healthy fruit. We are looking forward to extending the programme next year to include more countries and more products." Introducing the winner, Asiafruit Magazine editor John Hey said Now! In Season demonstrated the power of a collaborative and consistent approach to marketing Australian produce. The campaign has been well-supported in-market to ensure effective execution with retailers, and, by coming together under one banner, industries have been able to secure more consistent shelf space for Australian produce and maintain a dialogue with retailers, he noted. The data for Asia Fruit Logistica 2016 are 7-9th September.