Washington State Apple Commission: Moving beyond the “unprecedented”

As the state begins to look forward to the days when we can leave the masks and phrases like “unprecedented times” in the past, the Washington Apple Commission is asking itself the question of how to take the lessons and marketing tactics adopted in the time of a pandemic and apply them to the future.

The Apple Commission started to dip its toes in the waters of digital marketing during the 2018-19 crop year when the USDA allocated an award of $9.9 million in Agriculture Trade Promotions (ATP). In 2018, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service announced $200 million in ATP funds designated to assist commodities impacted by retaliatory tariffs in foreign markets and then this was later augmented by an additional $19 million in July 2019, totaling the available funding of the ATP program to $219 million.

By leveraging $1 million in grower-assessment dollars, the Washington apple industry received almost $10 million through ATP to conduct promotions in specific markets as a result of the retaliatory tariffs implemented in China, Mexico and India, all important export market destinations for Washington apples.

Washington state is the leading producer of apples in the U.S. and is responsible for 95% of total U.S. apple exports. Exports play an important role in the health of the industry, as approximately one-third of the total Washington apple crop is shipped outside the U.S. The Washington Apple Commission, representing the roughly 1,260 growers in the state, conducts promotions in 25 foreign markets to drive consumer demand for Washington apples.

The ATP program called for creative and new promotional activities rather than a continuation of established marketing activities. Evolving beyond the foundational “In-Store Sampling” program, the commission launched digital campaigns and social media platforms in key export markets to reach target audiences. While other business or organizations were forced to take a cannonball into this sphere, by the time the pandemic peaked, Washington Apples was swimming with the digital wave rather than against it.

During a time when consumers were distressed and confined within their homes, the key was to provide promotional activities that added value to their lives and brought entertainment. Livestream demonstrations of cooking shows, online workout classes with social media influencers, at-home apple painting kits, new recipes and games for kids were all integrated to make sure consumers were supported in engaging ways.

With people unable to or choosing not to go to the store due to lockdowns, e-commerce for retail grocery stores across the world recorded an impressive increase of usage. Tying promotions to e-commerce apps helped increase the sales of Washington apples on the platforms.

The Washington Apple Commission has been able to share the core values of providing nutritious apples grown with the highest standard of quality and safety by using social media platforms and partnering with regional social media influencers to make sure the key messages are shared across different locations, languages and cultures. Adopting social media marketing is not about being a part of the trend, but rather speaking to the consumer through the most effective forum.

After a year of marketing in a pandemic, the question is: what will stay and what will fade? The answer is a layered approach is the formula for success. Combining in-store events to increase sales at point of purchase with the larger brand-building strategies of digital marketing helps build the value of Washington apples to consumers and provide positive eating experiences, which reinforce the quality of the product.

In its second year, the Agriculture Trade Promotion program has helped Washington Apples weather the storm of a pandemic and grow a stronger brand on behalf of the growers in the state. There are three more years for the Washington Apple Commission to use the additional funding and the lessons of 2020 to have the most positive impact in service of consumers and producers.

This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 12:26 AM with the headline "Washington State Apple Commission: Moving beyond the “unprecedented”."