Sunkist Growers is primed for the return of California citrus season with inclusive category insights, new sales strategies, and shopper-marketing and merchandising programs to help drive the category all season long. Farmer-owned and grown by generations, the cooperative has a steady supply across 40 conventional and organic citrus varieties, including oranges, lemons, mandarins, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos.
Building upon an exceptionally talented and experienced sales team, Sunkist has recently appointed industry veteran Jamie Sells as Vice President of Sales. With a continued focus on supplying top-quality citrus supported by equally impressive service, Sells is eager for a successful season. “I’m pumped to join an organization with the experience and caliber of our existing sales staff as well as the privilege to represent an organization with such a deep-rooted legacy in produce,” commented Sells. “I look forward to kicking off the season with exciting and effective ways to enhance our customers’ effectiveness while contributing to Sunkist’s position as a leader in our industry.”
With a last name that seems tailor-made for a successful sales career, Jamie’s background is as you would expect. “With over three decades dedicated to fresh produce, Jamie’s deep understanding of our industry will be instrumental in shaping our sales strategy and driving revenue growth for our family of farmers,” adds Christian Harris, Chief Operating Officer at Sunkist Growers, Inc. “With our varietal, sales, and marketing teams fully assembled, we have everything in place to tackle the season ahead and provide premium services to our customers.”
Following its 130th milestone season, the fresh-citrus cooperative is continuing its legacy of unveiling innovative shopper-marketing programs, with fact-based recommendations at-the-ready. At IFPA 2023 in Anaheim, Sunkist is geared to remind shoppers and retailers alike on why they should continue to go with the grove.
“We have continued to customize our toolkit based on real-time consumer feedback to help our retail partners meet their individual store goals and improve the overall shopping experience for their shoppers,” says Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers, Inc. A recent Sunkist-commissioned study revealed when consumers were asked what advertisements incentivized direct citrus purchases, over 50 percent of shoppers prioritized recipe inspiration. “Our interactive point-of-sale (POS) materials are available for every variety within our robust portfolio, along with data-driven pack sizes, limited-edition cartons, and interchangeable bin header and header cards that illustrate innovative ways for retailers to integrate citrus during key promotional periods to drive sales.”
The cooperative has created a new commercial spot to pay homage to its milestone anniversary season, showing how Sunkist citrus can help instill healthy habits at-home for consumers everywhere, every day. The new streaming commercial highlights the nostalgia and shared pastimes when enjoying a Sunkist orange, and viewers are given a glimpse into the natural beauty and magic of a real California citrus grove and reminded how Sunkist has played a role in brightening life’s most memorable moments.
“The commercial also touches on two key purchase motivators recent data reveals with increased consumer interest in knowing where food comes from, and how it’s grown/picked,” adds Howard. “Sparking joy can be a real purchase motivator, and with consumers spending increasing amounts of time online these days, brightening feeds with memorable content will be key to keeping citrus top of mind for shoppers making grocery lists.”
IFPA Global Show attendees can visit the Peel Good Citrus® Sunkist booth (#2039), which will feature a live-cooking demonstration and a sampling of delicious Grapefruit Croissants, Lemon Béchamel, and Fennel Brioche, along with all-day service of orange-infused tea. Additionally, Sunkist will be hosting a virtual reality experience that transports attendees into a real California citrus grove to be immersed in the full ‘farm-to-table' experience and learn how citrus is picked, washed, sorted, packed, and shipped.
