Two reports that a Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing executive presented recently show that social media and e-commerce have become major, effective tools for marketing citrus and other products.
FDOC Director of Global Marketing Samantha Lane told the Florida Citrus Commission on Aug. 25 that the FDOC’s 2021-22 e-commerce campaign has so far driven more than $2.3 million in orange juice sales. Walmart is currently the FDOC’s leading retail partner with $1.9 million in attributed sales. Instacart and Kroger combined pulled in $417,419 in sales. The FDOC is planning expanded engagement with Amazon, Target, Albertsons, Safeway, Food Lion, Stop & Shop and others.
Lane also shared numerous statistics showing the growing importance of social media and e-commerce at the virtual 2021 Packinghouse Day on Aug. 26. Some key 2021 findings, based on consumer responses to questions, included:
- 25.6% of consumers bought groceries online in the past month; that’s up from 7.4% in 2019.
- Four out of 10 consumers plan to continue shopping online more, even after the COVID-19 pandemic passes.
- 46% of consumers bought a product they saw online, up 10% from 2020.
Lane reported consumers have an amplified focus on essential health and wellness benefits. A slide she showed at Packinghouse Day indicated that “e-commerce is here to stay.”
Social media use increased 13.2% worldwide in 2021, to 4.2 billion users, Lane reported. She added that 26% of people clicking on Facebook advertisements make a purchase, and that digital grocery purchases increased by 95% in the past year. In 2020, she reported, the e-commerce sector grew by 44% with $861 billion in consumer spending.
For many decades, FDOC utilized television as its primary media for marketing orange juice and other Florida citrus products. In recent years, the agency has focused on social media as its main marketing venue.
Source: FDOC
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