Quantitative Evaluation of Point-of-Sale Messaging in the Avocado Category

Transcription

1 Shopper In-Store Messages 2014 Quantitative Evaluation of Point-of-Sale Messaging in the Avocado Category Engaging and Influencing Shoppers at Shelf

2 Table of Contents Section Page Study Objectives Methodology Messaging and Signage Options Tested Key Findings and Conclusions Detailed Findings Sensory Messages Nutrition Messages Usage/Occasion Messages Call-to-Action Messages Avocado Signage Options Appendix..58

3 Study Objectives In-store point-of-sale messaging continues to be one of the most effective communication methods to inform shoppers and influence purchase. The objective of this research is to identify the types of at-shelf messaging that engages shoppers and favorably influences the purchase of Hass avocados. The Hass Avocado Board developed a set of twenty potential messages, designed for use on shelf displays, signage and other point-of-sales materials. The test messages fall into 4 groups: Sensory (e.g. rich, creamy, delicious) Nutrition Usage/occasions Call to action (emotional, aspirational) Specific research objectives of this study include: Determine appeal and relevance of proposed messages Measure impact on attitudes towards avocados Determine influence of proposed messages on future purchase intent A secondary goal of this study is to measure shopper reaction to three category signage options for Hass avocados. 3

4 Methodology This study was conducted online with a national sample of 600 avocado buyers. Respondents were screened to meet the following criteria: Adults Primary grocery shoppers (must be responsible for at least half of household food purchases) Super-heavy, heavy or medium avocado buyers (purchase avocados at least once every 2-3 months) Must purchase avocados in food and/or mass retail channels (no exclusive farmers markets or produce stand buyers) The in-store communication messages were evaluated via sequential monadic design. Each respondent was shown 2 of the 4 message groups. Order of messages was rotated to avoid position bias. While actual store signage would feature images chosen to illustrate and enhance the message, in this study, each message was tested with identical graphics to avoid introducing potential bias related to different images. As a separate exercise at the beginning of the survey, respondents evaluated the three different category signage options for avocados. See the Appendix for an explanation of Super-heavy, Heavy and Medium buyers, and for a note regarding the statistical significance coding used throughout the report. 4

5 Messaging Options Tested Sensory Messages Naturally delicious Taste the difference an avocado makes Smooth and creamy Guilt-free satisfaction From casual to elegant avocados add a tasty touch to every dish Nutrition Messages Naturally good fats Cholesterol free Good fat in avocados can replace saturated fat 8% daily value fiber per 1oz. serving Sodium free Usage/Occasion Messages: Slice serve simple The perfect lunch and dinner topper Transform any meal from good to great Make breakfast better with avocados Great in desserts/baking as a substitute for saturated fats Call-To-Action Messages: Fresh avocados love one today Put a smile on their faces serve avocados Make every meal a celebration Avocados make every meal homemade Bring a fresh avocado to your next party Note: See test images for each of the messages in the Detailed Findings section 5

6 Category Signage Options Tested Category Signage Options Fresh Avocados Hass Avocados Ripe Avocados Note: Avocado signage test images 6

7 KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 7

8 Key Findings Overall, the Sensory and Nutrition messages are more compelling to shoppers than the Usage/Occasion and Call-to-Action messages o The Sensory and Nutrition messages tend to be more relevant, credible and are more effective in promoting avocado purchases than the messages in the other two groups The best-scoring messages in the Sensory and Nutrition groups are: Sensory Group: Appeal More Likely To Buy Relevance News Value Feel Good Buying Avocados Credible % % % % % % Naturally delicious Taste the difference an avocado makes Nutrition Group: Naturally good fats Cholesterol free Good fat in avocados can replace saturated fats Note: See the Detailed Findings for questions asked for each of the attributes above 8

9 Key Findings Naturally delicious is the strongest of all messages in this test. It scores highest on appeal and likelihood to purchase avocados. o o o Shoppers were drawn to this message due to its communication of great taste. In addition, the mention of naturalness is appealing because it reinforces the fact that avocados are a real food without artificial preservatives and ingredients. It heightens general perceptions of avocados being healthy and good for you. Although shoppers find this message compelling, it had low news value and primarily reinforced existing attitudes about avocados. Taste the difference generates good interest among respondents, but is secondary to Naturally delicious in terms of appeal and motivation. In the Nutrition group, the messages related to fats and cholesterol are of greater interest to shoppers than those addressing fiber or low sodium, with Naturally good fats holding the greatest appeal. o o The three fat and cholesterol messages tested are meaningful and believable to shoppers, and the Cholesterol free and Good fat/replace saturated fats messages also represent new information to shoppers. The fiber and sodium-free messages are of less relevance to shoppers, possibly because they can get fiber from so many other food sources; also, sodium may not be a hot button health issue for as many shoppers as cholesterol/saturated fats. 9

10 Key Findings In general, the Usage/Occasion and Call-to-Action messages tested are less appealing and less likely to positively influence avocado purchases than the messages in the other two groups. o These messages tend to be less relevant to shoppers, and some suffer from credibility issues. Interestingly, most do not represent new news about avocados, so lack of knowledge is not an issue for most of these messages. The exceptions to this in the Usage/Occasion group are Makes breakfast better and especially Great in desserts/baking ; both represent relatively new usage occasion ideas for respondents. The Call-to-Action messages were rated lowest across the board. Shoppers appear to prefer messages with a more tangible sensory, health, and to a lesser degree, usage benefit. It is also possible that shoppers felt some of the Call-to-Action messages overstated the role that avocados can play (e.g. make any meal homemade, make every meal a celebration ), resulting in lower credibility scores. However, a different evaluation context (e.g. messagespecific graphics and different shelf placement than shown in the test images) might yield a different response. Among the three avocado signage options, Fresh Avocados is clearly the most appealing and motivating to shoppers. 10

11 Conclusions Based on the findings of this study, Naturally delicious is the strongest of all messages in this test, and merits consideration for in-store communications. To communicate a specific health-related message for avocados, Naturally good fats, Cholesterol free and Good fats/replace saturated fats are the best options. Messages in the Usage/Occasion and Call-to-Action groups would benefit from further evolution. Other research shows that shoppers welcome and respond positively to at-shelf usage ideas for avocados, so the concept of usage-based messaging appears to be sound. The need to test messages without message-specific images may have negatively impacted the scores in this group, and additional input from shoppers, possibly via qualitative research, could be useful in crafting these messages in a more meaningful and appealing way. In terms of general avocado shelf signage, Fresh Avocados was the most motivating of the options, particularly among super-heavy avocado shoppers. 11

12 DETAILED FINDINGS 12

13 DETAILED FINDINGS SENSORY MESSAGES 13

14 Test Messages Sensory Group 14

15 Naturally delicious is the most appealing of the sensory messages Overall Appeal of Sensory Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Naturally delicious - A 72% BCDE Taste the difference - B 61% DE Smooth and creamy - C 59% E Guilt-free satisfaction - D 53% From casual to elegant - E 49% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 15

16 Naturally delicious scores consistently well across all subgroups Super-heavy and younger buyers find all of the statements more appealing than the other subgroups. Overall Appeal of Sensory Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Naturally delicious 72 78C 74C 55 77E 64 Taste the difference an avocado makes 61 74BC E 47 Smooth and creamy 59 70BC E 48 Guilt-free satisfaction 53 67BC E 36 From casual to elegant avocados add a tasty touch to every dish 49 62BC 46C 27 58E 36 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1 = not at all appealing) 16

17 Naturally delicious is rated significantly higher than the other messages on most attributes Naturally delicious scores higher on relevance, believability and making buyers feel good about purchasing avocados. None of the messages are considered to provide new information about avocados. Attribute Ratings for Sensory Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Naturally delicious Taste the difference Smooth and creamy Guilt-free satisfaction From casual to elegant % % % % % A B C D E Is important to me 71BCDE Tells me something I didn t know about avocados Makes me feel good about buying avocados 74BCDE 62e Is believable 79BCDE 70DE 70DE Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q6: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (10 = agree completely, 1 = disagree completely) 17

18 Naturally delicious and taste the difference are more likely than the other messages to have a positive influence on avocado purchases Affect of Sensory Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados More Likely To Buy Neither More Nor Less Likely to Buy Less Likely To Buy % % % Naturally delicious (A) 58CDE 42 1 Taste the difference an avocado makes (B) 52cDE 47 2 Smooth and creamy (C) 45 49a 6AB Guilt-free satisfaction (D) 43 53A 5AB From casual to elegant avocados add a tasty touch to every dish (E) 41 54A 5AB Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Rows tested. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 18

19 Naturally delicious drives increased purchase by communicating taste and naturalness. Taste the difference motivates shoppers by connoting taste and texture Main Reasons For Increased Likelihood of Buying Avocados Naturally delicious Taste the difference Smooth and creamy Guilt-free satisfaction From casual to elegant % % % % % A B C D E Message is appealing/easy to understand (net) Like ad/message A Ad is true/believable 9d Natural/does not contain additives 18BCDE Taste (net) 21DE 28CDE 16D 7 12 Tastes good/delicious 20DE 15DE 16DE 7 7 Enhances taste of food/meal - 11ACDe - - 5ACD Healthy/nutritious/good for you 11bcE ABCE 4 Versatile/can be used with different foods/meals 1 5aCD ABCD Smooth and creamy - 18ACDE Base: Respondents who said message would make them more likely to buy avocados Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q5: Why do you say that? (open-ended response) 19

20 Naturally delicious and taste the difference would have the strongest impact among superheavy, heavy and younger buyers Affect of Sensory Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados (% More Likely To Buy by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Naturally delicious 58 72BC 54C 32 68E 41 Taste the difference an avocado makes 52 66BC 47C 27 62E 35 Smooth and creamy 45 59BC E 34 Guilt-free satisfaction 43 59BC E 25 From casual to elegant avocados add a tasty touch to every dish 41 55BC 38C 16 51E 25 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 20

21 Naturally delicious is ranked highest on likelihood to motivate an avocado purchase Overall Ranking of Sensory Messages (% Ranking Each #1) Naturally delicious - A 44% BCDE Taste the difference - B 16% Smooth and creamy - C 16% Guilt-free satisfaction - D 13% From casual to elegant - E 10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.7: Please rank the five messages in order of which would most likely motivate you to buy avocados. (1 = most motivating) 21

22 Preference for naturally delicious is driven by its simplicity and its focus on avocados as a natural (not processed) food Reasons For Message Preference Naturally delicious Taste the difference Smooth and creamy Guilt-free satisfaction From casual to elegant % % % ** ** A B C Message is appealing/easy to understand (net) Ad is simple/easy to understand 20BC 2 4 Like the ad/message 11 23a 20 True/believable Informative/good information 9B 2 8 Natural/does not contain additives 17BC - - Taste (net) Tastes good/better Naturally delicious 8BC - - Healthy/nutritious/good for you 7B - 4 Smooth and creamy AB **Base too small for analysis. Base: Respondents who ranked each message as most motivating Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q8: Why did you prefer that message? (open-ended response) 22

23 DETAILED FINDINGS NUTRITION MESSAGES 23

24 Test Messages - Nutrition Group 24

25 Naturally good fats, cholesterol free and good fat/can replace saturated fats are the most appealing of the nutrition messages Overall Appeal of Nutrition Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Naturally good fats - A 66% DE Cholesterol free - B Good fat/replace saturated fats - C 62% DE 60% DE 8% daily value of fiber - D 50% Sodium free - E 45% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 25

26 Naturally good fats has consistently strong appeal across all subgroups Cholesterol free has relatively low appeal among medium buyers. Overall Appeal of Nutrition Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Naturally good fats 66 77BC Cholesterol free 62 75bC 63C Good fat in avocados can replace saturated fat 60 71BC e 54 8% daily value fiber per 1 oz. serving 50 68BC 44c 32 55e 44 Sodium free 45 61BC 43C Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 26

27 Naturally good fats and cholesterol free score well on most attributes Naturally good fats and cholesterol free perform well on relevance, believability and making buyers feel good about avocados, but naturally good fats is less newsworthy. Good fats/replace saturated fats also scores well on most measures, but is less credible. Attribute Ratings for Nutrition Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Naturally good fats Cholesterol free Good fat/replace saturated fats 8% daily value of fiber Sodium free % % % % % A B C D E Is important to me 69DE 65E 65E 59E 51 Tells me something I didn t know about avocados 39 51A 47A 59ABCE 45 Makes me feel good about buying avocados 71dE 69E 69E 64E 56 Is believable 80CE 81CE Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q6: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (10=agree completely, 1=disagree completely) 27

28 Naturally good fats, cholesterol free and good fats/replace saturated fats would have a stronger impact on avocado purchases than the other messages Affect of Nutrition Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados More Likely To Buy Neither More Nor Less Likely to Buy Less Likely To Buy % % % Naturally good fats (A) 47E 50 3 Cholesterol free (B) 50DE 48 2 Good fat in avocados can replace saturated fat (C) 48E % daily value fiber per 1 oz. serving (D) 41 56Bc 3 Sodium free (E) 36 62ABC 2 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Rows tested. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 28

29 Likelihood of increased purchase is driven by the individual health benefits of each message. Naturally good fats has a more broad-based good for you message than the other options. Main Reasons For Increased Likelihood of Buying Avocados Naturally good fats Cholesterol free Good fat/replace saturated fats 8% daily value of fiber Sodium free % % % % % A B C D E Nutrition (net) C 70bC Healthy/nutritious/good for you 32DE 25d 26d Contains good fats 29BDE 1 19BDE - - Natural/no preservatives and additives 19BCDE Low/cholesterol free 1 38ACDE 1-1 Low/no saturated fat 1-13ABDE - - High in fiber ABCE - Low/sodium free ABCD Message is appealing/informative (net) 25e 26e 34DE Like ad/message Ad is informative 1 6A 8AE 7A 2 Base: Respondents who said message would make them more likely to buy avocados Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q5: Why do you say that? (open-ended response) 29

30 For the three top-scoring messages, intent to buy is strongest among super-heavy buyers Cholesterol free skews higher among heavy buyers and younger buyers. Affect of Nutrition Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados (% More Likely To Buy by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Naturally good fats 47 62BC Cholesterol free 50 72BC 42C 27 55e 44 Good fat in avocados can replace saturated fat 48 63BC % daily value fiber per 1 oz. serving 41 60BC E 32 Sodium free 36 55BC 31C 12 40e 30 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 30

31 Naturally good fats is ranked higher than the other messages on purchase motivation, but none of the top four statements are dominant Overall Ranking of Nutrition Messages (% Ranking Each #1) Naturally good fats - A 29% bcde Cholesterol free - B Good fat/replace saturated fats - C 8% daily value of fiber - D 23% E 20% E 20% E Sodium free - E 8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.7: Please rank the five messages in order of which would most likely motivate you to buy avocados. (1 = most motivating) 31

32 Naturally good fats is preferred for its simplicity, brevity and health message. Preference for the other messages is driven by their specific health benefit Reasons For Message Preference Naturally good fats Cholesterol free Good fat/replace saturated fats 8% daily value of fiber Sodium free % % % % ** A B C D Message is appealing/easy to understand (net) 59B Ad is simple/easy to understand 16BCD 4 True/believable 12B Short/to the point 8CD 6CD - - Informative/good information 1 10A 25AB 21AB Nutrition (net) 33 50A 42 52A Healthy/good for you Low/no saturated fat 12BD - 26BD - Low/no cholesterol 1 29ACD 5 - High in fiber ABC **Base too small for analysis. Base: Respondents who ranked each message as most motivating Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q8: Why did you prefer that message? (open-ended response) 32

33 DETAILED FINDINGS USAGE/OCCASION MESSAGES 33

34 Test Messages - Usage/Occasion Group 34

35 Overall, the usage/occasion messages are less appealing than the sensory and nutrition messages Overall Appeal Of Usage/Occasion Messages (% Top 3 Box Ratings) Slice serve simple - A 62% DE Perfect lunch/dinner topper - B 58% DE Transform any meal - C 55% DE Makes breakfast better - D 46% E Great in desserts/baking - E 38% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 35

36 Slice serve simple is particularly strong among super-heavy and younger buyers Perfect lunch/dinner topper and Transform any meal are weak among medium buyers. Overall Appeal of Usage/Occasion Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Slice serve simple 62 71BC e 57 The perfect lunch and dinner topper 58 68C 61C Transform any meal from good to great 55 71BC 51C 29 59e 49 Make breakfast better with avocados 46 65BC E 35 Great in desserts/baking as a substitute for saturated fats 38 58BC 28c 17 47E 25 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 36

37 Relevance is somewhat weak for all of the usage/occasion messages Makes breakfast better and great in desserts/baking have news value, but they have the lowest relevance and believability. Attribute Ratings for Usage/Occasion Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Slice Serve Simple Perfect lunch/ dinner topper Transform any meal Makes breakfast better Great in desserts/ baking % % % % % A B C D E Is important to me 52e 56DE 55DE Tells me something I didn t know about avocados ABc 55ABCD Makes me feel good about buying avocados 57dE 61DE 61DE Is believable 70DE 72DE 66dE 59E 48 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q6: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (10=agree completely, 1=disagree completely) 37

38 Slice serve simple, perfect lunch/dinner topper and transform any meal would have a more positive impact on avocado purchases than the other two messages Affect of Usage/Occasion Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados More Likely To Buy Neither More Nor Less Likely to Buy Less Likely To Buy % % % Slice serve simple 45DE 54e 1 The perfect lunch and dinner topper 47DE 50 3 Transform any meal from good to great 46DE 52 2 Make breakfast better with avocados 36 56E 8ABC Great in desserts/baking as a substitute for saturated fats ABCD Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 38

39 Reasons for higher purchase likelihood are mainly associated with the primary focus of each message Respondents who claim that Slice Serve Simple will make them more likely to buy avocados cite ease of use, as well as the simplicity of the message. Increased likelihood of purchase for Perfect lunch/dinner topper is driven by the implied versatility of avocados. Enhance any meal communicates the great taste of avocados and their ability to enhance other foods, as well as their versatility of use. (Please see the next page for data detail.) 39

40 Main Reasons For Increased Likelihood of Buying Avocados Slice Serve Simple Perfect lunch/ dinner topper Transform any meal Makes breakfast better Great in desserts/ Baking % % % % % A B C D E Message is appealing/believable (net) d Like ad/message Ad is believable 5 11aDE 9de 4 4 Simple/easy to understand 10BCDE Easy to use/prepare/serve 34BCDE Uses/Occasions (net) 6 36ACE 18A 44ACE 25A Versatile/can be used with different foods 2 16AD 14AD 5 11A Good for breakfast ABCE - Good for dinner - 11ACDE Good for lunch - 12ACDE Good to use for baking/desserts ABCD Good to use with eggs ABCE - Tastes good/delicious/enhances other foods ABDE 7 6 Healthy/nutritious/good for you 1 5A 7A 8A 15ABc Base: Respondents who said message would make them more likely to buy avocados Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q5: Why do you say that? (open-ended response) 40

41 Slice serve simple would have the strongest impact on super-heavy buyers Affect of Usage/Occasion Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados (% More Likely To Buy by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Slice serve simple 45 53BC The perfect lunch and dinner topper 47 55C 48C Transform any meal from good to great 46 55C 48C 25 53E 36 Make breakfast better with avocados 36 52BC 29C 15 42E 27 Great in desserts/baking as a substitute for saturated fats 35 49BC E 26 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 41

42 Slice serve simple is ranked highest on purchase motivation, followed by transform any meal Overall Ranking Of Usage/Occasion Messages (% Ranking Each #1) Slice serve simple - A 32% bcde Transform any meal - B 25% cde Perfect lunch/dinner topper - C 19% E Great in desserts/baking - D 14% Makes breakfast better - E 10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.7: Please rank the five messages in order of which would most likely motivate you to buy avocados. (1 = most motivating) 42

43 Slice Serve Simple is preferred because its message is easy to understand, brief and to the point Reasons For Message Preference Slice Serve Simple Perfect lunch/ dinner topper Transform any meal Makes breakfast better Great in desserts/b aking % % % ** ** A B C Message is appealing/relatable/easy to understand (net) 79BC Message is simple/easy to understand/makes sense 51BC 12 3 Short/to the point 15BC - - Like ad/message (general) True/believable statement Ab Easy to serve/make 5BC - - Good to use in a variety of meals 6 28A 23A My family likes to eat avocados 1 9AC - **Base too small for analysis. Base: Respondents who ranked each message as most motivating Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q8: Why did you prefer that message? (open-ended response) 43

44 DETAILED FINDINGS CALL-TO-ACTION MESSAGES 44

45 Test Messages Call-To-Action Group 45

46 The Call-to-Action messages have relatively low appeal for avocado buyers Overall Appeal of Call-to-Action Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Love one today - A 51% E Make every meal a celebration - B 47% Put a smile on faces - C 47% Make any meal homemade - D 44% Bring avocados to next party - E 42% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 46

47 Interest in Call-to-Action messages skews toward super-heavy and younger buyers Overall Appeal of Call-to-Action Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Fresh avocados love one today 51 71BC E 40 Put a smile on their faces serve avocados 47 67BC 45C 21 57E 34 Make every meal a celebration 47 67BC 43C 24 56E 35 Avocados make any meal homemade 44 64BC 37c 25 51E 35 Bring a fresh avocado to your next party 42 66BC E 24 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.3: How appealing do you find the message? (1-10 ratings scale, 10 = very appealing, 1=not at all appealing) 47

48 Ratings for Call-to-Action messages are low on all attributes Attribute Ratings for Call-to Action Messages (% Top 3 Box Rating) Love one today Make every meal a celebration Put a smile on faces Make any meal homemade Bring avocados to next party % % % % % A B C D E Is important to me 46E 45E 47E Tells me something I didn t know about avocados Makes me feel good about buying avocados 54dE 51e 53E Is believable 56dE Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q6: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? (10=agree completely, 1=disagree completely) 48

49 Impact on purchase of Call-to-Action messages is weak relative to the other message groups in this test Affect of Call-to-Action Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados More Likely To Buy Neither More Nor Less Likely to Buy Less Likely To Buy % % % Fresh avocados love one today (A) 42e 53 5bc Put a smile on their faces serve avocados (B) 42e 55 2 Make every meal a celebration (C) 38 60e 2 Avocados make any meal homemade (D) Bring a fresh avocado to your next party (E) 35 60e 5bc Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Rows tested. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 49

50 Likelihood of increased purchase for Love one today is largely driven by the freshness message. For other messages, respondents replay the usage focus of each Main Reasons For Increased Likelihood of Buying Avocados Love one today Make every meal a celebration Put a smile on faces Make any meal homemade Bring avocados to next party % % % % % A B C D E Message is appealing (net) 47dE Like ad/message Motivates me to buy avocados 10BdE Fresh 18BCD BCD Tastes delicious/enhances other foods Message theme (net) 5 25A 26A 26A 23A Put a smile on their faces ABDE - - Bring a fresh avocado to a party ABCD Avocados make any meal homemade ABCE Make every meal a celebration - 17ACDE Versatile/can be used with different foods/meals AcD Base: Respondents who said message would make them more likely to buy avocados Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q5: Why do you say that? (open-ended response) 50

51 The impact of Call-to-Action messages on purchase would be highest among super-heavy and younger buyers Affect of Call-to-Action Messages on Intent to Buy Avocados (% More Likely To Buy by Subgroup) Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Fresh avocados love one today 42 60BC E 30 Put a smile on their faces serve avocados 42 61BC 43C 15 54E 27 Make every meal a celebration 38 60BC 35C 9 51E 21 Avocados make any meal homemade 37 55BC 35C 15 44E 28 Bring a fresh avocado to your next party 35 57BC 30C 9 44E 22 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.4: If you saw this message on a display for avocados where you normally buy avocados, would you be more likely, neither more nor less likely, or less likely to buy avocados? 51

52 Love one today is ranked highest on purchase motivation Overall Ranking of Call-to-Action Messages (% Ranking Each #1) Love one today - A 32% BCDE Make any meal homemade - B 24% DE Put a smile on faces - C Make every meal a celebration - D 18% E 16% Bring avocados to next party - E 11% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q.7: Please rank the five messages in order of which would most likely motivate you to buy avocados. (1 = most motivating) 52

53 The Love one today message is preferred because it is appealing and relatable. Respondents also appreciate the reinforcement of freshness Reasons For Message Preference Love one Today Make every meal a celebration Put a smile on faces Make any meal homemade Bring avocados to next party % ** % % ** A C D Message is appealing/relatable/easy to understand (general) 55c The freshness message is appealing 23CD - 4 My family likes to eat avocados 16D 16D 6 Makes you feel good/makes you smile 1 22AD 3 Good to use in a variety of meals 1-6C Like the idea of making dishes taste homemade AC **Base too small for analysis. Base: Respondents who ranked each message as most motivating Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q8: Why did you prefer that message? (open-ended response) 53

54 DETAILED FINDINGS AVOCADO SIGNAGE MESSAGES 54

55 Test Messages - Avocado Signage Option 55

56 Fresh Avocados is the most impactful of the three signage options tested Fresh Avocados performs well among all subgroups, particularly super-heavy avocado buyers and younger buyers Signage Most Likely to Influence Avocado Purchases Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium Age Age % % % % % % A B C D E Fresh Avocados 55 61B E 44 Hass Avocados ac D Ripe Avocados a 18 24d Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. See Appendix for additional information. Q.1: Which of these messages would make you more likely to purchase avocados? 56

57 The Fresh Avocados signage provides a reassurance that the avocados are just picked Reasons Why Signage Would Influence Avocado Purchases Fresh Avocados Hass Avocados Ripe Avocados % % % A B C Product Attributes (net) 57BC 10 28B Fresh/just picked 56BC 7 5 Ripe/soft/not hard AB Message (net) 22C 22C 10 Like this message/it sounds good 13c 16C 8 Sounds more appealing/inviting 8BC - 1 Brand (net) 4 46AC 3 Brand has quality/premium products 3 25AC 2 Hass brand has quality products 1 21AC 1 Ease of Use (net) AB Able to eat/use right away AB Makes it easier to know if they are ripe AB Base: Respondents who said signage would influence their avocado purchases Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. See Appendix for additional information. Q2: Why do you say that? (open-ended response) 57

58 APPENDIX 58

59 A Note on Statistical Significance Codes in this Report On each chart in this report, statistical significance codes appear next to the results. Upper case letter codes denote statistically significant differences at the 95% confidence level and lower case letter codes denote statistical significant differences at the 90% confidence level. Both levels represent a high degree of reliability. Example: 61% of respondents gave message (B), Taste the difference, a Top 3 Box ranking compared to 53% of respondents for message D and 49% for message E. The differences in the percentages between message B and messages D and E are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. However, the difference between message B and message C is not significant. Statistical significance codes Example: 61% is significantly different from message D and message E, but not statistically different from message C 59

60 Segmentation by Purchase Level Super Heavy Heavy Medium 120+ avocados/year avocados/year avocados per year Note: Light buyers (purchase 11 or fewer avocados/year) were not included in this study 60

61 Meals for Which Respondents Buy Avocados Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium % % % % A B C Breakfast 27 42AB 19c 12 Lunch 67 72C 67c 58 Dinner 82 85c Snack 51 55C 53C 39 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. 61

62 Ways In Which Respondents Use Avocados Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium % % % % A B C To make guacamole or other dip/sauce In green salads 71 79BC 69c 59 On sandwiches or hamburgers 62 69C 62C 50 With Mexican food Eat by itself 51 58C 52C 38 With eggs 25 36BC In smoothies 15 29BC 8C 2 Some other way 3 1 5A 2 Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. 62

63 Respondent Demographics Gender Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium A B C Female 54% 49% 51% 68%AB Male 46% 51%C 49%C 32% Age (mean years) C 52.6AB Household Size (mean) BC 2.9C 2.2 Household Income (mean in $000) $78.3 $84.9C $77.6C $67.2 Marital Status Married/living with partner 68% 75%bC 67%C 56% Divorced/widowed 15% 8% 15%A 27%AB Never married 17% 17% 17% 17% Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. 63

64 Respondent Demographics (cont.) Education Total Super Heavy Heavy Medium % % % % A B C High school graduate or less Some college College graduate Post-graduate Ethnicity White/Caucasian A 90AB Hispanic 8 11C 8C 2 Black or African-American 5 7BC 2 3 Asian 6 8c 5 4 Other Note: Letters denote significant differences at the 95% (upper case) and 90% (lower case) confidence levels. Columns tested: A/B/C and D/E. 64