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Brazilian Fruit Festival is sponsored by Trade and Investment
Promotion Agency (APEX-BRASIL), the Brazilian Fruit
Institute (IBRAF) and Carrefour. The partnership was
launched in September 2004 and encompasses promotional
marketing actions in 18 countries in Europe, the Middle
East, Asia and the Americas. The objective is to expand
and diversify Brazil's fruit exports, launching new
products and companies and diversifying the destination
countries.
The
first country to receive the project in 2004 was Poland,
followed by Portugal and Spain. The project envisages
actions involving the marketing, exposition and sale
of products made available in exclusive areas of the
stores and showcased in the hypermarkets' promotional
newspapers and on billboards. In this environment, fresh
fruit, juices and concentrates are sampled in Carrefour
stores and demonstrated by a Brazilian sales staff,
which is recruited locally. Public relations activities
are carried out, aiming for the project to also reach
the attention of opinion formers.
Participating
initially in the Brazilian Fruit Festival are roughly
60 producers of fruits such as mangoes, papaya, melons,
grapes, apples, limes, apple, banana and white pineapple.
Selection of the participants is carried out by Carrefour,
which contacted fruit suppliers, especially through
the Guarantee of Origin Program, and also by IBRAF,
through the Integrated Sector Project that it develops
jointly with APEX-BRASIL.
The
international market is very receptive to the flavors
and diversity of Brazilian fruits. In Poland, for example,
where the Brazilian Fruit Festival was initially launched,
the stock acquired of some fruits that was expected
to last one week, ran out at the start of the second
day.
The
first countries to receive the Brazilian Fruit Festival
on 2005 were Italy and France. In Italy, the promotion
was carried out at 16 of the chain's hypermarkets, with
national coverage. The stores were selected based on
the criteria of stores with the best sales rankings
and with the best locations for access to the target
public. The start of fruit sales at the hypermarkets
was launched simultaneously across the country. The
fruits requested by the Italian chain included avocado,
persimmons, green coconut, papaya, Perola (pearl) pineapples,
Italia grapes, apples, limes and mangoes.
In
France the promotion was carried out in two phases and
was part of the country's Year of Brazil commemoration.
The promotion was carried out at 40 Carrefour hypermarkets
and 250 Champion Supermarkets. Promotional actions were
envisaged in Czech Republic and Slovakia (October);
Switzerland (November) and Belgium happened on December.
In
2006 another nine countries of Asia and Middle East,
were Carrefour hypermarkets are located, will sell the
Brazilian Fruits and receive the promotional marketing
actions of the Brazilian Fruit Festival. That will also
continue to be made during this year in Europe in order
to consolidate open markets promoted on last year.
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