By Fresh Produce Marketing founder Lisa Cork

I've long been a believer that produce companies can learn a lot about on-pack communication strategies from packaged food companies. When I speak at conferences, I often tell audiences one of the best ways to expand their thinking about their packaging communication is to spend time in the grocery aisle. Walking the cereal aisle, the juice aisle or the bottled water is like doing a packaging communication boot camp and it is a real eye opener.

Recently a couple of packs have caught my attention specifically for their potential transfer to fresh produce packaging. These packs focus on not just 'benefit' marketing but more like 'specific need' marketing to capture the sale. Take a look at the Bode photo below.

What I am honed in on about these packs is not just the brand, but the 'need fulfilled' as part of the product offer. Look below the brand and what do you see? Each product is this range was formulated with a specific consumer health need in mind.

The bottle to the left specifically targets "Women's Health". In trying to research the specific women’s health benefit, I came across the following:

"Two scientists created all natural BODE Women's Health to be a low calorie, all natural, nutrient-enriched beverage specifically designed to meet the needs of active women seeking healthier hydration. BODE Women's Health helps promote optimal health by providing key nutrients such as folic acid, calcium and fiber."

Compare this to the same brand, but the bottle on the right. The specific need this one fulfils is memory. The website blurb for this product states:

"Your memory needs nutrition to function properly. Two scientists had a vision to create all-natural, low-calorie beverages with nutrients specifically formulated for memory function. With nutrient support that includes gingko biloba and D-ribose, you will have an elevated level of focus and concentration to help you meet life’s daily challenges."

Now, love or hate this kind of product marketing, the 'specific need' fulfilment offer has significant potential and I am seeing it more and more on packaged food packaging. I've often thought about how this tactic could be transferred to fresh produce.

Imagine my surprise when I stopped and read a local supermarket flyer that appeared in my mailbox just a few days ago. On page 2 was a strip ad for a new range of vegetables called "vitalvegetables". The ad states, "Vitality in every serving. Guaranteed to deliver 25% of the suggested daily intake of antioxidants per serve all year round."

What I like about these packs most however is they have embraced the concept of 'specific need' marketing - exactly like the trend being seen in packaged food. For example, the vitalheart salad mix states, "Designed with your heart in mind. This mix contains more than 10% of the recommended daily intake for Vitamin C and contains phenolics."

The vitalsight mix is, "Naturally high in pro-vitamin A carotenoids to support healthy vision." The vitalbones mix notes, "Contains vitamin K and vitamin C to support bone structure."

The vitalvegetables website has more information and I encourage you to check out the products because from a packaging communication point of view, they’ve done a good job communicating the product and its specific need benefits on pack.

In my work with clients, I am focusing more and more on working with them to develop strategies and packaging communication options that enable them to move beyond commodity and instead look for opportunities to better meet shopper needs and drive their value growth.

'Specific Need' marketing and packaging communication is an untapped strategy in fresh produce. Done well and backed up with research, it is a powerful strategy that shows shoppers how fresh produce can directly fill a need – a need fulfilment is one way to ensure shoppers enthusiastically pay you more for your products.

If you are interested in making your packaging work harder, but you feel daunted by where to start, then drop me an email (Lisa@freshproducemarketing.com). I help produce companies optimize their packaging every day and would love to have a chat. You can also follow me on Twitter: @broccolilady or visit my website.

www.freshfruitportal.com