MISSION, TX - This year’s Texas 1015 sweet onion season was a success, with another record-breaking marketing program this spring and early summer. The South Texas Onion Committee (STOC) launched its most comprehensive campaign to date including live, print, digital, television, and in-store promotions. STOC also kicked off the Texas 1015 season with a Virtual Field Tour at the Viva Fresh Expo where 184 participants, mainly retailers, got a first-hand look.
“The virtual field tours are always popular and ‘get back to the dirt’ by providing a valuable look inside the operations that deliver our nation’s first sweet onion to market each year. Because the tour is live, it is like visiting the operation for yourself and creates great dialogue between our Texas farmers and the stores that will eventually offer Texas 1015 sweet onions to consumers,” said Dante Galeazzi, Manager of the STOC and President of Texas International Produce Association.
According to a press release, consumer-focused promotions included a social media campaign that garnered a nearly 15 percent increase in followers, a sweepstakes bringing in over 1.3 million engagements, and a food influencer recipe program and contest. The strategy also included an Instacart ad campaign and story segments published by Texas food legend David Elder of KSAT12’s Texas Eats. Rounding out 2023’s consumer promotions was the highly anticipated TX1015 Restaurant Week.
The campaign also integrated retailer promotions and trade advertising. STOC partnered with three Texas retailers to promote sales with in-store and digital promotions and a season-long ad campaign in popular trade publications.
“The proof is in the numbers. This year’s robust campaign successfully reached audiences directly, through social media, through retail, and through trade—and it left an impact,” remarked Galeazzi.
Harvest of Texas 1015s has wrapped up, and although excessive and heavy rains damaged some fields, yields were plentiful and demands were met. Plus, the rising popularity of the Texas 1015 has resulted in a nearly 40 percent increase in acreage planted this year.
More Texas 1015 sweet onions will be coming in March 2024, and ANUK will be here to report when they do.
