Toolkit has designs on Fresh Cut

Fresh-cut produce comes in all shapes and sizes. In bags and in containers. Designed with colorful and multiple graphics, or simple, maybe only bearing a deli label.

Regardless of packaging and presentation, it all has one thing in common. It’s “Farm Fresh, Table Ready.”

That’s one of the messages in the recently released “Image of Fresh-Cut” Toolkit. Developed by the United Fresh-Cut Processor Board, the kit is designed to help
increase sales while strengthening the image of fresh-cut produce with a brand that is all its own.

“This is all from consumer feedback, that fresh cut was not desirable in the eyes of consumers on a number of levels — price, thoughts on food safety, environmental (packaging waste),” said Jeffrey Oberman, United Fresh vice president, membership & trade relations. “Consumers felt it was not as fresh as whole commodity, not as healthy as whole commodity — that was the feedback we got.

Using United Fresh and trade industry research, reviewing what some of the larger players in the industry are doing and talking to retailers about what tools they need to tell the story of fresh-cut produce, the group came up with the idea of a toolkit that incorporates components to facilitate brand identity — and sales.

They developed a variety of ideas for slogans, opting for “Farm Fresh, Table Ready.”

“We put those taglines out to consumers and said, ‘What resonates with you?’ And ‘Farm Fresh, Table Ready’ by far ranked at the top,” Oberman said.

The kit offers downloadable logos to be used as stickers on packaging or incorporated into designs. To reach chefs, the group worked with a celebrity chef to develop a video.

“One of the issues that fresh cut seems to have is that it’s (perceived as) good but not good enough for high-end use,” said Minos Athanassiadis of Fresh Link Group, speaking during a session at the United Fresh 2012 trade show. “That was one of the things we wanted to put together — talk to a real chef and get a chef’s impression.”

Also included in the kit are guidelines for social media, sections for retailers and foodservice and instructions for handling and rotation.

“The power in this is getting a consistent message across to consumers,” said Phil Gruszka, of Gruszka Consulting, “getting a message out that is positive and reinforces why they should buy fresh-cut produce.”