UNITED STATES - You think marketing produce would be easy. It’s healthy, delicious, and vibrant to boot. So why aren’t more consumers buying fruits and vegetables? I turned to industry advocate, Katie Calligaro, Marketing and Communications Director for The Foundation for Fresh Produce, to dig deeper.

“Everyone thinks fruits and vegetables are the easiest products because of their known health halo. The real truth is that people ‘know’ fruits and veggies are good for them, yet nine out of 10 Americans still aren’t eating enough,” Katie told me. “How can we tap into the emotional connection people have when experiencing fruits and vegetables—to make it a positive one—and one that they want to ‘do’ or repeat more often? Therein lies the anatomy of a habit; and the marketing challenge.”

Getting consumers to “Have A Plant®” every time they eat is challenging, but The Foundation for Fresh Produce has insightful learnings to warm us up.

In one study, Hacks To Habits: A Behavioral Research Study To Bolster Fruit & Vegetable Consumption, four main findings emerged:

• Habits are context-specific behaviors
• High-frequency eaters have more fruit and vegetable habits
• Low-frequency eaters can build habits from hacks
• Fruits and vegetables are different

For the marketers of our industry, I implore you to read the above study. It highlights consumer habits, pain points, and behaviors to help you tailor your programs and branding.

The Foundation for Fresh Produce will be hosting the industry’s only consumer-focused event, bringing together produce marketers, retail dietitians, foodservice tastemakers, and consumer-facing influencers at The Consumer Connection Conference, April 29—May 1. For more insights on consumer trends and behaviors and how we can boost appeal to inspire lifelong fruit and vegetable consumption habits, you won’t want to miss it.

“We cannot win this fight on the backbone of health; we have to win on taste,” added CarrieAnn Arias, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TableSpark, and Board Member of the Foundation for Fresh Produce. “Channeling the grit and determination, with which the produce is grown, will be needed to transcend the grip processed foods have on taste buds young and old. The foundation sees these consumption headwinds as opportunities to lean into. Strategic partnerships, consistent access, behavioral research, and grassroots activations are all necessary to move the needle. We know that food preferences start in infancy, so that is an opportunity to create an entire Have a Plant generation.”

Katie noted another important distinction.

“There is no doubt that marketing today is getting harder and harder with so much mis- and disinformation in the world, among so many other distractions. And let’s be real, breaking through the clutter to get a consumer to change or create a new behavior is just not easy. The more we can come together with unified messaging, as well as unique ways to make fruits and veggies appealing, accessible, easy, delicious, and fun, the closer we will get to increasing consumption and creating habits that last a lifetime,” Katie told me.

Check out the report here for more marketing goodies and register today to collaborate and learn more in person.

AndNowUKnow keeps its finger on the pulse of the latest strategies driving produce consumption.