Although orange juice has been known as a great source of
Vitamin C, health conscious Americans have turned away from the breakfast
staple due to its high sugar content. According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, per capita orange juice consumption fallen from 5.8 gallons per
person in 1996 to 3.2 gallons in 2012. In order to combat the falling demand of
orange juice, an agency that is funded by taxes on Florida-grown oranges, the
Florida Department of Citrus, has enlisted the help of Marvel Entertainment to
revamp its mascot. The agency hopes that the improved mascot, Captain Citrus,
will increase orange juice demand as it appears next to the rest of Marvel’s
popular Avengers characters.
Will Captain Citrus be enough to turn orange-juice sales
after experiencing a small crop season that was tarnished by a deadly tree
disease?
How much of an effect has the White House healthier food
initiative had on orange juice sales as it promotes dietary awareness?
http://online.wsj.com/articles/orange-juice-searches-for-a-fresher-image-1411766713
Captain Citrus? Really? I somehow doubt that a cartoon orange wearing a cape is going to boost orange juice sales. Parents won't buy their kids orange juice if they think it is unhealthy, despite little Johnny wanting to be just like Captain Citrus. I think orange juice producers need to find a way to reduce the sugar content of their product if they want to regain the interest of health conscious Americans. I'm not sure if the healthy food initiative has had anything to do with increased dietary awareness, but I do agree that many people are more health conscious now than they were ten years ago.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Clay that health conscious parents will make a strong effort to avoid a product despite it having a cool mascot. While the mascot may bump sales slightly, I don't think that it will bring levels back up to their previous peaks. The industry needs to find ways to adapt to the changing consumer tastes and I think products such as the Trop50 which can boast both the health benefits of orange juice and low sugar content are a better avenue toward success than a marketing scheme.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it won't fool parents, but it could fool kids enough that parents won't look deeply into health content. Advertisement can be powerful in increasing demand, but how powerful is an OJ ad next to Avenger's characters? Are they trying to hit a certain target audience with high hopes? If they are trying to increase sales and recover from the loss in demand, maybe they should center their focus on a more health-centered product (considering their loss was due to sugar content). The results would be interesting: advertisement vs. a healthier product, which works better for increased sales?
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