The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC), located in Vidalia, Georgia, is looking forward to new marketing initiatives it has put in place for the upcoming season.
Bob Stafford, VOC manager, said “Only Vidalia” is the new phrase for the committee. He spoke with AgNet Media’s Josh McGill at the Produce Marketing Association’s 2017 Fresh Summit. The Fresh Summit was held October 19–21, 2017 in New Orleans.
“You’re going to hear that a lot from here on out,” Stafford said about the new phrase.
Stafford said he wants Vidalia onion products and the new phrase to become better-known in stores. He said this will make it easier to be near the consumer. New varieties of the crop are also being used as a selling point for this season.
“We have about … 22 percent of total onion sales, but we’re planning on increasing that,” Stafford said.
A new marketing firm has been hired to help VOC implement the new phrase and the new in-store product promotions.
“Our big push is to talk about the new varieties that we’ve got,” Stafford said. The goal is to make Vidalia onions more appealing. Characteristics of the new Vidalia onion varieties include visual appeal, sweetness and shelf-life.
He said one goal is to “prove that we do have the sweet onion. It’s the best one.” The combination of soil, weather and water in the Vidalia area are what gives the onions an advantage over others, he said. The soil in the area has a low sulfur content, which he said helps the crops.
In addition to this, a new logo has been put in place to visually represent the new marketing plan. “The new logo will be featured in the Vidalia 2018 marketing campaign, ‘Only Vidalia,’ which reminds people that only Vidalia onions have the sweet, mild flavor profile that has made it an essential ingredient for a wide range of dishes including salads, dressings and even desserts,” the VOC said in a press release. Visit their website to view the new logo.
Implementation of these marketing strategies will help VOC’s new phrase and goals become more well-known.
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