Well, okay it’s not a blue carrot. But it is a pretty deformed one. The question is “Would you buy it?” The answer for a very large number of people is, perhaps surprisingly, “yes”.
The European Union declared 2014 to be the Year Against Food Waste.
The U.S. and other developed countries waste up to 40% of their food, bringing total global food waste to a staggering 1.3 billion tons worth almost $400 billion, and wreaking environmental havoc with it.
Not surprising, as consumers we’ve come to expect every natural product to be “perfect”.
But all this wasted food is perfectly edible and nutritious . Could there be a market?
As it happens, there is. And it’s a great example of a Blue Ocean Strategy. i.e. Creating a new market out of thin air.
Enter the “Inglorious Fruit & Vegetable” that you can buy at heavily discounted prices.
Does it work? You be the judge.
French supermarket Intermarché dubbed its campaign “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables,” complete with slick visuals of enticing if not conventionally handsome produce; it brought a 24% uptick in store traffic.
In Sydney, Harris Farm Markets started a line of “Ugly Fruit & Veges” which we regularly buy. Woolies has followed suit.
Here are a couple of really funny videos on the topic. Well worth watching.
So my next question to you is… “How could you create a new market out of something you might normally discard?” Or a product or service that your current clients may not be interested in, but others might err, salivate over?
Need a fresh perspective on your marketing? Call us.