Prominent offers breakfast and snack inspiration

Stimulating growth of the fresh produce section by inspiring shoppers. That is the aim of tomato brand Prominent. "Researching the behaviour of shoppers in the Netherlands, Germany and Great Britain gives us insight into what consumers want. Together with our chain partners, we use this information to increase the value within the fresh produce category," says Perry Dekkers, Commercial Director at Growers United. "The Global Tomato Congress that took place online yesterday was the perfect opportunity to share our insights and motivate the congress participants to take on that challenge, together with us."

Consumers are central to Prominent's marketing strategy. The brand does not directly target consumers with its activations. "We don't communicate with shoppers ourselves; we leave that to the retailers. But we do study the behaviour of end users. We also like to base our strategy on facts, which is why we decided to invest in shopper research at Growers United," says Perry Dekkers. "What are the different types of consumers? Which type of tomato do they enjoy and at what time, and how does this vary between countries? We use all this very interesting data to increase consumption and encourage growth of the category."

Start the day with a tomato
To keep up with trends and make the most of consumption opportunities, Growers United's tomato brand came up with the Tomato Times campaign. With a campaign video, tomato recipes for unexpected moments and with activations on the shelves and the shop floor, Prominent demonstrates that tomatoes can be eaten all day long. "However, research in the Netherlands, Germany and Great Britain tells us that not everyone is aware of this just yet. There are still potential for profit for retailers here. Take breakfast, for example. Only 9% of the Dutch research participants eat tomatoes in the morning, although they are actually open to the idea. It's a simple case of lack of inspiration."

Tasty snack
The participants in the research mainly eat vegetables in the evening, as part of a hot dinner. Second on that list of eating moments is lunch time. "Research tells us that tomatoes are not an obvious choice for a snack. There are also opportunities in that regard," says Perry. "For example, you could turn your tapas into a healthy eating moment. Tomatoes have endless opportunities for variety. And with a tapas platter for the little ones, parents could also create a healthy and fun moment for the kids."

Join our challenge
Together with its partners, the Prominent tomato brand is doing everything it can to encourage more consumers to enjoy different types of tomatoes more often, at various times throughout the day. "In other words: activate shoppers, especially at times when it had not yet occurred to them to eat a tomato," is Perry's appeal. "And join us. Join our challenge!"

Curious to know more?
Growers United/Prominent believes that we are stronger together and gladly shares its knowledge and experience. Curious to know more? Do not hesitate to get in touch with Wim van den Berg of Growers United: w.vandenberg@growersunited.nl of +31 (0)6 5756 4346.

The interview of Perry Dekkers, during the Global Tomato Congress