In September, as part of a larger National Organic Month effort, Dole Food Co. initiated a dedicated marketing program touting the benefits of organic to Gen Y, Gen Z and Baby Boomer consumers in more than a dozen U.S. markets that over-indexed in organic consumption.

One of Dole’s largest organic-specific marketing efforts in years, the digital, social and PR program continued through October, said William Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications.

“Our goal was to work with key national and regional retailers to implement a series of localized social and digital trade and consumer ads focused on showcasing Dole’s 25 years of leadership growing organic produce and developing at-retail programs that communicate the health, sustainability and environmental benefits of organic bananas and pineapples.”

The campaign specifically targeted both current and emerging organic shoppers in cities that have shown the highest propensity to purchase as well as recent demographic changes leading to shifting organic fresh fruit and vegetable buying and consumption habits across the country.

The benefits of effective marketing of organic are clear, Goldfield said. Dole’s category development team has documented that a properly merchandised in-store Dole Organic Banana program can generate up to 15% more in dollar sales than conventional banana programs alone.

“Our expanded organic produce outreach efforts reflect consumers’ constantly evolving expectations,” he said. “More than ever, today’s shoppers possess a growing interest in natural foods. They want the brands they buy to align with their values on everything from climate mitigation and social issues to health and wellness, and food security and safety.”

Expanding Dole’s organic and fair trade product messaging, he added, has become essential to engaging the now-sizable percentage of socially and environmentally conscious shoppers who continue to fuel growth in fresh produce – not just in emerging organic markets but nationally and even globally.

Bananas and pineapples are Dole’s top two organic sellers. The company was one of the first in the world to offer organic versions of those fruits at scale, Goldfield said, and it remains the top grower, distributor and marketer of them.

“We successfully predicted the initial demand of organic consumers almost 25 years ago and are anticipating another season of growth from a new generation of shoppers attracted to not only the health advantages but also the distinct environmental benefits associated with organic including soil fertility, enhanced biodiversity and sustainable land management.”

The organic banana and pineapple markets continue to expand in both volume and dollar sales, and Dole’s production is also growing, he added.

In 2025, Dole will look to further partner with retailers to develop customized marketing toolkits and tactics that help them reach new organic shoppers.

These include co-branded digital ads, in-store signage, point-of-sale displays and activations, customized recipes, retailer newsletters, and new-product launches and tastings, which Goldfield said are being combined with Dole’s industry-leading social media pages, nutrition blog, website, online recipe library and network of media and blogger contacts.

Going green (literally)

One interesting recent development in the organic banana category is growing consumer preference for slightly greener fruit, Goldfield said.

In a Dole survey of the category, conducted in advance of National Banana Day in April, 29% of respondents said they like eating bananas that are at least partially green, including 6% that prefer the fruit be mostly green. (One-half of banana lovers want perfectly yellow fruit with no green or brown spots.)

Each retailer has their preferred color level when merchandising bananas based on their own shoppers’ habits, Goldfield said.

“Although offering a broad color range is optimal to increase sales — a cluster for immediate use and one for days later — organic shoppers generally purchase slightly greener fruit. Stage 3, a 50/50 ratio of green to yellow, is often found at the display.”