In late 2009, mandarins and other "easy peel" citrus varieties
were cutting into the market share of navel oranges. Some growers
ripped out old navel orchards to ride the wave. After an in-depth
review of LoBue Citrus' product mix and customer base, GSM worked
with LoBue to create a navel orange brand that meets consumer
demand for authentic flavor, while showcasing a rare set of groves
the family had farmed for over 70 years.
The name Heritage Reserve Navel Oranges was chosen to reflect
both the age of the trees (50-112 years old) and the family's deep
roots in California's citrus industry. The marketing program also
emphasizes sustainability and land conservation.
GSM identified the opportunity, built the brand and
developed marketing and customer acquisition strategies as
well as identified and helped share the story with prospective
customers. Additionally, GSM implemented a consumer marketing
strategy, including public relations and social media.
Our ongoing work with LoBue is yielding triple wins: retailers
are enjoying category sales growth; farmers are earning new
customers and higher returns; and consumers are enthusiastic fans
of Heritage Reserve Navel Oranges, as this example of unsolicited
feedback illustrates:
"I am a native of Riverside, California, and grew up eating
the oranges from my grandfather's grove. My husband and I owned a
100-year-old home that had a Washington Navel in the yard. So I
know what a REAL orange tastes like. When we relocated to Missouri,
I thought I would never again taste the unique flavor of this
wonderful fruit. You can imagine my surprise and pleasure at
finding Heritage Reserve Navel Oranges in my local market. Thank
you for the taste of the sunshine from my childhood…" Susan B.
(via Facebook)
Client Feedback
"We've achieved a lot working with Golden Sun Marketing over the
past few seasons. Don and his team have helped us with strategic
planning as well as the development and execution of detailed
marketing programs from start to finish, including our highly
successful Heritage Reserve Navel Orange program. Don enhanced our
understanding of how to leverage that program to establish new
business, and our distribution has expanded because of connections
established, or re-established, due to Don's industry
experience."
Joe LoBue, vice president of export marketing, LoBue Citrus