As inflation drives a cultural shift in grocery priorities, Sunkist is determined to help price-conscious consumers make healthier choices without compromising taste or budget.
“We are committed to offering citrus options that are both versatile and affordable, allowing consumers to reclaim their health without sacrificing flavor or breaking the bank,” said Trent Bishop, vice president of sales and marketing. Sunkist’s summer citrus varieties include Valencia oranges, lemons and grapefruit. “Our goal is to get inflation-pinched shoppers to make citrus an essential item at checkout.”
With most shoppers planning fruit purchases before entering the store, Sunkist continues to engage with shoppers where they show up, and right now, that’s TikTok, a platform where millennial and Gen Z consumers are spending increasing amounts of time. The Sunkist Unlimited campaign highlights the versatility and flavor of in-season varieties, tapping into viral recipes and collaborations with foodie influencers who share tips, tricks and hacks. Consumers can easily substitute in-season, Valencia oranges, also known as the “summer orange,” into any trending recipe, as these oranges are perfect for juicing and are available now through October.
The Sunkist Unlimited campaign highlights the versatility and flavor of in-season varieties, tapping into viral recipes.
“Citrus is top-of-mind from July through October, according to Circana, where citrus represents 10 percent of total fruit dollars sold at retail across the U.S.,” said Cassie Howard, director of category and consumer insights.
Through duets and stitches, Sunkist TikTok creators concocted dishes that share ways to bring in-season Sunkist citrus to the table whether it’s through trending recipes such as the lemony Senegalese-inspired cottage cheese toast or sharing hacks including lemon ice cubes and orange sugar rims.
“Summer is peak season for lemon purchases, with more households buying lemons than at other times of the year,” said Cassie. “Circana shows that in the last 13 weeks through June, 5lb. lemon bags increased over five percent versus last year and 20 percent compared to two seasons ago.”
Rounding out in-season summer citrus varietals include California Star Ruby grapefruits. “We have learned a lot about the grapefruit shopper over the years, and according to a Sunkist-commissioned study, new shoppers are important to the category, representing nearly 1/3 of all grapefruit households, and are predominantly millennials and Gen Zers,” added Cassie.
An interactive Sunkist Unlimited website was launched to highlight the potential of in-season citrus. The website hosts trending TikTok tutorials and incorporates a surprise generator to inspire visitors to use citrus in fun, unexpected ways. The site demonstrates the unlimited nature of citrus by expanding the website's search filters for more personalized search results, such as selecting by key ingredients, dietary requirements or prep time. Sunkist has also upgraded the “Where-to-Buy” platform so consumers can search which stores are carrying in-season, summer citrus varieties.
For more information:
Garrett Stolz
Sunkist Growers
Tel: +1 (661) 290-8772
www.sunkist.com