NEW Australian Almonds ambassador Poh Ling Yeow will add an element of glitz as the industry pushes hard to increase its market share this year.
The Almond Board of Australia has gone nuts about her appointment and the high-profile celebrity chef and television personality is no flash in the pan either.
Poh’s her connection with the almond industry goes back to her Adelaide childhood helping shell homegrown almonds in her family kitchen.
Today Poh is widely recognised for her passion with fresh, local ingredients and creative culinary approach, and she will be partnering with Australian almonds to help inspire consumers to incorporate this nutritious and versatile nut into their everyday meals.
As one of Australia’s most beloved food personalities, Poh brings with her a multicultural perspective on the use of almonds in both sweet and savoury dishes.
She will play a key role in highlighting the benefits of almonds to both Australian consumers and particularly in key international export markets.
She said her fond memories from the early 1980s using almonds from the family’s tree had ensured the nut remained one of her favourite ingredients and was a pantry staple to this day because of its versatility in cooking and as a tasty snack.
The new partnership will see Poh showcasing innovative almond-based recipes and promoting the health benefits of Australian almonds through a series of events, digital content, and social media campaigns.
So keep a sharp eye out for Poh’s Christmas recipes showcasing almonds, which will be rolled out on our social media accounts in the coming weeks.
In other marketing news, the Almond Board of Australia has engaged its first marketing expert on the ground in India.
SS Associates, led by Sumit Saran, has been appointed to raise the profile of Australian Almonds in this potentially massive market for our industry.
For more than two decades Mr Saran has been involved in brand awareness campaigns for several high value imported foods, including American pistachios and Chilean walnuts.
California will always be the largest exporter of almonds to India, but Australia has a unique advantage with reduced tariffs for 34,000 tonnes of almonds exported to the sub-continent annually.
Last year our market share in India doubled to almond 25,000 tonnes.
Mr Saran’s work is already having an impact, with billboard advertising at the Khari Baoli market in New Dehli where a large percentage of almond imports are traded.
Australian Almonds-branded rain jackets have also been supplied to the workers who load and unload the sacks of almonds – and they have already been well received and are certain to get a thorough workout during monsoon season.
And finally, our new global mascot – an almond kangaroo called Murray – has been developed to promote Australian Almonds.
His launch has also been well received by the industry and almond traders overseas.
There are already three companies in India which have the almond kangaroo on their packs, making it a handy way to identify almond country of origin.
Delegates at last month’s Australian Almond Conference were asked to help name the kangaroo and more than 100 entries were submitted.
Murray was the winning name, because it provides a link to the region and river where the majority of Australian almonds are grown.
This name also gives us an opportunity to highlight our commitment to the Murray Darling Basin and the sustainability measures growers are undertaking on their farms.
This isn’t the first time the almond industry has used a kangaroo in branding activities overseas, but making use of the kernel colour and appearance makes this our most creative branding.
The Australian almond industry has had great success with international wholesalers knowing that we grow almonds and that has been our focus for the past 20 years.
Now we are taking the next step and educating consumers in those markets.
