Desbry by WP Produce
Visionary Thinking at the Perfect Time
In 1984, WP Produce started by selling their Desbry brand of exotic fruits and roots from the back of founder Willy Pardo’s pickup truck. Thirty-five years later, the multigenerational family business with a vision to dominate had become one of the leading US grower-shippers of tropical fresh produce.
After seeing Moxxy’s success boosting US demand for Dominican avocados using a USDA grant to create market opportunity, WP’s VP of Sales, Christopher Gonzalez, approached Moxxy to help them gain awareness, develop buyer preference for the Desbry brand, and become a go-to supplier for major retailers and foodservice distributors. Christopher said, “working with Moxxy, we’ve gained valuable insights on how to grow sales with retailers and consumers for our Desbry brand Tropical Avocados. The Moxxy team is smart, responsive, knows the fresh produce industry and has really creative ideas.”
Growing the Avocado Category & Retailer Profits
Moxxy began by gaining insights through consumer and buyer research, then used the information to strategize with WP on sales efforts. First up was a brand refresh plus new packaging and point-of-sale materials to help merchandise and promote this familiar yet different fruit.
From there, Moxxy developed retailer-specific strategies and sales presentation materials. Sales activities were supported by a robust publicity campaign in trade media, an award-winning ad campaign that captured buyer interest by speaking to their needs, and social media influencer marketing to support retail sales with shopper education, recipe ideas and usage tips.
Big and Green: The Fruit and Its Growth Potential
Tropical avocados are impressively big and green with unique and special features. A staple in the Caribbean, tropical avocados only had a fraction of the US market. Desbry was already a major grower-shipper, but outside of South Florida, there was little market penetration because neither buyers or shoppers knew the wonders of the fruit.
Moxxy and WP agreed it was time to leverage the all-time popularity of avocados, and aggressively market tropical avocados to expand the category.
Phenomenal Results
The sign of a true partnership, WP Produce relied on Moxxy’s expertise for strategy and activation of a multi-year, multi-faceted marketing, merchandising and sales support program. During the four-year campaign, retail penetration for tropical avocados grew 38%, several trial programs with new retailer customers were attained, and geographic expansion brought the fruit into Texas, California and Canada. Foodservice opportunities with several popular QSR national chains were attained, and the Desbry brand achieved well-known and favorable positioning throughout the fresh produce supply chain.
SERVICES PROVIDED:
- Branding
- Research
- Publicity
- Sales Strategy and Support
- Sales Presentation Decks
- Retailer Strategy and Introductions
- Packaging and Point-of-Sale
- Digital and Print Advertising
- Influencer Partnerships
- Social Media
- Trade Show Booths and Materials
