Thanks to a USDA-AMs Specialty Crop Block Grant administered by the Texas Department of Ag, the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) has launched an ambitious promotional campaign for Texas 1015 Sweet Onions, otherwise known as TX1015.
“The grant will fund another record-breaking marketing program this spring focusing on increasing brand awareness and sales of the TX1015 Sweet Onion, aimed at both retailers and consumers,” an April 19 TIPA release said.
“April marked the official launch of the comprehensive marketing campaign that includes print, digital, and live and in-person promotions throughout the season,” it noted. “Among new or improved retailer initiatives this season are an extensive trade advertising program and greater in-store promotions.”
It continued, “To facilitate brand awareness about the original sweet onion, TIPA kicked off the TX1015 season with an informational virtual field tour at the Viva Fresh Expo.
Dante Galeazzi, manager of the South Texas Onion Committee and CEO and President of TIPA, said, “We’re excited we are able to dedicate additional funds to retailer-centric promotions that highlight the versatility and flavor of the state vegetable of Texas.”
Consumer-focused promotions in this year’s campaign are expected to “reach further and wider than any previous year,” and the release said, “Consumers should keep their eyes open for fun promotions including sweepstakes and weekly giveaways, a food influencer recipe program and contest with resulting cookbook, a feature story by Texas food legend David Elder of Texas Eats, and the TX1015 Eat Sweet restaurant week event hosted in the Rio Grande Valley.”
Dante added, “This year’s robust campaign is already off to a fantastic start and we’re confident it will reach our audiences and leave an impact. Many consumers are not aware that all US-grown sweet onions were bred from the original TX1015 sweets and we’re on a mission to fix that.”
Harvest of the TX1015 onions is well underway, and the release said that “excellent quality and availability are expected to continue through early summer.”
For more information & updates on the 2023 program, or if you’re a grower or distributor, visit tx1015.com. Sign up for the TX1015 newsletter to stay up to date, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
