Go South! represents 22 fruits and vegetables grown in 15 soil-rich southeastern U.S. states
and the tropics of Puerto Rico in the Canadian market. With a primary focus on education,
the program provides Ontario consumers with new ways to enjoy the variety of fruits and vegetables
grown in this region, which are available in Canada year round.
| Products |
| Blueberries |
Cucumber |
Keitt Mangoes |
Sweet Potatoes |
| Cabbage |
Eggplant |
Leafy Greens* |
Strawberries |
| Cantaloupe |
Green Beans |
Peaches |
Sweet Onions** |
| Celery |
Green Peppers |
Pecans |
Zucchini |
| Corn |
Honeydew |
Spinach |
*Leafy Greens include: kale, dandelion greens, collards, Swiss chard
**Sweet Onions include: Texas 1015s and Vidalia
Country/Region Focus
The initiative focuses on Ontario, Canada.
Timeline
This project is in its 6th year.
Trade Goals
The in-market Go South! team prides itself on providing outstanding service
to the Canadian trade and developing innovative activities that work. Customized ads,
comprehensive Buyer's Guide, in-store POS materials, reverse trade missions and regular
newsletters are just some of the tools-of-the-trade we use to keep SUSTA-region produce top-of-mind.
Trade Successes
Since its launch, shipments of Go South! commodities into Ontario have increased from
136 million pounds in 1996 to 213 million pounds in 2003. Dollar value of shipments
increased by more than 67 per cent between 1996 and 2003, jumping from CDN$68 million
to CDN$113 million.
Click here for a recap of all shipments to Ontario broken down by State.
Since 1996 we have seen some incredible results with many of our commodities.
But like anything, there are those that have achieved superstar status.
Top 5 Commodities
[Based on increase of weight in pounds between 1996 and 2003]
| Commodities |
1996 |
2003 |
% Change |
| Peaches |
93,687 |
1,761,668 |
1780% |
| Onions |
1,633,489 |
15,166,719 |
828% |
| Blueberries |
279,657 |
1,780,310 |
537% |
| Sweet Potatoes |
9,718,788 |
18,888,450 |
94% |
| Pecans |
3,101,258 |
5,612,951 |
81% |
For a full snapshot of how all 22 commodities have done in the Canadian market, please click here.
Consumer Goals
The Canadian consumer is a critical element in the success of the Go South! campaign.
When it comes to the consumption of fresh produce, Canadians consistently "out eat"
Americans by 41 per cent. The goal of the Go South! program is to educate the consumer,
not only on the importance of eating 5 to 10 servings of produce each day, but on understanding
the importance of origin in daily produce selection.
Consumer Successes
An award-winning website featuring commodity information, delicious recipes
and our very own Go South! chef is at the cornerstone of the consumer program.
Media relations activities, consumer trade shows and in-store recipe pamphlets
all work together to build the Go South! brand while educating the consumer.
Portrait of the Canadian Consumer:
- Median age 37.9 years
- Average household is 2.5 people
- Spends $6,217 on food annually [average 9% of income]
- Makes 226.2 trips per household to all retail channels
- Earns an average of $634.30 per week
*Source: AC Nielsen
Canadian Shopping Cart:
62 percent of what is put in a Canadian shopping cart is fresh:
- Meat 23%
- Produce & nuts 20%
- Dry goods 18%
- Dairy 16%
- Cereal products 10%
- Frozen 5%
- Beverages 5%
- Fish products 3%
Go South! - Award Winning Program
Go South! has been recognized for its innovative work with both the trade and consumer sectors.
- Canadian Public Relations Society 2004 Award of Merit for the Produce 101 Campaign
- Produce Business Magazine's Marketing Excellence Award 2001
- Produce Business Magazine's Marketing Excellence Award 1999
The Future of Go South!:
Building upon the success of previous years' campaigns, this year Go South! will focus on two concepts:
relationship building and education. We will continue our full-fledged campaign that consists of trade relations & communications,
customized trade initiatives, project market resurgence, education programs, media relations, television tour, consumer information materials,
Go South! website (www.gosouthfresh.com), recipe cards, brochures, ad campaign, and will work with the U.S. Embassy in Canada to promote Taste US: A Culinary Festival.
How a U.S. Supplier Can Participate
To involve your produce or seafood products in the Go South promotion, contact our Canadian consultants:
Danielle Parney (dparney@fayeclack.com) at (905) 206.0577 x225
or Sabena Khan (skhan@fayeclack.com) at (905) 206.0577 x22.
