Works at: Market Fresh SA (Marketing, Communications and Business Development Manager)

Location: SA Produce Market, Pooraka, South Australia

Hi Penny, thank you for your time!  

Firstly, can you please tell us about Market Fresh SA?

Market Fresh SA was established in June 2013 by the South Australian Produce Market and the SA Chamber of Fruit and Vegetables to run fruit and vegetable-based marketing programs and promotional activities, which ultimately drive sales of fresh produce sold through the SA Produce Market.

As Marketing Manager, what does your role involve?

My role is to showcase South Australian produce through the complete supply chain from paddock to plate. I run a consumer facing campaign, Pick a Local, Pick SA! A Better Choice – showcasing South Australian produce to consumers.

In pursuit of this, my role is very diverse and covers the whole marketing mix – from strategy and planning through to execution of events, digital and social media as well as media spokesperson and advocacy. A small marketing team of just two, and the occasional intern, I have to be just as comfortable being interviewed by a TV news crew as I am handing out apples at a community event. One day I am wearing steel caps and high-vis at a potato farm in the Mallee, the next I am suited for a board room briefing or working behind the scenes with our MasterChef brand ambassador Callum Hann.

The role is also very relationship-based, and building connections with key stakeholders including farmers, wholesalers, retailers, media and industry bodies, is critical.

Penny Reidy speaks to the media.

Pick a Local, Pick SA! brand advocate, Callum Hann.

How can South Australian vegetable growers get involved in Pick a Local, Pick SA!?

The aim of Pick a Local, Pick SA! is to build recognition that when you see that sign, you know that you are supporting the South Australian horticulture industry from paddock to plate. I have been working with several growers to have the branding included on their packaging. Hi-Tech Fresh’s new range of pre-packaged salad lines is a great showcase of what we are trying to achieve. It would be great to see more growers using the branding on packaging for produce grown and sold in South Australia.

Additionally, we are using social media to tell the personal stories behind the produce and have been out and about across the state creating content for social media that showcases South Australian growers.

Video and photo capture of the Pick a Local, Pick SA! team out on the farm meeting the growers, telling the stories of the multi-generational families and showcasing our amazing produce has been extremely well-received across our social media channels. We are always looking for growers who are not afraid to get in front of the camera and tell their stories. Consumers want to know that when they buy local, they are helping to not just feed a business, but to feed a family.

Growers are consumers too, so I would encourage all of them to be sure that they are buying local produce from a local independent store that is displaying the Pick a Local, Pick SA! sign.

Catching up with… Penny Reidy from Market Fresh SA.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed Market Fresh SA’s activities? 

When COVID-19 first broke, there were a lot of changes required operationally at the SA Produce Market to ensure the essential service continued. These changes continue to evolve, and a lot of work has been done to ensure business continuity plans are in place and that operationally we are providing a safe environment for continued trade. Much of my daily focus turned to distribution of communications to the market community.

With some 99 retailers involved in the Pick a Local, Pick SA! Campaign, my communications to the retailers shifted gear to encouraging businesses to consider if they were COVID ready.

While retailers enjoyed a boom trade during early panic buying stages, we knew very early on that retailers were going to have to adapt their business models to not only survive, but to be in a position to thrive through the pandemic. Those that provided online orders, click and collects, produce boxes and showcased increased hygiene practices, are the ones that have fared well.

Consumers not only stopped wanting to visit large supermarkets, but they also became very quickly conscious of where their produce was coming from and it created an opportunity for independent retailers to provide a superior level of service and supply of quality produce. My role skewed to media spokesperson and I made it a priority to get the key message out that independent retailers provided an opportunity to shop and support local.

Our in-store activations of product sampling ceased, major event participation in the Royal Adelaide Show and City to Bay have been cancelled and visits to retailers paused during the height of the pandemic.

Penny Reidy’s role involves going on-farm.

What are the long-term plans for Market Fresh SA? What are your main focuses over, say, the next 12-24 months? 

The goal of all our activity is to increase the market share of independent retailers and the consumption of locally grown produce. COVID offers an opportunity for us to capture some of this market share so it would be great to see that reflected in statistics and summary reports.

One of our key messages is encouraging a change in consumer buying behaviour, and simply spending $20 at the local fruit and veg store is a small change that will make a big impact.

We now have 99 independent retailers as part of the campaign with point of sale in store, and I would like to see 100 per cent of independent SA stores supporting the brand and getting involved in our campaigns.

I am also focused on working with growers to have the branding on their products and for the whole supply chain to be working together to build the brand recognition, so that when people see the logo they know they are supporting horticulture in South Australia.

One last thing – where can we find out more about Market Fresh SA and the Pick a Local, Pick SA! campaign?

You can find us online at the Pick a Local, Pick SA! website.

You can also keep up-to-date via our Facebook page as well as on Instagram: @pickalocalpicksa.

Cover photo: Penny Reidy (right) with Zerella Fresh Marketing and Media Manager Renee Pye.

Each week, the Weekly Update will be featuring a member of the vegetable industry. Whether you are a grower, a researcher or work in the supply chain, this is a chance to showcase the different roles and areas within horticulture. If you – or someone you know – would like to be involved, please email Michelle De’Lisle at michelle.delisle@ausveg.com.au.