We built a digital interface for Avocados From Mexico's "Avo-matic" food truck that allowed users to place custom orders via giant touch screen interfaces. Using proprietary facial emotion tracking software, the diner was then instructed to smile as a dial measured the size of their grin and the amount of time held. Once the designated smile requirements were met, the user was congratulated with a reward screen, a picture of them mid-smile as a social shareable, and a 3D animation of a robot whichprovided recipe and avocado hacks until the “Avo-matic” delivered their personalized food order.
Thinking Beyond Produce: Our Innovation Examples
The consideration of our organization as an innovator is surprising on its own. Before you judge us and/or compare us side by side with multi-billion dollar companies, giant technology leaders, or CPG companies that are competing for this Award, please keep in mind that we are a fruit. A small, package-less little fruit, building a brand in a brand-less category by reinventing every established marketing rule in our industry and by challenging every preconceived notion to pave an unexplored trail, and to change the way marketing was done in our industry and for our category.
The impressive penetration of Avocados From Mexico in the U.S. has led to a 2.5 BILLION pound market size. The first innovation is the sole existence of our group, Avocados From Mexico. The objective of the non-profit marketing arm created in the U.S. and headquartered in Dallas, TX, is to promote the product of the labor of two organizations: 1) APEAM: the organization that groups over 20K small avocado growers and exporters 2) MHAIA: the American association that groups hundreds of distributors. For the first time in history, two separate organizations came together under the industry funded Hass Avocado Research and Promotion program that is overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA Commodity Checkoff Programs
This alliance was possible because of an impressive level of organization of thousands of small growers who came together in agreement and worked to get their orchards certified to meet the very high-quality standards required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to accept them into the Mexican Hass Avocado export program.
Since the creation of the company in 2013, we have launched countless breakthrough innovations in all areas of our growing organization. As we innovate and grow, our positive impact in our industry, in our country (the United States), and in the world is felt.
Every dollar of Mexican avocado imports in 2017 generated $2.34 dollars in output, $1.45 in U.S. GDP, and $0.81 in labor income. Every million dollars of those imports generated 12.1 U.S. jobs. California and Texas were the largest state beneficiaries from the economic activity generated by avocado imports. Much of the economic benefits accrued to the wholesale/retail and service industries at both the state and national levels.
Not only we are fueling America’s appetite for healthy eating habits, but U.S. imports of Mexican Hass avocados also contributed the following to the U.S. economy in 2017:
-
$5.5 billion in
output or spending -
$3.4 billion to the
U.S. GDP (value-added) -
28,251 jobs
-
$1.9 billion
in labor income -
$932 million in taxes
Below are some of the innovations that, unpredictably, have been driven by one little, healthy fruit that in only a few years has become a staple on America's tables
Launched the first fresh Avocado-Centric Concession stand in the nation: Followed by several others across the nation.
We opened the first ever polished-casual avocado centric restaurant in the world. Although we are neither food operators nor are we in the restaurant management business, we came up with an unusual marketing initiative to promote the AFM brand and create an "avocado innovation lab" that could help us test recipe innovations that we can then promote to food operators to meet one of our marketing goals within the Food Service segment, which is the increase in menu penetration. AvoEatery was launched in January 2020.
We Revolutionized The Way Consumers Shop For Avocados With Our New Education Program. We partnered with Walmart on the execution. This initiative involved the development and launch of the first Chatbot in the fresh produce industry, which is represented by an engaging character named Selma Avocado, created to engage consumers with the brand’s messages. This aimed to remove the main avocado consumption barrier, which is the lack of avocado education, and to drive more avocado purchases.
"Let's do what nobody else in the industry is doing."
Alvaro Luque
Avocados From Mexico CEO, 2014
We partnered with technology startup Inmoji to concept, develop and launch a new mobile tool that combined selfies and emojis to deliver our Super Bowl digital experience to consumers.
We integrated IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence into a digital activation that matched people with their favorite dogs available for adoption within their zip codes.
We created the first-ever Avocado University in the world, with custom-designed classes built to educate food operators on all things avocado and spark innovation across the Food Service industry. Over a year after the University was opened, we have graduated hundreds of operators that seek to change the ways their patrons consume avocados in ways never known before.
Not only was AFM the first produce brand ever to have a TV ad in the Super Bowl, but our creative, innovative and unexpected approach to digital marketing has made us the top #1 or #2 Super Bowl digital campaigns several years in a row, even ahead of multi-billion dollar and Super Bowl veteran brands.
Watch Our Case Studies
Learn more about our innovative approaches and the breakthrough and unexpected results for a small brand like ours.
This year, we were the first company ever to place its digital marketing assets in the blockchain. As the media put it, “the move represents one of the bigger applications of blockchain technology in a consumer-facing campaign in recent memory.”