Outspan in China – Project Background

Explore the presence of Outspan in China, an international citrus brand from South Africa since 1936. Renowned for exporting premium quality oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and easy-peel citrus worldwide, Outspan has become synonymous with excellence for generations of discerning fruit lovers. Uncover the global journey of Outspan and its impact in the dynamic Chinese market.

A strong brand can be a decisive factor when consumers make purchases. With China’s concern on food security becoming more and more prominent, the market of imported fruits of high quality carries a competitive advantage in that industry. The localization of its strategy for the Chinese market opens up the opportunity for Outspan to penetrate better and faster this market by communicating the right and relevant messages that will speak to its consumers.

After the confirmation for brand positioning for China market, Labbrand created a digital campaign and key visuals to activate the brand localization for the new market as well as stand out against competitors.

Solution

Based on industry analysis, consumer analysis, competitor analysis and brand essence analysis, Labbrand created 3 positioning directions for Outspan in China. After the workshop for evaluation, the client finally chose 1 direction and further developed it as the base for strategic development in China. 

Later on, based on the new brand positioning with a solid understanding for consumers and global food trends, a campaign that went against established practices and opened up new avenues for positioning citrus fruits with young adults was developed. The campaign key message was then translated into a set of online activities that allowed Outspan to engage with customers in an industry where products are traditionally seen as commodities.

We found that the idea of linking fruit with “exciting”, “new”, “sexy”, “cool” is an untapped opportunity for Outspan. We targeted young adults, who were forgotten by most brands in the market. Another group of target customers are more sophisticated, who want to experiment with new tastes and textures. We deliver the key message to tell customers that citrus fruits are not boring. They are not just “good for you” but can be a gateway towards exciting, modern taste experiences. With Outspan, get a new, contemporary take on citrus fruits. The universe we built for Outspan is an unequivocally mature, adult universe. Dark colours, rich environments, eye-catching colour contrasts. Showing original, unconventional uses of citrus fruits. Highly visually appealing images that show the fruit as much more than a commodity.