“All flavours and colours of pepper” — 2018 campaign summary

In 2018, the Association of Polish Pepper Producers (ZPPRP) launched its first national campaign that promoted pepper grown in the southern part of the Mazovia region. The goal of this initiative was to increase consumer awareness about different varieties and colours of pepper produced in Poland, as well as their nutritional and culinary values.  The campaign was launched using the financial support of the Fruit and Vegetables Promotion Fund.

As part of the campaign, the Association carried out many promotional and educational activities. The following list presents a summary of our actions.

1. We organized a press conference for the national media. It was held on September 25, 2018 at the CookUp Culinary Studio in Warsaw. The meeting was attended by journalists, experts (a professional chef and a dietician) and ZPPRP representatives, as well as representatives of the “Pepper Land” communities and local residents’ associations.
   
   
    
   
2. We took part in an annual meeting of suppliers and buyers of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers “Fresh Market 2018”, as well as in the “Sady i Ogrody 2018” trade show and in the Great Warsaw Race (“Wielka Warszawska 2018”) at the Służewiec Racetrack. On each occasion, we presented a stand promoting the campaign, with a mini vegetable market and dishes served by members of local associations. We have given away about 1,000 kilograms of vegetables and 5,000 leaflets. Together, all those events gathered about 12,000 people.
   
    
    
    
3. We prepared a 15-second advertising spot and completed the first TV ad campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txC4g5j0slI
4. Information about the campaign, and the Polish pepper in general, appeared on several Internet portals with nationwide reach, e.g. “Kuchnia WP” and “Mamo to ja”, as well as on the network of local portals "Nasze Miasto”. Two well-known culinary bloggers, Zielenina and ChilliBite, encouraged the consumers to use our pepper in their kitchens, promoting their own recipes for pepper-based dishes.
5. In October 2018, four billboards were displayed on the streets of Warsaw, promoting the “All flavours and colours of pepper” campaign.
   
    
    
   
   
6. We completed educational activities in several catering colleges in Warsaw, Radom, Cracow and Poznań. In each location, we prepared an information stand and distributed leaflets and school gadgets, and offered pepper to students.
   
    
   
   
   
7. We established a special partnership with two Warsaw restaurants, "Słoik” and “Si”, where a special “pepper week” was held. A special “pepper menu” was added to the regular menus, it listed pepper-based dishes created by the restaurant chefs. Additionally, the customers received leaflets about the campaign.
   
    
    
    
   
   
8. We have redeveloped our website and translated selected pieces of information into English, German and Russian.
9. We conducted a consumer survey to collect data on general knowledge of Polish consumers about the qualities of pepper.
10. We prepared promotional materials: a leaflet, a brochure with recipes, as well as posters, roll-ups, and a press wall.
    
     
    

Pepper-related facts and figures

• There are around 500 pepper varieties produced in Poland.
• Over 30 years ago, in the Przytyk community in southern Mazovia, Antoni Kwietniewski began to grow the first peppers in Poland.
• It has been estimated that about 90% of peppers grown in Poland comes from the region that encompasses the communities of Przytyk, Potworów, Klwów, Radzanów and Stara Błotnica.
• This area, sometimes called “Pepper Land”, has a unique microclimate, ideal for cultivation of thermophilic vegetables. It is characterized by higher temperatures than in neighbouring regions.
• 1 pepper contains the same amount of vitamin C that can be found in 16 lemons.
• Vitamin C contained in peppers does not disintegrate during cooking, baking or drying.
• Capsaicin, one of the basic compounds found in hot peppers, prevents the development of fat cells and can help fight obesity.
• The hot pepper, or chili pepper, has dozens of varieties and cultivars, with different spiciness, measured using the Scoville scale.
• It is estimated that about 100,000 tons of peppers, grown on about 3500 plantations, are harvested every year in the Radom region, in more than 60,000 polytunnels, with the total area of 1,500 hectares.
• The pepper season in Poland starts in June and ends in November.
• Peppers can be served raw, cooked or baked, and also grilled.