Image Matters: Why Florida OJ Rules the Roost When it Comes to Selling Juice
January 13, 2022 Consumers are more likely to buy orange juice if they think the fruit comes from Florida, new University of Florida research shows. In fact, top reasons consumers purchase orange juice include taste, health benefits, and origin of the fruit. Not to be dismissed, branding plays a big part to help influence those purchasing decisions.
According to the Florida Department of Citrus, while 80% of OJ consumers who responded to a 2021 survey think oranges in their juice came from Florida, only 45% of juice in the market was from Florida that year. This presents a challenge to the industry because consumers perceive Florida orange juice as a premium product at a time when supplies are low, says Yan Heng, a UF/IFAS Assistant Research Scientist in food and resource economics.
As it turns out, nearly half of the respondents in a new survey led by Heng say they’re more willing to pay for orange juice if it comes from Florida. The new UF/IFAS research focuses on consumers’ willingness to pay for OJ. For example, what attributes do they want, and what are they willing to pay for those traits?
To reach the findings, Heng coordinated a national online poll of 1,495 primary household grocery shoppers in July 2020.
Economists found that any image of Florida — or verbiage that included the word “Florida” — makes oranges from the Sunshine State the most preferred juice among buyers. Mostly, they perceive juice from Florida to have better taste and quality. Consumers also want to support domestic farmers.
Consumers prefer orange juice from Florida because the state has a long history of citrus production. But many people do not know that some of the orange juice on the market is not 100% from Florida citrus, Heng says.
The leading sources for OJ that is not from concentrate — which is where most of Florida’s processed orange crop is utilized – are Florida, Brazil, Mexico, and other domestic sources, according to Marisa Zansler, Director of economic and market research for the Florida Department of Citrus.
Heng thinks it’s important that consumers know whether they’re buying orange juice made from 100% Florida oranges or elsewhere.
Stores and marketers may benefit more by maintaining the “Florida image” that consumers often associate with orange juice.
“We already have some additional information, like labels, on juice containers to tell consumers the origin of the product,” Heng concludes. “We just need to emphasize that when we communicate with consumers.”
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