How to expand marketing channels is a hard lesson for all local traders. When Red on Tree started to operate, they determined to choose local food materials as a way to support small peasants. They also communicated with distributers for a bigger space; sometimes a pavilion was set up for consumers to take a look. Red on Tree knew the importance of marketing and started from a stall at farmers market, direct shops, to a leased space at department stores. At last they got a high visibility among and were popular with customers.

1) Stall at Farmers Market

		248 Farmers Market is an experimental channel that is designed for small farmers. This market got the support from the land owner and was niched at most expensive area in the Eastern District of Taipei. 248 Farmers Market required their farmers to meet the following requirements: 1. Natural farming: They shall not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Only eco-friendly methods are allowed. 2. Good tasting: Products are expected to taste good even with such strict conditions of farming. Red on Tree joined in this marketplace and set up a stall in there. Their brand was slowly spread among customers and the best of all, they might have a chance to talk to people about the origin of products, how they made their items, and their philosophy in making fruit jams.

2) Online Shopping Platform

Considering the busy life of today’s consumers and the lack of their own stores, Red on Tree has also joined online shopping platforms for consumers, while providing detailed product information via such platforms. (The pictures are from the website of Red on Tree)

3) Counter at Shopping Centers

Nowadays, consumers know it is best to eat natural, in-season food from their locality, and the food enterprises and distributers have also sensed the need of caring about local products. This trend has spread to malls and gourmet markets. Managers of big-name shopping centers have begun to take interest in small farmers, and are willing to bring new local brands into their shops.

We have visited several malls where sells Red on Tree products. We found that these places have a shared core philosophy: “Love our own land and cultivate our own culture”. It is indeed our hope to have more and more commodities with local features.

Elite Songyan Mall: The Elite Mall at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park is unique in its collection of booths. Red on Tree is among the stands that boost local products.                 PEKOE Zakka Store: Niched at Dun Hua South Road, a trees-lined boulevard, this shop is famous for its Taiwan-featured products and is also the must-visit shop by foreign visitors.                           Four Four South Village~ “Good Cho’s”: “Four Four South Village” had been the first community of army families in Taipei and is now preserved as a heritage park. A good number of cultural and history workshops have been set up in here, and Red on Tree is sold over the shelves of a shop in this area.                           Road show at department stores: Since setting a counter at big stores is quite expensive, Red on Tree opts for road show at department stores in Taipei. Red on Tree’s road show is very popular during summer because of its seasonal specialty- fruit ice cream.

4) Red on Tree Store

Red on Tree has a store next to its factory in Xindien, New Taipei City. This store displays an entire collection of its products, and is the so-called paradise for the people who work in the same building. In this shop, not only can consumers find good-quality processed fruit products, they may also find Taiwan-made coffee and yummy desserts. Many would enjoy this blessing in the shop and have a great tea time. But the shop is only open in business hours, consumers may not be able to enjoy a relaxing time over here on holidays. 

Red on Tree also sells its products in a café named “Little Freedom” on Yun Kang Street, where they sell most-loved jams, gummies, and delicate French desserts. Many fans came to the café to have a taste, yet by so doing, Red on Tree could never build a brand of its own.

After years of thinking, and patiently waiting for its brand image to have built, Red on Tree has decided to open a direct shop in Taipei City, which is due to open in 2015. Many dessert fans cannot wait to visit their direct shop!