_gif.gif)
The country brand essential COSTA RICA has initiated the second phase of its international marketing campaign, "The Natural Choice," designed to expand the market presence of Costa Rican agricultural exports in Europe. Managed by the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER), the multi-channel campaign combines digital advertising integrations with more than 240 in-store tasting events at major supermarkets in France and Germany.
The campaign targets consumers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France. By highlighting the quality, sustainability, and traceability of Costa Rican fresh produce, the initiative aims to build on recent export growth within the European market.
Market Expansion and Export Performance
The promotional push comes during a period of strong export momentum for Costa Rican agricultural products in Europe. According to official data from PROCOMER, exports of green coffee, pineapple, banana, and cassava to Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom experienced a significant increase in early 2026.
During the first four months of 2026, export values to these three strategic markets rose by 23.6 per cent, climbing to USD 175.8 million from USD 142.2 million during the corresponding period in 2025. This growth indicates a rising European demand for premium, traceable agricultural products of certified origin.
The campaign focuses on promoting four core agricultural products to European buyers and consumers, styled as natural options for everyday cooking:
🍌 Bananas: Sourced from certified sustainable plantations to satisfy daily fruit consumption.
🍍 Pineapples: High-quality fresh pineapples positioned for premium summer snacking and desserts.
☕ Coffee: Green coffee beans targeting discerning European beverage consumers and roasters.
🌱 Cassava: Versatile root vegetables promoted for modern, easy-to-prepare home recipes.
Multi-Channel Marketing and Amazon Integration
To reach consumers across multiple digital touchpoints, essential COSTA RICA has partnered with the Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab. The campaign leverages a variety of digital, streaming, and physical delivery assets across the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain.
The digital campaign incorporates several key elements:
Streaming Media: Video advertisements on Prime Video and custom landing pages on Fire TV.
Smart Home Technology: Branded Alexa experiences in the UK and Germany designed to guide users through regional recipes.
Physical Deliveries: Custom-branded Amazon Fresh grocery bags distributed to delivery customers in the UK and Spain.
Culinary Content: Twelve original recipe videos developed by local chefs in each target market, demonstrating how to incorporate Costa Rican ingredients into regional cuisines.
Adriana Acosta, Director of essential COSTA RICA, stated that the collaboration with Amazon Ads allows the country's agricultural value proposition to integrate directly into the daily shopping and entertainment routines of European consumers. The initiative is intended to strengthen the positioning of the agricultural sector while providing structured support for one of Costa Rica's primary productive industries.
Kate McCagg, Global Head of Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab, noted that the campaign is designed to meet consumers where they are, offering useful culinary content across streaming, voice-activation, and physical grocery delivery channels.
Events and Partnerships
To complement the digital campaign, essential COSTA RICA has launched extensive physical activations in major European supermarkets to drive direct retail sales during the summer trading period.
In France, the brand has coordinated 120 tasting events across 20 Intermarché supermarkets located in the Paris region. These events, running throughout June and July, focus on introducing consumers to fresh Costa Rican pineapple and cassava.
In Germany, an additional 120 fresh pineapple tasting events are taking place during the same period. These activations are distributed across 17 EDEKA supermarkets operated by the Meyer and Struve retail groups in Hamburg and surrounding regional areas.
This campaign represents the second phase of "The Natural Choice" initiative. The first phase, launched in late 2025, marked the first multi-market national export brand campaign executed on the Amazon Ads platform.
By continuing this strategy into 2026, PROCOMER aims to consolidate Costa Rica's market share in Europe, associating its agricultural outputs with strict environmental standards, biodiversity protection, and reliable supply chain traceability.
