VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — What does it take to break into the competitive fresh apple market?
Data. Data. Data, says Louise Beard, director of Forward Insight and Strategy, the Auckland, New Zealand-based global research and consulting firm that worked with T&G Global Ltd. to grow the Envy apple brand.
The Packer spoke with Louise Beard and Cecilia Flores Paez — who, as T&G Global’s head of marketing in North America, spearheads consumer marketing for Jazz and Envy apples — at the Oppy booth at the recent Canadian Produce Marketing Association Conference and Trade Show.
Envy’s success is the result of extensive use of insights from qualitative and quantitative research, Beard explained.
As T&G Global grows and partners with more than 1,200 growers around the world to market, sell and distribute fresh produce, it developed an apple and a brand that would resonate with consumers in several key markets, including North America, said Flores Paez.
The Envy apple and brand retailers and consumers enjoy today was years in the making, said Beard. “We are future-focused on looking for opportunities in the market, as it takes years to develop [a product like Envy apples].”
T&G apple development programs involve working with Forward sensory scientists to develop future roadmaps of “taste, flavor, texture and appearance,” said Beard.
“What are those factors we’re looking for that speak to the qualities that extensive research has told us consumers want most from an apple?” Beard continued.
Forward also worked with leading global producers to ensure scalability of the product from breeding all the way through to meeting volume demand.
“You don’t have to guess [about the success of a brand], you can make a decision with great confidence when you’re backed by science-based evidence,” said Beard, adding that the Envy apple is consistently tested against top performers in every market. “Consumer research and statistical data minimizes risk and gives growers the confidence to grow [new varieties]. This knowledge has been a strong factor in driving production and investment.”
And in some ways, that’s just the beginning, said Flores Paez, who is laser-focused on brand development and storytelling.
“Building cultural acceptance for the brand,” is critical to success, said Flores Paez, who added that Envy is on a “really strong trajectory” with a brand that “stands out” in the apple category.
“We have evidence that this is a winning product and people want to shop for it,” she said. “Now we’re looking at how to continue to increase demand, provoke change and stimulate per capita growth with the Envy brand.”
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