It is prime back-to-school time to promote Rave apples, says Brianna Shales.
Shales, marketing director for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers, says there are plenty of Rave apples to promote this season.
“Now is the time to ride the Rave wave and share its excellent eating qualities with consumers,” Shales said in a news release. “We’re revving the Rave engine, but now we need retailers to help get it into the hands of consumers. Together with regional partners in the Midwest and East, we’ll get to share its outrageously juicy flavor and refreshing, snappy zing with people all the way into October this apple season.”
As parents and kids are shopping for back-to-school needs, Shales said Rave can be offered as a healthy addition to any lunch box or after-school snack.
Most children and adolescents in the U.S. do not consume the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables, according to a study by the School Nutrition Association. Behavioral economics suggest that making fruit more accessible, convenient and appealing could have a substantial impact on behavior, the release said.
“Rave’s natural timeline helps position it as the ultimate back-to-school apple with great flavor and nutritional health benefits,” Shales said. “Our brand is also partnering with Back 2 School America to supply school kits to students in [six] major markets. Signage at the point of sale will help Rave land in more lunchboxes as a healthy addition to any meal.”
Fitting with its name, Rave apples received rave reviews this season from media outlets like Today’s Parent, Consumer Queen and AllRecipes, the release said. The brand is also using influencers to raise awareness of the apple’s season to more than 100,000 fans via inspiring custom content and mailers fit for popular unboxing videos.
“The Rave brand is centered on this being the apple that people rave about during its limited seasonal window,” Shales said. “The word-of-mouth effect that comes with media and influencer coverage fits with the essence of Rave and increases consumer excitement for the apple so that they look for it in their local store.”
Stemilt, Applewood Fresh and Yes! Apples all grow Rave in the U.S., where supply has increased from last year, the release said.
Quality and volume with flavors and sizes to match can bring Rave to store shelves, lifting the category as other apples come to harvest, the release said.
“Washington will have more apples this season and this will be the story for most apple varieties, but what’s special about Rave is its exclusive availability and unique flavor, which is enjoying a ‘vintage’ year thanks to growing conditions this season,” Shales said. “Rave is here, and we’re excited to partner with retailers to bring its outstanding flavors this season to consumers.”
Learn: More about apples from PMG
