SweeTango apples will start shipping from across the country shortly after Labor Day, marketers report.
“SweeTangos are sweet, with a touch of citrus, honey and spice — and that crunch!” Kaari Stannard, of New York SweeTango sales desk Yes! Apples, said in a news release. Stannard is the board chair of Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative, whose more than 50 U.S. and Canadian members grow, pack and sell SweeTango, according to the release.
Stannard said the apple is extremely versatile. “I love eating them fresh in hand or sliced with almond butter.”
SweeTango will be in the market longer this year as supplies ramp up, growers say.
“SweeTango’s phenomenal flavor helps make it a standout in Nielsen retail scan data every year,” Brianna Shales, of Washington state SweeTango grower and sales desk Stemilt Growers, said in the release. “Retailers can make an impact on their apple category by featuring SweeTango during their high-velocity selling season.”
The apple is a proven winner for retailers, marketers said in the release.
“The U.S. apple market is crazy, crowded and confusing right now. In such a busy environment, SweeTango stands out,” Scott Swindeman, of SweeTango grower and sales desk Applewood Fresh in Michigan, said in the release. “SweeTango hits all the retail sweet spots: It’s got great flavor, crucial season kick-off timing, a hungry fan base and coordinated push-pull marketing.”
“Each year, the excitement surrounding SweeTango grows among both retailers and consumers,” Casey Jarrard, of SweeTango sales desk BelleHarvest Sales in Michigan, said in the release. “What sets the SweeTango program apart is its comprehensive marketing and sales backing at both the national and regional levels. This robust support significantly enhances and expands the brand presence of this delicious apple.”
Retailers should place orders now with their SweeTango sales desks to ensure they will have fruit when fans come knocking, growers said in the release.
“We have a large, loyal and loud consumer fan base that watches for this apple to return to stores every fall,” Austin Fowler, of SweeTango grower and sales desk Fowler Farms in New York, said in the release. “SweeTango retailers understand that, and partner with their sales desk to work it.”
Retailers should plan to stock SweeTango for longer this year, as new plantings are now coming into production, according to the release.
“Retailers can capture more dollars to the apple category by expanding during the key August to December apple market timeframe,” Shales said.
Swindeman said that growers are seeing a good mix of fruit sizes on the trees, meaning SweeTango shippers will be able to meet all retail needs — bulk, pouches, Euros, totes and a new 3-pound poly bag — both conventional and organic.
“In Canada, last year’s crop sold at the fastest clip we’ve ever seen,” Dennis MacPherson, SweeTango grower and sales desk Scotian Gold Cooperative Ltd. in Nova Scotia, said in the release. “That left us with a larger-than-expected gap for SweeTango fans to wait for this year’s crop. With retailers and consumers hungrier than ever, I’m happy to report that the pipeline will fill quickly. And the season will be jammed with exciting promotions and even more opportunities for consumers to get their hands on SweeTango.”
Marketing push
To drive consumer traffic into retail stores, Next Best Thing is coordinating a season-long marketing strategy with its regional sales desks.
“We will be emphasizing that SweeTango is no ordinary apple, it is head and shoulders above the crowd,” NBT Executive Director Jen Miller said in the release. “We know that’s the SweeTango experience our fans have come to expect — and that new fans will appreciate. For example, our ads will be showing this extraordinary apple in extraordinary places and extraordinary situations.”
To alert longtime fans that SweeTangos are back in the market, while also creating awareness among potential new fans, the brand is buying “push” digital video advertisements geo-targeted to SweeTango retailers’ markets, the release said.
A store locator on the brand’s website (SweeTango.com) helps consumers find SweeTango retailers near them. SweeTango enjoys a strong social media presence across platforms, which the brand will help to activate its loyal fanbase to share SweeTango retail sightings, according to the release.
Each respective sales desk will layer on its own regional marketing activities, including Apple of the Month in-store promotions from the West, influencer outreach in the Midwest, and from the East cross-merchandising, e-commerce highlights, sampling, coupons, visibility in a pop-up grocery store and online ordering, the release said.
“Tailored SweeTango marketing generates significant lift and conversion,” Tenley Allen Fitzgerald, with New York’s Yes! Apples, said in the release. “Our sales desks are ready to work with retailers to get SweeTango in the hands of as many of their customers as possible — including Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who love SweeTango’s high flavor and bitey crunch.”
Retailers can locate their region’s sales desks through the SweeTango website. In addition to the regional U.S. sales desks, SweeTango sales in Canada are handled by Scotian Gold and Quebec’s Jean-Yves Boileau et Fils.
