The kiwifruit company’s latest Kantar Brand Power report indicates the brand’s increasing strength in its core markets, as well as growing competition from other brands
Zespri says its focus remains on creating long-term value for New Zealand kiwifruit growers, as the company’s latest Kantar Brand Power report showed Zespri as the number one ranked fruit brand across its core 15 markets for the first time.
“Brand power is ultimately the strength of the brand which translates into the value consumers see in a brand and how willing they are to buy,” Zespri stated. “This achievement reflects the connection we’re forging with customers and consumers through our global campaigns including the KiwiBrothers, which have now been rolled out in all of our core markets following their launch in China and the US this season. It also stands out, especially against brands like Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte, which have broader retail presence through larger portfolios of fresh and processed fruit products.”
The research also stressed the intensifying competition from other kiwifruit brands. “[They] are increasing their investment in brand building and eroding our share of media spend in seeking to replicate our success and take market share,” the company said. “This isn’t because we are spending less on media, but because competitors are spending more than they have in the past.”
The focus, the company said, was to continue creating long-term value for New Zealand kiwifruit growers “by selling more New Zealand kiwifruit at higher value and ensuring our customers are willing to pay for it”.
“We do this by building a strong brand to justify our premium pricing, investing our advertising budget as efficiently as possible, leveraging opportunities and exploiting our impressive scale in the category,” Zespri explained. “It’s also why we launched the ZGS Producer Vote as part of our ongoing work towards reaching 12-month supply to hold onto our shelf space all year round.”
CEO Jason Te Brake commented: “A strong brand supports grower returns and it’s something we can’t take for granted, especially with the increasing competition in the produce category from emerging brands.
“We need to continue to build our brand through consistent quality fruit, year-round presence in front of consumers through 12 month supply, and strong sales and marketing campaigns which emphasise the health and nutritional benefit of our brand and product.”
