Leading apple grower-packer-exporter Mr Apple has showcased its new brand toolkit at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s (NZTE) Taste of New Zealand promotion launch in Shanghai.
Developed in conjunction with some of China’s leading e-commerce companies, the toolkit has been designed to help online retailers market the company’s fruit in an innovative and meaningful way.
“Based on feedback from our retail partners, they wanted us to tell a story,” Mr Apple’s retail sales manager Ben McLeod tells Asiafruit.
'So using the market research we conducted, our toolkit tells the unique Mr Apple story, focusing on what is of interest to Chinese consumers. It covers story opportunities like New Zealand origin, Mr Apple’s expertise in apples, food safety and more.”
The toolkit is the result of almost nine months of consumer research and development.
“Everything from video to photography to variety information is included in one cohesive and comprehensive place,” explained Mr Apple’s special projects manager Lisa Cork. “This enables retailers to easily use the resources in ways that are meaningful to their online environment and their shoppers.”
The focus on servicing the needs of online retailers and their consumers comes amidst the rapid development of China’s e-commerce trade.
“Online imported fruit sales have exploded in China and are experiencing significant year-on-year growth,” said McLeod. “When fruit is sold online, there are opportunities to tell a more in-depth brand and company story, which is something our retail partners were keen to do.”
While initially launched in China, Cork said the toolkit would be leveraged to tell the Mr Apple story to customers globally.
Cork said the brand story and marketing materials were well received at the launch event. NZTE’s Taste of New Zealand campaign is a promotion designed to raise the profile of New Zealand foods with online retailers and their consumers.
