Kissabel’s European campaign gets into full swing

Kissabel’s European sales season has kicked into top gear, with harvesting of the red skin and fleshed Rouge variety in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland now concluded.

British partner Worldwide Fruit was the first to market, selling the first pink flesh and yellow and orange skin varieties in October.

“For the yellow skin varieties we have had the best fruit to date, with excellent internal colour and exceptional flavour,” said the company’s commercial director Hannah McIlfatrick. “Given the quality of the fruit we are very enthusiastic about the new season, which will run until February-March”.

“We’ve had a good harvest,” said Jens Anderson, Kissabel marketing manager of the Red Apple Germany Consortium. Italian members also began picking the red variety from the end of October. Alongside the Melinda and VIP Consortiums, this year’s harvest will also be boosted by partner Rivoira, increasing availability and extending the season. In fact, the increase in production and the excellent quality of the harvest will see the Italian Kissabel season run until Christmas.

From October the red varieties will also be available to Blue Whale and Mesfruits in France and Fenaco in Switzerland, together with the Kissabel Jaune and Kissabel Orange.

With the completion of the Kissabel harvest, the marketing campaigns in Europe is intensifying. Halloween was a central theme in various countries, allowing consumers to use the red fleshed apple in creative ways.

“The October campaign culminated at Halloween and now we will continue our activities between November and January,” Mcilfatrick said, adding that the brand “is a bold and revolutionary addition to the apple category, a completely unique fruit”.

The campaign featured Halloween-related in-store promotions and social media activities, as well as PR activities, in France. “The campaign began in October and will run until the end of December, but we are also preparing long-term plans with a focus on French consumers as well as the Asian markets,” said Christelle Bertin, marketing and communication manager at Blue Whale.

The sales season will also be longer in Italy, with increased volumes enabling the brand to expand its presence in the retail market. “This is particularly important not only for meeting the high demand of the market but also in order to more broadly analyse the purchasing and consumption methods of such a new and unique apple,” said Fabio Zanesco, spokesman of the Kissabel Italian marketing committee. “This is particularly important not only for meeting the high demand of the market but also in order to more broadly analyse the purchasing and consumption methods of such a new and unique apple.”

Halloween also saw the start of marketing activities in Germany which have continued after 31 October with the Red Baking event, a competition dedicated to consumers that love baking.

The Swiss campaign, meanwhile, which began in September with the Orange and in mid-October with the Rouge, will conclude in December.