Pink Lady Europe has announced the launch of its Miss Chef cooking apple, as the marketer seeks to reduce waste and put to use the volumes of Cripps Pink apples that fail to meet Pink Lady’s ultra-high specifications.
The goal, according to the company, is to seduce both supermarket shoppers and culinary and pastry professionals by offering quality and taste when the apples go on sale in France in December.
Miss Chef equally boasts its own logo and packaging, a sachet for six apples complete with a fold-out recipe, while a special cake tin-shaped punnet will apparently be made available next year.
“Miss Chef’s positioning is naturally based on the apple’s culinary qualities – sweet/sharp balance, texture, intensity of flavour, ability to retain shape and liquid when cooked,” the company stated. “These characteristics have been confirmed by a specific study led by ESA Angers, which confirms the accounts of many chefs and culinary specialists. Miss Chef benefits from the Europe-wide passion for all things culinary, which is reflected in the media and the fact that Europeans are spending more time in the kitchen.”
In a customer survey by Ipsos, 65 per cent of those asked said they intended to buy Miss Chef apples for daily use. Feedback garnered from a study in Metro stores this past summer revealed a perception of the apple as both unique and relevant.
“To accompany the launch and to develop Miss Chef’s reputation, a B2B press campaign has begun aimed both at supermarkets and culinary specialists,” the statement read. “In store, we will see innovative sales development tools such as competitions, loyalty cards, trial offers, coupons and in-store entertainment. Wherever the brand is, there will be advertising material too - the aim being to differentiate the brand and to be as attractive as possible.”
These efforts will reportedly be followed by a major marketing campaign combining the website, the recruitment of young ‘ambassador’ chefs and a digital media campaign.
