Pink Lady apples enjoyed a record-breaking year in the UK during 2011, according to the country's master licensor Coregeo, with the latest estimate showing the brand expects end-of-year sales in excess of 3m cartons (12.5kg).
To the end of November last year, Pink Lady sales grew by 15 per cent on the previous year, with November alone showing a 40 per cent rise on the same period of 2010.
'It's been an exceptional year for Pink Lady and we've experienced very strong growth despite the ongoing grip of the recession in the UK,' said Andy Macdonald, managing director at Coregeo. 'We believe this reflects the high quality of the product on offer and the premium eating experience for the consumer.
'However, we have also benefited from our considerable investment in a widespread marketing and PR campaign to raise awareness of Pink Lady apples which has delivered great results for us this year,' he added. 'We have big plans for 2012 too, and hope to see sales continue to rise as we increase our investment in marketing Pink Lady to consumers both above and below the line.'
Plans for 2012 include Pink Lady's biggest-ever promotion in the UK in January, involving many major retailers, with a four-week on-pack promotion leading to one person winning a Pink Lady-branded Fiat 500 and runners up landing iPods, Kindles and digital cameras.
In addition to this promotion, which launches on 15 January, other marketing activity planned for the year includes an online and print advertising campaign, direct-to-consumer experiential marketing and PR. The brand is also the headline sponsor of the inaugural Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year.
Meanwhile, Pink Lady has appointed a new compliance inspector to ensure that it maintains consistently high standards of quality, with the role involving the daily inspection of Pink Lady apples throughout the UK.
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