With kiwifruit on-trend and the organic produce sector growing in the US, Zespri and leading importer Oppy is keen to take advantage by pushing the New Zealand-based group's organic kiwifruit range.
“The time for organic kiwifruit is now,” said Chris Ford, organics and foodservice category manager for Oppy, Zespri’s North American sales and marketing partner.
“Zespri Green and SunGold Kiwifruit are at their peak of flavour,' he continued. 'With summer stonefruit availability wrapping up, this is the time to fill shelves with a great-tasting and nutritious fruit grown in New Zealand for quality, consistency and an amazing eating experience.”
Zespri Organic Kiwifruit growers joined Ford at the recent Organic Produce Summit, where they experienced first-hand the promise that the North American market holds for organics, gained a greater understanding of market demands, and explored the values around sustainability Zespri shares with Oppy.
Ford pointed out that the greatest opportunity could lie in fixed-weight packs of organic green kiwifruit.
“Industry-wide, sales of one-pound clamshells of organic green kiwifruit are up 76 per cent compared with a year ago, according to IRI data,” he said. “We offer Zespri Green Kiwifruit in one-pound clamshells and bags. Packaging enables us to tell kiwifruit’s terrific nutrition story, share some usage ideas, and create a connection between shoppers and the brand.”
Another reason to take advantage of the packaged kiwifruit opportunity is differentiation, according to Sarah Deaton, marketing manager, North America, for Zespri.
“With increasing volumes of yellow-fleshed Zespri SunGold coming into the market, packaging helps consumers understand how it differs from green kiwifruit, especially its flavour,” she said. “A benefit for the retailer, of course, is that the larger unit increases the ring.”
Deaton noted that the kiwifruit category was growing at a faster rate compared to all other fruit sales, with SunGold contributing to category growth.
“Efforts to build consumer awareness and trade confidence in both organic and conventional SunGold are really starting to turn the dial,” she noted.
Deaton also highlighted Zespri's 'A Real Snack for Real Life' SunGold campaign, which includes targeted digital media and social media outreach, digital coupons, streaming radio and traditional advertising, and a consumer contest offering a winner-customized prize pack worth US$15,000.
“Our target consumer is a higher-income working mum — or woman who plans to start a family soon — who’s proactive about health and interested in food trends,” Deaton added. “We can see that consumers in this demographic are responding enthusiastically to the campaign now and we are confident they will be looking for organic options.”
