Vog emphasises origins as 80th anniversary celebrations begin

Italian apple marketing consortium Vog kicked off its 80th anniversary celebrations at Fruit Logistica 2025 in Berlin last week.

The company plans a series of different events during the next few months to mark that milestone.

During those celebrations, it will emphasise its origins, expertise, and sustainability, and highlight the development of products and brands that it believes can grow the apple business.

Each event will reflect on the past, present or future, and mirror a phase of work done in its orchards to plant, nurture, and harvest the fruit.

At Fruit Logistica, it retraced the steps that led it to become one of Europe’s leading apple producers, laying the foundations for the future development of the entire fruit and vegetable industry.

Long before it was founded in 1945, farmers had already identified South Tyrol as an ideal environment in which to grow apples.

At a time when post-war Europe was on its knees – markets had been lost, and competition was intensifying – several of them opted to join forces and create the Consortium of South Tyrolean Fruit Growers’ Co-operatives.

Today, known as Vog – Home of Apples, the group is responsible for selling more than half a million tonnes of apples each year from conventional and organic farms, including 20 different varieties, in more than 70 countries.

“The desire to identify innovative and courageous solutions has been part of Vog’s DNA since the outset,” explains chief executive Walter Pardatscher. “Over the course of its 80-year history, the consortium has always been focused on achieving continuous improvement and growth, from the work of the apple farmers in the fields to selection, storage and packaging activities, through to marketing.

“Today we are fortunate to be able to use this experience to look towards the future and continue to tackle the new challenges and opportunities that come our way with the same spirit that has always driven us.”

Pioneering spirit

Vog is also keen to promote its pioneering spirit. As early as 1957, it introduced anti-frost irrigation to protect apple blossoms from frost and guarantee the availability of its products. And three years later, the installation of its first coldstores allowed it to market fruit year round.

Today, 75 per cent of its orchards are covered, including all of its managed variety production. And it has greatly expanded its year-round availability.

Sustainability has also played a key role. In 1988, it founded a working group called Agrios to improve and standardise farming practices according to the market’s increasingly stringent demands.

And since 2020, it has promoted a local industry strategy called Sustainapple which fosters sustainable development.

“Vog has the honour, but also the great responsibility, of playing a lead role in the development of the apple segment in the local area and right across Europe,” says Pardatscher. “For this reason, since 2022 we have styled ourselves as the Home of Apples, a place where you can find the origins, expertise and sustainability that lie at the root of our products and brands.

“Over the next few years, we are ready to honour our commitment to developing the category, satisfying consumers and guaranteeing the success of our over 4,000 apple farmers.”

Committed to consumers

Sales manager Klaus Hölzl says Vog is far more than just a supplier these days. Since it launched its first brand in 1971 and the South Tyrolean trademark in 1976, its apple marketing strategy has been all about the development of innovative brands that can grow its market share.

“Vog creates a dialogue with its customers and contributes its expertise to the management of the category,” Hölzl comments. “The centralisation of sales, a recent development in the last couple of years, has made this approach even more effective because it allows us to present ourselves to the customer as a single organisation.”

With a range that covers all 12 months of the year, the company can follow a seasonal plan that meets the needs of its customers, he adds. “As for the current sales campaign, trends are positive. We continue to grow in Italy and our new varieties have been met very positively in Europe. Outside of Europe, we are enjoying particularly strong growth in the Brazilian and Central American markets.”

Marketing and branding

Vog’s innovative ideas also extend to its brand campaigns. “For years now vog, together with its partners, has focused on varietal innovation in order to pre-empt the needs and wishes of consumers,” explains marketing manager Hannes Tauber.

“As a result of this, today we have a series of distinctive brands, each with its own specific identity and customer base, which enable us to satisfy all consumer requirements and develop an attractive and diversified range that is available all year round.”

In 1995, its 50th anniversary year, Vog launched the Marlene brand to promote some of its best-loved varieties – such as Gala, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Fuji – to consumers.

Three years later, it welcomed its first licensed variety, Pink Lady. And that winning formula of top quality fruit backed by engaging communications has inspired other trademarked apples which now feature in Vog’s product range, including Cosmic Crisp, Envy, Jazz, Kanzi, and SweeTango.

“Today, our range of brands is able to speak to the values and the lifestyles of all consumers,” continues Tauber. “Our partners can also work with us to create attractive and diversified retail outlets. But our work doesn’t stop there, we are continuing to plant, foster and harvest brands also with an eye on capturing the consumers of tomorrow.”