Del Monte is baring all as it looks to tackle the prepared fruit category head-on with the launch of its new Naked Fruit range.
The products include a variety of fresh fruit that is pre-peeled, sliced and ready-to-eat, with several previously unseen “heroes” set to extend the offer.
The company is aiming the sub-brand at the market for healthier “on-the-go” snacking and dining as it looks to capitalise on a market with considerable potential.
The market for prepared fruit stands at £130 million, with just 37 per cent penetration, compared to around 75 per cent for prepared salads.
But Del Monte believes it can revitalise the sector with the range, which includes a Seville orange with the pith and peel removed, contained within distinctive spherical packaging with a wipe included.
The orange will lead out the new campaign, along with a large, unsegmented pineapple removed of its skin in a 550g pack, as the “heroes”, as well as a number of other products including sliced kiwifruit, pears and grapes. Further products will be rolled out in the coming months after the range hits the shelf in January.
The campaign will be accompanied by a new, cheeky print advert featuring the distinctive Man from Del Monte, complete with Panama hat, camouflaged naked with the strapline The Freshest Fruit... Naked!
James Harvey, managing director at Del Monte UK, told freshinfo: “Having something different on the shelves can put in some impetus to a category and benefits the consumer and retailer alike. This is about growing the category as a whole, rather than stealing others’ market share.
“The number-one priority is giving people the quality and brand assurance that being the top fresh fruit brand gives consumers. The naked concept is to give the impression of unadorned, what you see is what you get, fruit.
“We have the awareness and know-how to innovate and are recognised in doing so. The convenience sector is undertrading in fruit by around 50 per cent at the moment and a lot of that has to do with consumer trust, so if a trusted brand like Del Monte can change this then the market can grow significantly.
“Although the prepared fruit category is worth £130m, consumer penetration is yet to reach the level of other prepared sectors, with only two in five consumers purchasing prepared fresh fruit even once a year. We feel this presents a significant opportunity for Del Monte and our customers, and we intend to lead from the front with the launch of the Naked Fruit range, and drive penetration via a brand that consumers trust.”
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