Del Monte (UK) is expanding its portfolio way beyond fruit as part of a new all-encompassing marketing strategy.
The move will see the fresh and prepared foods giant’s Naked Fruit name dropped, with the lines instead set to be included under a new brand identity.
Del Monte Love Fresh will be aimed at “widening the goal posts” of the company’s offer.
The first lines to emerge in the new range are three salad accompaniments - Roasted Vegetable Cous Cous, Cheese Pasta and Tuna Pasta. Already listed in Budgens, the range of 225g lines retails at £1.09.
The move is part of a strategic swing to widen Del Monte’s capabilities on fresh convenience products and extend its reach to consumers, especially those increasingly looking for healthy, on-the-move meal solutions, but not prepared to compromise on quality.
Del Monte Love Fresh is to be launched on pineapple at one major multiple shortly, while Budgens is to introduce the brand on three fruit lines in the next month. The full rebrand of Naked Fruit products is to take place over the summer.
Del Monte (UK) MD James Harvey said: “Much as we prized our flourishing Del Monte Naked Fruit range, and were tempted to parody it with a Del Monte Dressed Salad range, ultimately, given our fresh convenience product ambitions, it made better sense to market them all under one Del Monte Love Fresh umbrella.
“Del Monte has recently won major branded and own-label contracts across layered salads, dressed salads, wholehead and prepared fruit, and we believe we are one of the best placed producers to maximise retailer revenues in these growing sectors.”
The company has alluded to the return of perhaps fresh produce’s most iconic figure. Harvey said: “The Man from Del Monte is as well known today as he ever was and his personal guarantee of fruit expertise, trust and quality makes him a central part of our consumer promise. Watch this space."
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