Innovation in varieties and communication, the ability to attract new consumers and all-year sales, with peaks even in summer: changes are coming thick and fast in the apple category and VOG – Home of apples is playing a leading role in shaping them. VOG has brought its expertise, its products and brands and its vision of the future of apples to Macfrut, held from 8 to 10 May.
“With the market consolidation of Cosmic Crisp®, Giga®, RedPop®, Joya®, Crimson Snow® and SweeTango™ we’ve entered a third phase of innovation in the category, after those marked by Pink Lady®, Gala and Fuji and subsequently by Kanzi®, envy™ and yello®,” explains Hannes Tauber, Marketing Manager of VOG – Home of apples. Every apple becomes a point of contact with the consumer and engages with them distinctively through its brand identity.”
“In this context, it becomes extremely important to listen to the markets,” Mr Tauber continues,” to ensure we can constantly generate value for our entire network, from apple farmer to consumer by way of the retailers, with their crucial role.”

VOG apples are on the up and up

The success of the Consortium’s strategy is confirmed by the early-April sales figures. In spite of fierce competition in southern Europe, sales are on-target and VOG has strengthened its market position. The data from outside Europe are also encouraging, with high demand and impressive sales in the last few weeks, in spite of the crisis in the Red Sea and the limits on use of the Suez Canal route.

While sales of most apples will wind up by the end of June, RedPop®, Giga®, Cosmic Crisp®, Crimson Snow® , Joya® and Golden Delicious will be available until late summer and the next two months will be crucial for destocking.
“As the crop sizes of the new varieties increase, the summer phase is becoming more important and we now have a very attractive offering even for this period,” comments VOG Sales Manager Klaus Hölzl. “So in the last few years we’ve established ourselves as a point of reference for all 12 months of the year. We’ve worked hard alongside our retail partners to optimise the positioning of these higher quantities and to get consumers used to this new trend.”

Varieties and brands

Gala has been one of the most successful traditional varieties thanks to excellent quality, which extended the season until the end of April. Demand is very good for Granny Smith and Fuji, the latter primarily in Italy.

Kanzi®, now an established brand with young, dynamic consumers, has also performed well. envy™ has also met its targets, with the campaign scheduled to finish by the end of May. Spain and Italy were the countries with the strongest growth for this apple which delights all consumers’ five senses.

During the last few months the focus has been on Cosmic Crisp®. Ever since the campaign’s launch in February, the markets have given the apple with the heavenly taste an enthusiastic reception. Now the aim is to position the brand at the European level. After the early April media campaign, communication is now concentrated on the “Cosmic Stars and Heavenly Moments” roadshow. Its five-stage tour, visiting Madrid, Rome, Milan, Berlin and Cologne, raises apple tasting to genuine event status, with cocktails, DJ sets and unforgettable live shows with the cities at sunset as a backdrop. These happenings prove the brand’s ability to create a unique image for itself in consumers’ minds.

Demand for Giga® is enjoying constant growth, with a sales peak forecast for the spring and summer months thanks to its excellent storage life. With its amazing flavour and intensity just made for sharing, Giga® has been warmly welcomed on the market and is now available in many fruit and vegetable departments.

Results for RedPop® have also been excellent. The rebel with a sweet heart, a real apple-shaped snack, has now shifted its focus to Europe, where it is winning over new consumers and customers.

Crimson Snow® is expanding in eastern and southern Europe, where it has built up an excellent brand reputation. Sales of Joya®, which completes the summer offering, also began in April.

80 thousand people take part in the Marlene® culinary experience

Marlene® is one of the brands which best represents the work of VOG – Home of apples for the category. During recent campaigns the Daughter of the Alps brand, which will celebrate its 30th birthday next year, has engaged with consumers through storytelling that uses its native land and the seasons of the year as distinctive features of its apple varieties, available for 12 months of the year.

This year Marlene®’s communication combines this added-value origin with apples’ gourmet side. So the Daughter of the Alps invited consumers to take part in a culinary experience, with a major competition ending in mid April. Almost 80 thousand participants from 19 countries explored the Aroma Wheel and the flavour pairings recommended by Marlene® to compete for the gourmet packages offered on an instant win basis. 562 gourmet recipes were uploaded to marlene.it by entrants hoping to win the Marlene® culinary experience. The creators of the five victorious recipes were invited to an experience in South Tyrol - Südtirol which included a gala dinner with chef Norbert Niederkofler.

In addition, the social media campaign connected to the competition shared Marlene®‘s gourmet inspiration with 20 million users right across Europe.

VOG - Home of apples is organic too

Since mid March sales of VOG’s organic apples have also grown strongly, thanks to an increase in consumption and a favourable European situation. Planning is therefore also proceeding extremely well. Here again, Gala has recorded the best performances, with sales exceeding expectations.