Zespri expects an early start in the beginning of May for its kiwifruit season following an excellent growing season. Zespri’s goal is to support retailers as shoppers look for fruits with a lot of vitamin C, which is known to support immunity. Shoppers are looking for options during these unprecedented times as online searches for Vitamin C and related combinations, including food, fruits and supplements, continue to increase.
“We are glad that our season is starting so we can provide consumers with a healthy fruit option,” said Sarah Deaton, Zespri’s shopper marketing manager. “We are dedicated and working hard to get our fruit to the market. Serving to serving, our SunGold kiwifruit has more vitamin C than an orange and the same amount of potassium as a banana. Because of its sweet, tropical flavor, kids love the taste so that helps parents fuel themselves and their children with a nutrient-rich fruit to help support their immune system.”
In addition to delivering SunGold kiwifruit to stores, Zespri is offering retailers a 360-degree approach to services, which help consumers locate SunGold and also reinforces sell-through with an extensive consumer digital campaign that includes social media, email campaigns, coupons, online videos and display advertising. The marketing initiatives will begin rolling out at the start of the season.
“We are increasing our consumer messaging through a variety of vehicles to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits and unique flavor of Zespri SunGold,” said Deaton. “We are continuing our successful ‘Let Your Taste Wander’ campaign that we launched last year. Consumers enjoy the excitement of the promotional offers and the eye-catching graphics and animation. Consumers in our test market enjoyed the sense of escape the campaign offers during these trying times.
The SunGold kiwifruit has been a growth engine for retailers, delivering 112 percent dollar sales growth over the past two years and early indications from retailers and consumers indicate strong growth to continue in 2020. Additionally, the SunGold is packaged in a new one-pound custom-designed clamshell that sits vertically on the display for greater shopper visibility and purchase. The plastic clamshell also encourages sales because products enclosed in packaging tend to sell better than open product at this time.
Zespri is committed to strict standards that produce the best-tasting kiwifruit that is consistently sweet, nutritious and delicious. To ensure exceptional quality and safety measures, Zespri has developed a comprehensive, multi-stage process to ensure that only the highest standards are met. The 2,500-plus growers worldwide supply retailers with the perfect kiwifruit maintained with a secure supply chain with numerous checks and best-practices food-safety measures. The same measures are used for all Zespri fruit, including the organic SunGold that will be in stores mid-May followed by Zespri Green at the end of May.
