VOG’s strategy for fruit and vegetables: Putting the focus back on consumers

By VOG

Supporting consumers and guiding them in the process of discovering and choosing the most suitable products: these are the principles underlying the VOG – Home of apples marketing strategies.

As a leading international player in the production and marketing of apples, the Consortium is responding to the current situation of fruit and vegetable consumption with an innovative approach to apple promotion, which also takes different experiences and sectors into account.

The challenge is to make fruit like apples competitive not so much with fresh produce, but also with food products in other departments, while avoiding generalisation of the product. VOG’s strategies therefore go beyond the basic values of fruit and vegetable products, such as quality, sensory characteristics or healthiness, to focus on consumers’ expectations, aspirations and experiences.

“The possibility we have today to offer a wide assortment of varieties and brands for 12 months of the year makes it necessary to take a step beyond product-focused communication, listening to what consumers want,” explains Hannes Tauber, Marketing Manager at VOG. “We have to communicate how a specific apple responds to different lifestyles, explain how and when to consume it and use the language of its audience when needed. At the same time, the challenge is to ensure that the product is available at the point of sale when consumers feel the need to buy it.”

This is why each VOG brand’s campaign revolves around engaging consumers in a specific vision, a world in which an apple is not just an apple, but also a vehicle for affirming the values and way of life of its target audience.

To use an agricultural metaphor, VOG’s work on brands consists of planting, fostering and harvesting. Planting because a brand in the launch phase requires work on environmental factors – the other proposals on the market – and the creation of a distinctive personality. Fostering because after its launch a brand needs to be nurtured and watered with new creativity and original ideas to sustain its growth. Harvesting because when a brand is established, you have to keep working every year to reap the rewards.

VOG's brands that dialogue with consumers

In order to appeal to new consumers, including young people, and to retain their loyalty, it is necessary to create a rich, colourful assortment featuring apples with a distinct personality. VOG’s work on its brands fully exemplifies this approach.

Take Marlene® for example, a brand that is celebrating 30 years of success on the markets this year. The daughter of the Alps tells consumers about the culture behind the apple, even involving them in person in a culinary experience where they explore its origin, its gourmet side and the tastes, aromas and textures of the different varieties. This inspiration will be expanded even further in the next campaign.

Pink Lady® targets a highly loyal, sustainability-conscious customer base with its commitment charter for environmental and social responsibility and its biodiversity projects such as Bee Pink®. The “Adopt a tree” initiative also strengthens the link between consumers and apple farmers.

Kanzi® will also celebrate an important anniversary: it is now 20 years since it became a must-have in fruit and vegetable departments. In this case too, closeness to consumers was key to its success. With samplings and diverse initiatives, Kanzi® is targeting the most dynamic customers looking for the energy boost that this apple can give with its extraordinary taste.

Envy™, an outstanding apple in the supersweet segment, was relaunched with a highly original position that invited consumers to enjoy the apple’s sensory experience. Inspiration from areas such as beauty and fashion has made the brand highly recognisable, while also engaging people outside the fruit and vegetable department.

Among the most innovative apples, Giga® and RedPop® were launched with two developed and well-defined personalities, which linked their characteristics to specific lifestyles. Giga® has a bold and expansive identity, ready to share its goodness with the world. RedPop® is sweet, but with a rebellious, pop soul, just like a moment to yourself.

Cosmic Crisp® relies on its superior taste and texture characteristics to offer consumers a heavenly taste. It is a unique apple, providing sensations that allow you to touch the sky at any time of day, from sunrise to sunset. The lifestyle imagery of the communication initiatives linked this concept to a modern audience that is receptive to premium products.

“Anticipating consumer needs and satisfying them every time they buy a product is key to growing the apple category and fruit and vegetable products in general,” Hannes Tauber concludes. “We have taken up the challenge and can count on the right organisation, expertise and products to achieve our goals.”

For more information visit www.vog.it