Last updated on April 17th, 2024
Zespri is anticipating a successful season this year, due to increased customer demand after receiving the 2024 Best Snack Award from Good Housekeeping.
Retailers can expect shipments of the No. 1-selling kiwi brand soon as the first two shipping vessels left New Zealand. The vessels are expected to arrive at the Port of Philadelphia and the Port of Los Angeles at the end of April.
“We are heading into the new season as the No. 1-selling kiwi brand for the fourth consecutive year,” said Darren LaMothe, Zespri’s general manager for North America.
“Our success is based on several factors, but one of our main points of differentiation is that our kiwifruit is grown for taste. Consumers love the taste of our refreshingly sweet SunGold Kiwifruit, which has helped solidify our top brand positioning. Consumers also love the tangy-sweet taste profile of our Green Kiwifruit. We’ve had great weather and growing conditions and are expecting an exceptional-tasting crop this year.”
According to a recent third-party consumer study, consumers were two times more likely to consider buying Zespri Kiwifruit versus other brands after tasting the Zespri Kiwi. Moreover, Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit had a 40 percent higher likeness score versus other gold brands, and Zespri’s Green Kiwifruit had a 30 percent higher overall likeness score versus other leading green brands.
To capitalize on the strong consumer taste preference for Zespri Kiwifruit, retailers are encouraged to build large prominent displays so shoppers can easily find the fruit. Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit continues to drive sales with 49 percent of total category dollar gains.
When both varieties of SunGold and Green Kiwis are merchandised together, sales increased 32 percent compared to another green kiwi brand. Additionally, when SunGold and Green Kiwi organic varieties are also included in a display, there is an automatic halo effect of favorable consumer perception.
New for the 2024 season, Zespri updated its iconic yellow merchandising display to include new creative that ties into its successful “Taste the Obsession” consumer campaign. The extensive digital campaign will include social, email, online video, display advertising, Ibotta, sampling and event activations designed to drive consumers to stores.
“We are excited to continue our campaign because consumers are resonating with the messaging and are interested to learn about the passion and care that goes into delivering the world’s best kiwifruit. It’s a delicious and nutritious fruit that aligns with consumers’ growing health and wellness needs,” said Jeanne Wilson, head of marketing North America.
“To enhance our ‘Taste the Obsession’ campaign, we will be introducing our Zespri KiwiBrothers to America. The dynamic duo of SunGold and Green brand characters will start their journey through social media, connected TV, audio streaming and events.”
Another driver of traffic to retail stores is Zespri’s Good Housekeeping’s 2024 Best Snack Award. For the fourth year, Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit was nominated and awarded in the Powerhouse Produce category.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized for our commitment to growing our kiwi for taste, not just size or yield. And it’s an honor to have health professionals continue to endorse Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit as a remarkably healthy and delicious snack,” Wilson shared.
Read more snacks news from The Shelby Report.
