Presented in Berlin by Jason Morris, APAL
In addition to the new market management initiatives, we are progressing key Pink Lady® brand development projects for the emerging markets. Building brand awareness with the right audience is a key component to realising both our value and volume potential in these markets.
EXPLORING TASTE PREFERENCES IN ASIA
In November 2022, the Pink Lady® marketing team completed a research project in Thailand to gain insights into the Asian consumers’ taste profile preferences, sentiment and appetite for Pink Lady® apples against other major apples in the market.
The research sought out to understand the following:
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- How the taste profile for Pink Lady® is currently perceived in Asia
- If there is an opportunity to reframe consumers’ expectations for Pink Lady®
- To identify the perfect positioning for Pink Lady®
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The findings were promising, with a low rejection of Pink Lady® – even amongst consumers with a sweeter tooth – showing that Thai consumers have a clear view of the role different apples should play in their diet and their eating occasions.
The results demonstrated that there is a place for a more complex taste profile beyond the usual sweet apple. What also became clear in the consumer feedback is the need to improve how Pink Lady® is presented in store and how we set up the consumers’ expectations for the unique taste.
The Pink Lady® marketing team will use the results and insights from this research to ensure the 2023 Pink Lady® marketing campaigns in SMSP markets are setting up the right expectations for our target consumers.
BECOMING A CHALLENGER BRAND
The Pink Lady® Development marketing and country management teams held a two-day workshop in the lead-up to Berlin Fruit Logistica, facilitated by eatbigfish, a global strategic brand consultancy specialising in challenger brands and businesses.
Informing the workshop was feedback from importers, exporters and retail stakeholders who work with Pink Lady® in the SMSP markets. There was a clear mandate from those interviewed that Pink Lady® needed to own its taste profile and that there’s a place for Pink Lady®in these markets.
“We know the new markets are looking for and expecting something different, and Pink Lady® has an excellent opportunity to capitalise on this. Everyone already knows apples are, or should be, crunchy, juicy and refreshing. We should absolutely evoke these attributes, however, valuable attention is wasted by claiming the same characteristics as other apples,” said Jason Morris, General Manager Pink Lady® .
“The stakeholder interviews and brand workshop have highlighted which of our functional equities really set us apart and given us permission to lean into them – laddering them up to a bigger emotional benefit.”
The concept of Pink Lady® being a challenger brand amongst the current sea of sameness in the apple category was the focus of the workshop.
The team also refined our target customer, as a unique apple, we won’t be for everyone, and we don’t need to win with everyone to achieve transformational growth; it’s about winning with the right people.
The strategy that comes out of this workshop is currently in development and will inform how we position Pink Lady® in new markets over the coming years. Our intention is to be bold, and to be different. We will own and celebrate the unique taste profile of Pink Lady®.
