North American consumers looking for a tasty apple can look forward to abundant supplies of the tart-sweet Jazz variety this fall and winter, according to David Nelley, pipfruit category manager at The Oppenheimer Group, which markets Jazz apples in partnership with Enza.
“Jazz has been commercially available from Washington State for only four seasons, and each year since 2004, more trees have come into maturity, producing apples that meet Enza’s global quality, appearance and flavor standards,” Mr Nelley explained in a news statement. “This year’s jump is particularly healthy because we lost fruit during a frost in 2008.”
Organic and conventionally grown Jazz apples will enter the market in mid-October, and peak slightly larger in size than last year. However, as a naturally small-sized apple, Jazz will be marketed in a new pack geared to little hands and big appetites alike this fall.
“Our new ‘Jazz Apple Snackers’ concept is a 3lb carton containing up to 12 apples, depending on the fruit size,” Mr Nelley said. “Now more than ever, parents are looking for nutrition and value for their families. Jazz Apple Snackers deliver that – and more. Because the flavor is so intense and the fruit so crunchy, parents find that it’s easy to get their kids to eat a healthy snack. And thanks to the excellent keeping qualities of Jazz in the fruit bowl, purchases of 12 apples can be made with confidence.”
Jazz Apple Snackers will be marketed in a free-standing display unit that arrives ready to merchandise, while a secondary display located outside the produce department – at the check-out or in the deli section – will attract impulse buyers.
To help support the ever-increasing volume of Jazz apples, Oppenheimer and Enza will launch a full-scale integrated marketing campaign in mid-November. Components include radio and billboard advertising, online contests and social marketing, and “a few guerilla tactics” in line with the playful attitude of the Jazz brand – all of which underpin a branded high-impact roadshow designed to bring the taste of Jazz to people wherever they are ready to snack.
“Our experience sampling Jazz has shown us the ‘wow’ factor of this apple time and again,” Mr Nelley explained. “Once people taste it, they always ask where to buy it. We believe that its flavor will convince consumers to choose this apple. We’ve developed a strategy that will get Jazz into as many mouths as we can, close to the point of purchase, and we’ll be doing that at stores and events throughout the winter.”
The campaign will stretch from mid-November through April and focuses on six metropolitan areas; Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, Boston, and Portland, Ore.
While Oppenheimer and Enza anticipate significant volume increases for Jazz, Mr Nelley said their other Washington apple variety, Pacific Rose, will continue its steady but stellar performance this season.
“We continue to be amazed by Washington-grown Pacific Rose year after year,” agreed Rick Derrey, Enza’s North American coordinator based in Zillah, Wash. “It has been incredibly consistent in flavor and quality. This season we see measured growth, with a slight increase over last year and more fruit in preferred sizes.”
Over 30 percent of the Washington Pacific Rose crop is earmarked for export.
“Our export activity was very successful last year, and we plan to build on that platform in the 2009-10 season,” Mr Nelley said. “From January through May, Washington-grown Pacific Rose was the highest priced apple in mainland China. We plan to capitalize on this by moving more fruit into that market, as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia this winter.”
Despite having beefed up resources in export, Mr Nelley noted that Pacific Rose will be plentiful domestically as well. “The sweet flavor of Pacific Rose™ makes it a favorite for many in the Hispanic and Asian community. We will focus our marketing efforts by building programs with customers who serve these groups, from specialty stores to mainstream retailers in ethnically diverse neighborhoods.”
In addition to these two established varieties, a new apple from Enza will be making its inaugural appearance in small quantities this fall. Envy, the sweet, ruby-red apple that shares the Royal Gala and Braeburn parentage of Jazz, is just gaining a foothold in Washington.
“This is a very sweet, very red apple,” Mr Nelley summed up. “We don’t expect to harvest enough to build more than a load this year, and if we do, the fruit will likely go to Asia. Excitement is starting to brew here in the US, but we won’t have commercial volume available until 2011 at the earliest.”
The Oppenheimer Group will market Washington Jazz from mid October through May. The Pacific Rose apple season begins in November and continues about as long.
Both varieties will be complemented by Enza fruit, grown to the same standards in New Zealand, starting in the spring to create two fresh crops per year.
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