Adelaide Hills-based Next Fruit Generation Australia lauched the trademarked Rockit apple in South Australia during the Tasting Australia event from 1 to 8 May.
Next Fruit Generation, a subsidiary of Lenswood Apples that holds the growing and marketing rights for Rockit apple in Australia, held a stall at the Adelaide event that saw more then 50,000 people attend
“We were absolutely thrilled with the response from the public, especially in relation to its taste, its miniature snacking size and convenient packaging. Around 130kg of Rockit apples were provided as samples to consumers and we sold 500 Rockit tubes, and gained a massive following on 'Rockit Apples Australia' Facebook page,” Julian Carbone, Lenswood Apples marketing manager told Fruitnet.
And as of 11 May, customers at around 30 of South Australia’s high-end Foodland, IGA and greengrocer stores were able to purchase the small-sized Rockit apples, sold in pre-packed tubes of four or five apples.
Rockit will be rolled out at select Woolworths and Harris Farm Markets stores in coming weeks, explained Carbone.
“Following Tasting Australia, we are confident we are definitely on a winner with Rockit. Customers were loving the taste and telling how us how crisp and sweet the apple was,” Carbone said. “And we’re getting good feedback on the size, which is the perfect size for snacking, and eating on the go.”
Lenswood Apples has also used the Tasting Australia event to launch its Rockit Australia Facebook page, and has run consumer competitions, including offering visitors to the Rockit stall at Taste Australia the chance to win a luxury trip to Sydney’s Good Food and Wine Festival.
There’s also the on-going ‘selfie’ competition, encouraging consumer to purchase a tube of apples and then take a ‘Healthy Selfie’ with the Rockit tube and submit it to their Facebook page, with one winner each week to receive a A$50 credit card over 16 weeks.
The Rockit apple was bred by the Havelock North Fruit Company in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay.
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