Italian apple supplier develops sporting analogies to simplify category management and meet diverse consumer needs across European markets
South Tyrolean consortium Vog, a leading supplier of apples based in the north-east of Italy, has revealed a new strategic approach designed to shape communication and dialogue with consumers.
Unveiled at Fruit Logistica last week, the consortium’s new strategic concept is inspired by the findings of an in-depth European study commissioned to YouGov that analysed consumption, shopper behaviour, trends and personal interests.
The idea is to make the world of apple cultivation clear and easy to understand, Vog explained.
Winning the battle
The new gameplan will uses sporting analogies – and football metaphors in particular – as a universal and immediately comprehensible language.
Vog said that its team, with its large squad of varieties and brands, is ready to work with its clients to win the retail store battle, guaranteeing the ideal products for every consumer segment.
“We have chosen the football metaphor because it allows us to communicate our identity, how we construct a wide and diversified portfolio and how we deal with the different challenges of the season, always listening to the wishes and requests of our most important fans, the consumers, and working together with our commercial partners who help us to train the Vog team,” said Walter Pardatscher, chief executive of Vog.
“The aim of the new approach is to gradually create a genuine language, distinctive and shared with all our partners, to support decision-making on the product range, times and activities, and enable us to manage every phase of the season in a smooth and consistent way.”
The research, commissioned by Vog to YouGov and carried out in October 2025 in 11 countries, confirmed the importance of apples in the lives of European consumers.
According to the study, considering three representative countries, 84 per cent of Italians, 85 per cent of Germans and 81 per cent of Swedes declared that they regularly bought apples during the year, with a weekly consumption frequency of over 70 per cent in Italy and Germany and 62 per cent in Sweden.
The study also identified five groups of consumers (tradition seekers, promotion seekers, quality seekers, sustainability seekers, trend seekers) that inspired the footballing concept.
Adapting its formation
These are the target groups that the consortium is aiming to attract by ”putting out the most suitable team and adapting its formation to suit the market and demand”.
“Vog has responded to a dynamic and multifaceted European scenario with a winning strategy,” it noted.
”In fact, the footballing metaphor makes it possible to quickly and immediately translate the insights of the research into tangible portfolio and category management choices.
”Just like in a football team, where the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards have distinct but complementary roles to play, variety, brands, price segments and packaging solutions have their own clearly defined functions in the apple segment,” Vog continued.
”The clear segmentation and structured management of the category make it possible to field a winning team that is able to meet the different needs of consumers and shoppers.
”The aim is to win the game and excite the fans, offering the right product range at the right time, facilitating purchasing choices and creating value both for clients and end consumers,” the consortium outlined.
Innovative approach
Vog said it is taking an innovative approach to consolidating its long-standing objectives of acting as the point of reference for the apple sector, putting the consumer first and promoting a broad product range.
“At Fruit Logistica we have launched a new pathway that brings innovation also into the sphere of language and communication,” said Hannes Tauber, Vog marketing manager.
”An evolving strategy but one that remains faithful to the principles of teamwork, respect for different roles, seasonality and the ability to react to changes in the market.
“The football metaphor isn’t just a creative exercise but a concept designed to leave a mark: an approach with a long-term vision, capable of turning the ‘football’ analogy into a useful and functional tool, facilitating internal and external communication and creating bridges between different skills, origins and roles,” he added.
