As market demand continues to evolve, Italian apple consortium has launched a new range of branded products including purées, juice and dried chips
Italian consortium Vog Home of Apples has entered the final phase of its 80th anniversary celebrations with the launch of a new range of Marlene-branded processed products, as well as a renewed commitment to developing varieties and trademarks that are in tune with market demand.
During a special event to coincide with Fruit Attraction in Madrid, the group unveiled the range to mark 30 years of its flagship portfolio brand.
It features four different flavours of purée sold in squeeze pouches, plus a completely fresh apple juice and a dried apple chips line.
The new range was developed in partnership with processed foods specialist Vog Products – a separate company from Vog itself which works with a number of different apple companies in South Tyrol.
According to Vog, this year has offered an opportunity to reflect on the past and look to the future, one that it seized with a series of events linked respectively to planting, cultivation, and harvesting – or the past, the present, and the future. “Celebrating 80 years of history means not only looking back with pride, but above all reaffirming our commitment to the future,” said CEO Walter Pardatscher. “In the coming years, we will have to face major challenges, such as consumption, in a constantly changing landscape. This is why we believe it is strategic to continue innovating and adapting in order to quickly respond to change.”
He added: “Partly thanks to the extraordinary characteristics of the South Tyrolean terrain, we know that we can offer the right apple 12 months a year and create varieties and brands that will appeal to tomorrow’s consumers.” Having a wide selection of products is seen as one of the pillars of Vog’s success; last season, it reported a solid commercial performance for its traditional varieties and growing interest in newer ones such as Cosmic Crisp, Giga, RedPop, and SweeTango.
That approach underpinned its confidence going into the new campaign, said sales manager Klaus Hölzl. “The outlook for the new season was and remains very positive. The start has been lively in all markets and we are seeing good demand for our apples.
After Gala and SweeTango, which began selling in August, the group also began marketing Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Kanzi in September, and has reported “excellent” market feedback.
“For Golden Delicious and Granny Smith, we have also managed to ensure availability for 12 months in selected markets, guaranteeing a smooth transition to the new harvest,” Hölzl noted. According to Hannes Tauber, Vog’s marketing manager, maintaining a distinction between each variety and brand is essential. “Today’s apple-growing sector offers an increasingly wide and diverse range of products. This is why our job is to plant, foster and harvest brands with clear and distinctive identities that speak directly to their target audience,” he commented.
“This will enable us to guarantee a product range that guides consumers through the purchasing process in an engaging and informed manner.”
