New product winners and losers: Taking a risk

When the Envy apple launched in 2008, New Zealand-based Turners & Growers Limited (now T&G Global) BB #:163999 had a bold vision for its name and branding, recalls Roger Aguirre, director of apples and pears for Oppy, BB #:116424 Vancouver, BC.

“The name ‘Envy’ conveyed our confidence that this apple is everything an apple aspires to be,” Aguirre says. “It was a little controversial at the time—we debated the risks and rewards of naming an apple after one of the seven deadly sins.”

But the name may have made the difference in a category growing increasingly crowded.

“It was memorable and disruptive, which helped it garner attention, especially in the beginning,” Aguirre notes.

Oppy and T&G learned a lot from the Pacific Rose and Jazz apple launches, and knew Envy had something special for the market. But exceptional flavor doesn’t always guarantee commercial success.

“Over the years, we’ve provided retailers with a consumer-driven matrix of activity that’s constantly evolving.

“We ensure we’re capturing every touchpoint,” Aguirre notes, “whether it’s traditional marketing, sampling events, social media, and beyond.

“We’re still pushing for trial, but we know based on our data that when consumers bite, they believe, and they join in on Envy’s exceptionally loyal following.”

This is an excerpt from the cover story of the September/October 2021 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.

Image sources are either licensed or customer-provided.