VOG Apples arrive in Latin America, and it’s an instant success
BOLZANO – VOG apples are becoming increasingly international: as of this year, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have been added to the more than 75 export destinations of the Consortium, which produces 500,000 tonnes of apples per year in South Tyrol – Südtirol (Italy), one of Europe’s main apple-growing areas.
Among the new markets, Brazil has proved to be the most promising: here, Marlene®, RedPop®, Giga® and yello® brand apples have performed very well, thanks also to the partnership between VOG and the importer Garden Fruit. As a testament to this success, the Consortium selected the four apple brands to take part in APAS, one of the leading food exhibitions in the Americas.
“The response of the Brazilian market to our apples has been exceptional and confirms the international role of the Marlene® brand and the VOG range,” comments Hannes Tauber, VOG’s Marketing Manager. “Our apples can be found in more than 75 countries with a symphony of varieties that are able to meet the specific needs and demands of the target markets at any time of the year. The success in Brazil, helped by the partnership with our importer, shows how the VOG range goes beyond the single apple, and supports category building at the point of sale”.
In the same period, Marlene® also made its market debut in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The results achieved in Central and South America were added to the opening of the Taiwanese market in the early part of the season and the success of RedPop® in the UK, where the apple entered the Waitrose & Partners assortment under its own brand name.
In many markets around the world, Marlene® is the brand name for established varieties such as Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Fuji and Granny Smith: a brand that symbolises regional origin, taste, quality and well-being. RedPop® is a real apple-shaped snack, a “little big sweet” increasingly appreciated by foreign customers for its flavour, juiciness, shelf life and an innovative, “pop” brand identity. Giga® is the grand apple, so good and with such intense aromas that you cannot resist sharing it with friends and family. yello® is the yellow-peel speciality, an apple for true connoisseurs. Originating in Japan, it has found the ideal growing conditions in South Tyrol. In Brazil, as well as in other selected countries, RedPop®, Giga® and yello® are presented in co- branding with Marlene®.
“The international successes of the brands marketed by VOG are a reward for our varietal development choices,” comments Klaus Hölzl, VOG’s Sales Manager. “This leads us today to offer apples with characteristics that can satisfy different customers and markets, all grown with the know-how and attention to quality that has always inspired our 4,600 growers”.
VOG now reaches 4 continents with the right apple for every need 12 months a year.
