Fresh Apple Promotion

Retail promotion activities soared in 1996/97 as New York Apple Country® apples were promoted in an unprecedented number of accounts. The crop moved and the foundation was laid for future programs with key retailers.

The New York crop yielded 11.9 million bushels for the fresh market, of which 11.2 million bushels were sold in the domestic market in line with recent years. However, the total U.S. crop was heavily skewed toward Washington State whose bumper crop overshadowed the short crop in the East and Midwest states. As such, the season’s pricing started out strong but weakened as the year progressed due to heavy Washington promotions. The good news: New York State shippers moved the second largest fresh apple crop on schedule in spite of competitive pressure.

NYAA hit the decks running with early red promotions in September to promote the first wave of ripening apples. Paula Reds and other early red varieties were featured and displayed in stores.

Classic fall promotions followed in the October through December period with outstanding results. 400 stores participated in U.S. Apple Association’s annual National Apple Month display contest. New York State retailers snagged all six of the top awards in the Eastern Region of the contest.

A winter/early spring promotion program allowed New York State apples to hold their own in the face of relentless competition from Washington State and the Southern Hemisphere. Dozens of accounts kept promoting Apple Country® apples throughout the January-May period.

The Apple Country® brand communicates the freshness and high quality of apples grown in New York State. Many retailers capitalized on the attractive Ultragraphic® Apple Country® display bins to move apples. This year, retailers had the additional option of Apple Country® display wrap to dress up European tables and other displays. 1996/97 also saw the debut of Apple Country® Price Look-Up stickers.

The old days of one size fits all promotions are long gone. Today’s competitive retail environment demands a customized approach and NYAA rose to the challenge. Account specific programs were designed for many retailers including coloring contests, display contests, sampling and volume incentive programs.

An important part of doing business with retailers is getting to know them and their needs. There is no substitute for personal contact to get the job done and NYAA excels in this arena. 221 personal contacts were made with key retailers from New England to Florida. NYAA also hosted a successful trade dinner with top New York City metro retailers and wholesalers in addition to sponsoring produce trade charitable events in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Another trade contact opportunity was the 1996 Produce Marketing Association Trade Show in Atlanta which was critical to creating new contacts and renewing old bonds.

The New York Apple Industry Leadership Forum provided another important interface among key retailers, shippers and growers. Over 100 apple industry leaders gathered in Syracuse in January to learn about “Consumer Driven Marketing: New Thinking For Growers, Storage Operators, Packers and Marketers”. The sessions featured a retailer panel including produce executives from Grand Union, Wegmans and Ukrop’s; consumer focus groups; a shipper panel representing top apple marketers from across the country and a keynote address by Jim Prevor, President and Editor-in-Chief of Produce Business magazine.

Other venues to sell apples were also explored in 1996/97. NYAA participated in New York Harvest for New York Kids program designed to encourage school food service managers to buy local produce. We also tested a concept of selling fresh apples and cider along with Apple Country® merchandise at Thruway Travel Plazas.

 

• “The New York Apple Association is one of the few organizations that truly drives sales.”

  Jim Kankoski, Director of Produce Procurement, Tops

• Over 85 retail accounts covering 9,403 individual grocery stores ran Apple Country® promotions during 1996/97.
• A new trade ad campaign was launched featuring three different growers from around the state. The ads ran in Produce Business, Produce Merchandising and Supermarket Business magazines. Awareness of New York Apple Country® apples jumped to its highest level yet due to the combination of advertising, publicity and increased personal contact with the produce trade.
• “The bins, promotional materials and additional funding has helped bring the message to our customers that New York apples are healthy, nutritious and an excellent vehicle for achieving additional sales!”

  Joanne Mikolajczyk, Director of Produce Sales, A&P;

• A major Southeast chain increased sales of New York apples by 159 percent in the spring due to an innovative NYAA carton rebate incentive program.