Proprietary Variety Management is an intellectual property management company that uses a consumer-centric approach to introduce and market new fruit varieties to the world. Our largest project is the commercial launch of the Cosmic Crisp® which was introduced in the US market in 2019. To read more about Cosmic Crisp® and other varieties we manage, read the article in Fresh Plaza
Read the article in the June 1, 2020 issue of the Good Fruit Grower
Pink Lady® America and APAL (Apple and Pear Australia) announced the formation of an exciting new partnership in early December, with the goal of improving the availability of Pink Lady® apples in the export markets.
View the article on FRESH PLAZA
An early maturing selection of Pink Lady (cultivar Cripps Pink) is available from Brandt’s Fruit Trees in Yakima, Washington.
The selection matures up to three weeks earlier than the standard Pink Lady. Another distinction is that while standard Cripps Pink sometimes needs to be stored for a time to balance the sugar and acid levels, early Pink Lady is ready to market at harvest. However, it has the same flavor, texture, and distinctive pink color as the original, Lynnell Brandt, president of the nursery, said in a press release published by The Good Fruit Grower magazine.
A recent consumer survey from Pink Lady America shows huge market growth potential for Pink Lady® brand apples in North America. When asked why they do not buy Pink Lady® brand apples, 73 percent of consumers polled say that they haven’t heard of them and 13 percent say they don’t see them at their favorite grocery store.
“Knowing that kind of information is incredibly valuable,” says John Reeves, General Manager of Pink Lady America. “It demonstrates that there is a huge potential for growth in the marketplace for Pink Lady® brand apples. The consumers that have tried Pink Lady® brand apples love them and continue to buy them on a regular basis, if they can find them at the store. It helps us to try to find ways to get the word out to more consumers.”
Will production be able to meet up with consumer demand for this unique apple as markets expand? Lynnell Brandt, owner of Brandt’s Fruit Trees, the Master Licensee for the Pink Lady® brand in North America, says, “Sales of trees licensed under the Pink Lady® brand continue to grow each year. There will be more and more high quality apples harvested from maturing orchards that will be shipped out to retailers to meet consumer demand for the foreseeable future.”
Consumers love the sweet/tart flavor, texture and color of Pink Lady® branded apples. They use words like “Crispy” “Tasty” “Delicious” and “Brand” to describe what they love about this apple. “We thought it was notable that 7 percent of consumers specifically mentioned that the Flowing Heart Logo for the Pink Lady® brand was what they loved most about the apple,” says Reeves. In fact, one consumer is quoted as saying, “They’re cute” as one of the reasons they buy Pink Lady® brand apples. “We believe that the flowing heart logo is one of the reasons why consumers are drawn to the apple.”
“As the popularity for these apples builds, it’s important that consumers are able to quickly identify the high quality apples that are associated with the Pink Lady® brand. It is in everyone’s best interest to keep building on the momentum of the market growth behind this branded apple and not to confuse the consumer by using the generic varietal names. Consistency is vital to consumer awareness and loyalty.”
Pink Lady America has designed an Infographic with some of the key results from their latest consumer survey. They will send it out to industry contacts and retailers to illustrate the opportunities for all involved to expand the market for Pink Lady® brand apples.
For additional information contact Pink Lady America (509) 248-4352 or kathryn@provarmanagement.com
Pink Lady® brand tree plantings are picking up momentum due to success with consumers, high prices at retail, and strong returns to growers.
“For three seasons in a row we’ve seen record volume for Pink Lady in the nation’s supermarkets, which shows impressive positive movement,” says Dr. John Reeves, general manager of Pink Lady America LLC in Yakima, Washington.
“Real excitement is taking place at the orchard level when it comes to growers continuing to invest in the success of this apple. The increased plantings boosted the 2014 crop over the four million carton mark for the first time.”
“This steady increase in plantings and production translates into significant value each year to growers, shippers and retailers,” Dr. Reeves says.
According to figures provided by Brandt’s Fruit Trees LLC, in less than 20 years since 1996 when the first 4,000 Pink Lady® trees were sold, tree sales have increased steadily to almost 6.5 million trees in the ground by 2015.
“It’s also of interest to see this substantial increase when looking at growth of new plantings between individual seasons,” Dr. Reeves says.
For instance, the 2010 season saw plantings of 126,414 trees jump to 482,876 in 2012. That’s an impressive 282% increase of total trees in the ground between those two years. Projections through 2030 are indicating average plantings of over 400,000 each year.
As Pink Lady sees its consumer market significance grow, the industry will be paying close attention to how the increased production will aspire to meet consumer demand.
Another appealing factor to the increased plantings are its ‘grower friendly’ aspects that continue to add to its positive industry reputation.
“This apple has been a strong performer when it comes to returns,” Dr. Reeves says, “In talking to growers and packers, we’ve found them to be very happy when it comes to pack out percentages received from Pink Lady® Brand Apples.”
For additional information contact Pink Lady America (509) 248-4352 or kathryn@provarmanagement.com
