At Asia Fruit Logistica, the focus is on varietal innovation and the success of RedPop® in the Far
East and South East Asia. Prospects for Thailand and India are excellent
Asian markets are becoming more and more promising for VOG, thanks in particular to its wide, innovative assortment of varieties and brands, which makes the South Tyrolean Consortium the ideal partner for supplying the best apple for customers’ needs every month of the year. Underlining the area’s importance, the Consortium is exhibiting at Asia Fruit Logistica, now running in Hong Kong until today, 8th September.
In recent years VOG has achieved outstanding results in Asia, which is now an important export
destination with excellent growth prospects. Varietal innovation has played a fundamental role in
this success. Thanks to careful planning of the varieties in production and the work of its 4,600
members, today the Consortium is able to supply the right apple for all the international market’s
demands in every month of the year.
Therefore, as well as on the stand itself the topic of varietal innovation was also the centre of the
presentation by VOG Marketing Manager Hannes Tauber at the Asia Fruit Congress, the cycle of
talks given by fruit and vegetable industry experts during the show. The only Italian speaker at the
event, Tauber illustrated the vision of the Consortium and the apple trade regarding this issue.
“Varietal planning is a tricky business, requiring all our expertise and our ability to combine our
growers’ knowledge, the insights provided by research and the demands of customers and
consumers,” Tauber explained. “Of course, we also have to plot the strategies for the
individual brands, to offer varieties attuned to the consumer’s tastes and products that enrich the
in-store experience with appeal and colours.”
RedPop® conquers the Asian markets
One example of an innovation that has received an enthusiastic response from the markets due to
both apple’s characteristics and the brand image is RedPop®. Launched by the Consortium as
an apple-shaped snack, RedPop® has met with enthusiasm in the Far East and South East Asian
markets, as this edition of Asia Fruit Logistica confirmed.
“There’s a great deal of interest in RedPop®, which suits these destinations’ preference for sweet,
crispy, aromatic apples and also ships very well,” VOG Sales Manager Klaus Hölzl commented,
“but our assortment also includes other varieties with a great deal of promise for the Asian
markets, including Giga®, envy™, Crimson Snow® and Joya®”.
“Our feedback from the show indicates that RedPop® has exactly what it takes to win a major slice
of the premium segment on the Asian markets,” Hannes Tauber added. “Its snack positioning, its
youthful brand identity and the fact that this apple can be supplied in every month of the year are
the key factors in its success.”
Asia Fruit Logistica was also an opportunity for assessing VOG’s position in the continent’s
markets. In recent years the Consortium has built up a solid presence in the Middle East and has
exported to countries including India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and
Taiwan, with the aim of also reaching China and Indonesia. Thailand in particular has achieved
good volumes for brands like Marlene® and RedPop® in the last two years, and it is acquiring more
and more interest for the Consortium.
The spotlight is also on India, where apples of South Tyrolean origin have gained a solid
reputation. As well as for Red Delicious, there is also growing demand in the country for Royal
Gala, Granny Smith and a number of contract apples.
“Europe is still our main market, but our objectives for next season include maintaining a strong
position and achieving growth on the Asian markets,” Mr Hölzl explained. “With our wide
assortment of varieties and brands and year-round availability of a large selection, we can supply
the right products even on these markets, where preferences are traditionally very different from
in Europe.”
