ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2019

Sep 3, 2019
Rockit Global receives the 2019 Asia Fruit Award

Marketer of miniature apples Rockit Global on Sept. 3 won marketing campaign of the year during the Asia Fruit Awards at in Hong Kong.

The awards were presented by Asia Fruit Logistica, the leading continental fresh fruit and vegetable trade show in Asia, and AsiaFruit Magazine. The two organizations select winners.

Rockit Global, the company behind miniature Rockit apples marketed in convenient recyclable tube packaging, won Marketing Campaign of the Year Award for its new brand campaign in China.

China has grown rapidly to account for 50% of Rockit’s global sales, and the company launched a consumer-centric marketing campaign in 2019 focusing on the functionality and benefits of Rockit apples, according to a press release from Asia Fruit Logistica.

The campaign aimed to appeal directly to Rockit’s target demographics of children (and their carers) as well as busy young professionals, according to the release. Rockit apples were positioned as a healthy and convenient snack alternative for parents and grandparents collecting children from school, and for young professionals seeking healthy options for snacking on throughout their working day.

With the tagline ‘This little goodness you can hold’ in Mandarin Chinese, Rockit undertook a number of promotional activities, including a campaign for Children’s Day, June 1, according to the release. Rockit also cooperated with leading Chinese fruit store chain Pagoda to launch Rockit apple-themed Pagoda stores to maximise profile and promotion. E-commerce has been a key sales channel for Rockit in China, and the company made breakthroughs on this front, joining the New Zealand Food Basket alliance, which launched its first New Zealand Flagship store on Tmall Fresh, in addition to opening a flagship store on JD.com.

Rockit Global’s China market manager, Eric Dai, said the company was delighted to receive the ASIA FRUIT AWARD for Marketing Campaign of the Year.

“Ensuring your brand stands out in a crowded market such as China is always a challenge,” Dai said in a press release. “This award is fantastic recognition of a brand message that was tailored to engage and resonate with Chinese consumers and was well executed across a range of channels.”

Indian blueberry growers honored

The 2019 ‘Impact’ Award was presented to Indian fresh produce importer-grower-distributor Yupaa Group.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2019 - ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS -
Ambrish Karvat accepted the award with his wife Yujita and son Parth.

In addition to other efforts, Yupaa was recognized for its pioneering efforts in India’s berry industry, according to the press release. Ambrish and Yujita Karvat set up Yupaa in 1989 with a modern strawberry-growing venture in Panchgani, Maharashtra – Parth Farms. The venture cultivated US varieties that yield large-sized berries and marketed them under the Yupaa brand, one of the first branded fruits in India. Ambrish estimates some 3,000 acres (1,200ha) of strawberries are today grown in India based on this model. Around 20 years later, the family set up a raspberry-growing operation and this year they harvested their first blueberries for the Indian market.

The Indian market’s vast growth potential, and Yupaa’s solid foundation with a pan-India distribution network, drew global group Capespan to make a strategic investment in the company in 2016, acquiring a 35% share in Yupaa Fresh.

“It means a lot to us for Yupaa’s ‘Impact’ to be being acknowledged and celebrated by such reputable and credible organizations, which have in-depth knowledge of our sector,” said co-founder Ambrish Karvat, who accepted the award together with wife Yujita and son Parth.

“This award is truly the result of the impact we could initiate and facilitate by opening India’s doors to various [supply] origins, their growers and exporters, and the impact we created for our customers and the consumers of India by bringing fruit from around the world to their plates and adding value in every way possible.”

In other awards, Indonesian company Laris Manis Utama was named importer of the year, and the produce retailer of the Year Award went to Yonghui Superstores, one of China’s fastest-growing grocery retailers.

Above, from the left are Chris White, managing director of Fruitnet Media International; Rockit Global’s China market manager, Eric Dai; and Wilfried Wollbold, commercial director of Asia Fruit Logistica organizer Global Produce Events. Photo: AsiaFruit Congress

 




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