Freshmax debuts Avora avocado model

Jim Tarawa joins business

Freshmax NZ has announced a new collaborative avocado procurement and distribution model in the New Zealand market for the 2016/17 season and has employed an industry veteran to help lead the change.

Avora™ represents a new approach to aggregating New Zealand’s fragmented avocado supply base and delivering the most cost efficient fruit to domestic and export markets. Freshmax has connected its enviable trans-Tasman distribution platform to provide direct access to retail and wholesale markets in both Australia and New Zealand. In addition it will continue to grow the proportion of fruit put into its Asian customer network including direct to retail.

The Avora™ concept revolves around leveraging a fully transparent logistics model which delivers all cost efficiencies back to growers. In addition, Freshmax has used the link with its Australian sister company to reduce distribution costs and margins. On the back of exceptional grower returns last season Freshmax is optimistic that this radically different model can create scale for its growers, supply growing demand in Australian and Asian retail, and ultimately drive enhanced grower returns.

Freshmax is also proud to announce that Jim Tarawa has joined the business to drive the new model alongside category leader Duncan Lilley and Dave Alderton in the Northland region. Jim has a wealth of avocado experience in the New Zealand industry and is particularly enthusiastic about introducing Avora™ to New Zealand producers:

“I’m really excited to be part of the Avora™ marketing team. Freshmax have taken an audacious step in challenging the status quo amongst the export industry. The message to growers is simple – one commission is deducted through the supply chain. A modest per tray flat rate to cover the expenses running a small specialist team is all that is required. Freshmax have moved the actual sales commission line to where it should belong which is in-market.”

Avora™ aims to develop a truly collaborative concept with New Zealand avocado supply partners linking the best NZ grown fruit with local and global markets at the lowest cost. AvoraTM will operate with a significantly reduced margin marketing structure across multi markets and will deliver fully transparent payment reporting.

For further media information, contact:

Alana Shortt

ashortt@freshmax.co.nz

Freshmax Wins Marketer of the Year 2016 – Sumo Citrus Brand Awareness Campaign

“Marketing within produce offers so many roads unexplored, I am just pleased to be able to go out there and chase what I am passionate about.” Words from this year’s Marketer of the Year winner, Matthew Crouch – Marketing Manager, Freshmax.

The 2015 Sumo Citrus™ campaign delivered the goods for Freshmax, and it was innovative in its design and execution, reaching a diverse audience of more than 1.5 million Australians in just 6 weeks. For those of you that didn’t catch the Finalist showcase, delivered during the tradeshow of this year’s PMA ANZ Fresh Connections Conference, here is a summary of the key innovative features Freshmax adopted:

• Unsatisfied with a purely “healthy eating habits” brand message, Crouch took the campaign to consumers on a social issues level, working with Collier Creative to develop a short animation in support of the Bully Zero Australia Foundation
• By partnering with Gravia Media, he was also able to turn the usually inaccessibly expensive mainstream media channels to his advantage – running TV and radio campaigns in regional and metro areas across two states
• A final and particularly unique piece to the campaign was the delivery of a Food Blogger competition through the engagement of Flourish PR, that not only delivered a complete back catalogue of recipes and ambassadors for the brand but did so at a fraction of the cost such a venture would traditionally incur

“Ready Steady Sumo [the competition] had been idea of mine for some time” Crouch reflects “but it wasn’t until Lauren [Redpath] and the team at Flourish jumped at it, that it really took off, and they did a superb job!”.

Crouch’s acceptance speech gave recognition to the entire supply chain and encouraged marketing minds across the industry to push harder to explore new and different channels, “There are good ways and bad ways to deliver marketing, the only way to find out which ones work for you, is to try them”. In his speech, Crouch also paid tribute to their exclusive retail partner, Woolworths. “Working with Freshmax to help bring Sumo Citrus Mandarins to the attention of Aussie consumers is really important to Woolworths” says Cara Reynolds, National Buyer at Woolworths. “We enjoy working with Matt and Will [Snell] and love that they keep challenging the norm and exploring different ways to promote this unique and delicious piece of fruit”.

Sumo Citrus™ is a proprietary brand of citrus fruit, the variety originates from Japan and was first commercialised in the US. Freshmax is the sole licensed Marketer for the brand in the AU and NZ markets, and is heavily involved in the management and support of the entire supply chain and grower group. Freshmax is a large Fresh Produce Marketer operating across Australia and New Zealand to deliver quality fresh produce to wholesale, national and international markets.

Freshmax is supporting NZ contenders at the Surf Lifesaving World Championships

Freshmax has sponsored Libby Bradley who is a member of the NZ Surf lifesaving Youth Team that has been at the World Championships in the Netherlands.

“Libby is the daughter of one of our long standing Avocado suppliers” states Freshmax Avocado Program Manager, Duncan Lilley.

Freshmax is delighted to see local athlete Libby has performed at her best; bringing home medals for the NZ team at the world champs.

Libby’s training regime leading up to these world champs epitomizes the Freshmax values of passion, quality and drive – her many hours dedicated to training hard, fitting in schoolwork and duties in her role as deputy head girl at Katikati College have all paid dividends.

Freshmax is very proud to have sponsored a rising athlete and wishes her good luck for her future endeavors.

For further media information, contact:

Alana Shortt

ashortt@freshmax.co.nz

#snack alert totally hooked on these

August 2016: The power of the hashtag has enabled Freshmax to see just how popular their Munch’n kiwiberry brand is with their consumers. In fact, it seems consumers can’t get enough of them with typical social media posts being along the lines of: #sweet, #small, #cool, #newlover,#happy I found kiwiberries again,#my new afternoon snack delight.

Grown in New Zealand, Munch’n kiwiberries are superior varieties that have been naturally developed by Plant & Food Research to meet the convenience needs of consumers. The result – delicious tasting berries which consumers are loving ”Munch’n” compared to the average kiwiberry.
Research shows consumers are clearly thinking of kiwiberries as a berryfruit, as the hashtags are again proving this: #sorry raspberries, kiwiberries are my new fave, #just snacking on strawberries and kiwiberry.

“We couldn’t be happier about this result, we have done a lot of work to position kiwiberries within the berryfruit category as they are so child-friendly, convenient and the perfect snack food.” says Tracey Burns, Export Division Manager at Freshmax NZ.

2017 forecasts the biggest New Zealand kiwiberry crop yet with Freshmax busy finalising their marketing campaign in target export markets for next season. Consumers can get “Munch’n” again from February 2017. Keep an eye out for them!

For Munch’n sales enquiries please contact:

Tracey Burns – Export Division Manager

Freshmax NZ Ltd

m: +64 21936 428

e: tburns@freshmax.co.nz