Zespri International Limited is the world’s largest kiwifruit marketer, selling kiwifruit in over 50 countries. The Zespri brand is one of the rare New Zealand businesses succeeding on a truly international stage.
Introduced in the 1996/97 kiwifruit season, coinciding with the establishment of Zespri Group Limited as the sales and marketing entity for New Zealand Kiwifruit, the Zespri brand has emerged as a beacon of trust and recognition in key markets.
Every New Zealander seems to know the Zespri brand. Their unique selling proposition lies in their ability to distinguish New Zealand Kiwifruit from similar products worldwide.
But, how do they do it?
Building trust and understanding
The Zespri marketing team’s commendable efforts have not only bolstered brand recognition but also fostered a deeper connection between consumers and our fruit. Beyond taste and quality, consumers now appreciate our fruit for its origin and cultivation process. Kiwifruit, a remarkable product in itself, gains further value when backed by a robust brand reputation that consistently delivers high-quality fruit to consumers.
Ensuring consistent quality
The value returned to growers is maximised by Zespri’s ability to sell consistent quality, healthy, great-tasting fruit that is good not only for the consumer but for everyone involved in producing the fruit.
The fact that we have a grower-owned, single-desk model allows Zespri to ensure their product is consistently of the highest quality. It gives growers the power to meet consumer, customer, and market access expectations in an efficient, low-cost way.
All this is essential to ensuring a brand that consumers can rely on to be healthy, tasty and safe to eat, along with an assurance that it was grown in a way that benefits the environment, growers and the communities in which we operate.
This model has also allowed years of research into the health benefits of kiwifruit, which allows Zespri to confidently make claims about digestive health, Vitamin C health and the other nutrients contained in kiwifruit, for example, that two kiwifruit contain more potassium than a banana!
Tailored marketing for success
Zespri’s brand tagline is “Making your healthy irresistible!”. This encourages consumers to make their health something tantalising while celebrating the importance of being healthy by offering both nutritious and irresistibly tasty kiwifruit.
The Global Brand Development team based in Singapore also tailors marketing campaigns to target different audiences in different markets. In some cases, the selling point is how Zespri Green can help with digestive health, and in others, it may be the high vitamin C content of Zespri Sun Gold for increased immunity and vitality. They also educate new consumers to understand the tasty, healthy treat hidden within a nondescript brown fuzzy skin and how to eat the fruit when it is at its optimum ripeness, with details even on how to cut and scoop the fruit!
Proud contributors to the Zespri brand
As part of the Zespri Brand story, Tirohanga Fruit takes pride in its involvement.
Holding shares in the company and actively participating in industry events and meetings, we recognise the importance of the strong Zespri brand and its ability to achieve viable returns for growers through its extraordinary marketing efforts.
Join us as we embark on this fruitful journey with Zespri and celebrate the passion, innovation and people behind our very own respected brand at Tirofruit.
Together, we cultivate the future, one kiwifruit at a time.
Elly is the Director of EastPack, Prospa Orchard Management Services, and Tirohanga Fruit Company. With a corporate background in Agriculture and Horticulture industries working at Fonterra and Zespri, Elly has 16 years of experience in the field. She holds a Master’s Degree (First Class) in Spanish Language and Literature, along with Postgraduate Diplomas in Business Administration and Teaching. Besides her corporate pursuits, Elly is an artist and enjoys spending her leisure time at Ōhope Beach with her three cats.