Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/146156
Consumer pull A new commercialization strategy aims to pull new varieties through the value chain, not push them. by Geraldine Warner P roprietary Variety Management, a new company helping to commercialize two new red-fleshed apple varieties developed by Bill Howell of Prosser, Washington, is using a different strategy from how varieties have been introduced in the past. The company's general manager John Reeves said the value chain starts with the breeder, goes through the nursery, grower, packer, and marketer, and finally reaches the consumer. Everyone has an investment in a new variety, but the breeder and the grower are by far the most heavily invested. In the past, if a breeder found an interesting variety, he or she would take it to a couple of nurseries for testing, and if they liked it, they would ask a grower/packer to take a look at it, and so on. Pull "It's being pushed all the way up the ladder," Reeves said. "What we want to do is help commercialize varieties by creating a pull through the system instead of pushing them through the system. We want to change the paradigm so we're working in a manner where consumers have more say in what goes on. "When you think about it," he added, "the only real new money that comes into the system is from the consumer, and yet we spend the least amount of time working with the consumer on the development of new varieties." "I like that I get hit on both sides of my palate." —Roger Pepperl Reeves, who has worked for several major food companies in the past, said they involve consumers in the development of their products. "They don't just make one and throw it out there and see if it works. That's too risky and expensive." Reeves said PVM will conduct consumer focus groups as it develops a brand name for the apples to ensure that consumers have an emotional attachment. When they are emotionally attached to a product, the marketing becomes less commodity-driven. "What we want to find out is what might be the emotional button," he said. "Then you can focus your marketing on that." Proprietary Variety Management will also do consumer research to identify target consumers. Pesticide Residue (MRL) Analysis Now Accepting Contracts for Spring 2014 and 2015! We have over 50 years of experience in the nursery business and are now taking growing contracts for: Ultima™ Gala, Banning Red Fuji, Auvil Early Fuji,® Honeycrisp,™ Granny Smith, & Many Others. Red Fuji Banning to 10 Taking orders for benchgrafts. be 7 pears to ap ier than days earl Fujis! r late othe + (- ) ,- !( - #!! YOU NEED: • GAP and Food Safety Audit Compliance • Retail Buyer Confidence, both Foreign and Domestic • Regional Data Trends by Crop • Confidential Data Handling WE HAVE: • State-of-the-Art Instrumentation and Top Analysts • Industry/Crop-Specific Knowledge of Practices and Products • Very Competitive Pricing and Turnaround Time TREE FRUIT • WINE GRAPES • BERRIES • ONIONS • POTATOES 3019 GS Center Road 1008 W. Ahtanum Road, #2 Wenatchee, WA 98801 Union Gap, WA 98903 509-662-1888 • 800-545-4206 • 509-452-7707 www.cascadeanalytical.com 12 AUGUST 2013 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com