Discounts and gadgets to increase fruit consumption among Dutch children
But first, a common mistake must be dealt with: the mini banana is not the same as the kids banana. The mini banana is not put on the market as a kids banana. "The mini banana comes from another plant," explains Michelle den Boer from Chiquita. "The kids banana is of the Cavendish variety and are growing on the same plant, but are the smaller bananas that grow near the base of the trunk. The mini banana is of the Pisang Mas variety, which has a different growing and harvesting process."
Kids Banana
The mini banana is a lot smaller than the regular banana. For example, the mini banana is slightly longer than your index finger. "That's a nice size for kids too, but we do not position the product there. You need the mini banana primarily as a speciality and the kids banana is really aimed at children."
Spike and Suzy
Fruitmasters has now developed a regular-size fruit concept for the whole family. What makes apples and pears attractive to children, is the design of the concept, in which the well-known comic book heroes Suske and Wiske (or Spike and Suzy) play a prominent role. "The Spike and Suzy concept is not specifically a children's product," says Helen Schoots of Fruitmasters. "They’re not very small apples and pears, nor of certain varieties. Spike and Suzy go back a long time and are familiar to earlier generations as well, which makes them perfect for the concept.”
Ice Age, Rio and Despicable Me
Chiquita’s kids concept, in contrast, tries to tap into contemporary fiction, deploying characters from such recent films as Ice Age, Rio and Despicable Me. “Either way, we think it worthwhile to increase fruit consumption among children,” says Michelle. “We try to associate the eating of fruit with things that are hip or fun, making the experience a pleasant one.”
More information:
Fruitmasters Holland
Helen Schoots
Deilseweg 7
4191 NX Geldermalsen
The Netherlands
T: +31 345 57 88 00
E: fmholland@fruitmasters.nl
W: www.fruitmastersholland.nl
Chiquita Nederland
Michelle den Boer
PO Box 59
4200 AB Gorinchem
The Netherlands
T: +31 183 69 31 11
E: infonl@chiquita.com
W: www.chiquita.nl