Global Melon & Watermelon Event reveals Piel de Sapo promotional campaign in Europe

More than 300 attendees from different countries and continents got to know the concepts and innovations that Rijk Zwaan presented under the slogan "Supply excellence & Innovation". The 8th edition of the Global Melon Event was held on the 4th and 5th of July at the Melon and Watermelon trials farm in La Aljorra, Cartagena. One of the big surprises was the presentation of the large-scale promotional campaign for Spanish Piel de Sapo melons in northern Europe.

The event was very much focused on improving communication with retailers, who are gaining strength in the sale of melons and watermelons.

The new generation of yellow-skinned Piel de Sapo melons stood out the most, not just because of their greater agronomic safety, but also for the quick increase in their sugar content between 4 and 5 days before the harvesting date, which usually results in an outstanding flavour. This new generation of Piel de Sapo melons includes the Galactus RZ, the Flechaverde RZ and the newly launched 34-106 RZ.

Diego Maestre, Melon, Watermelon and Courgette Cultivation Coordinator, highlighted the research that Rijk Zwaan is developing in melon varieties with a crunchy flesh. "We believe that it is important to surprise consumers with something different. We are close to being able to supply commercial varieties with a crunchy flesh and a high sugar content of four types of melon, with a focus on their sale in Europe," explains the specialist. "This will be our focus over the next 5 years."

On Thursday, 5 July, there was a talk-conversation at the El Batel Conferences Auditorium, in Cartagena, given by Roberto García Torrente, Director of Agro-food Innovation at Cajamar, and Miguel Ángel Bolaños, Fruit Manager at Consum Supermarkets.

They outlined a future scenario within the framework of agro-food and the Spanish retail sector in order to point to the barriers and opportunities that we will encounter in the future.

To conclude the event, Rijk Zwaan presented the first communication campaign to promote the qualities of Spanish Piel de Sapo melons in northern Europe, carried out under the slogan "Share a smile".

Video of the "Share a Smile" promotional campaign:

"We want to boost the consumption of Piel de Sapo melons in northern Europe. It will be a campaign without brands, focused on the big European chains, to allow them to learn more about this product and to communicate better at their points of sale. A total of 5,000 Piel de Sapo melons will be given away in different supermarkets and online stores in the Netherlands, and we will also seek to collaborate with Proexport to help us out in Germany and the UK," says Diego Maestre.

"We have already taken the first step by increasing the quality of the Piel de Sapo melons for export. Now the sector needs to invest a lot in communication so that, in a period of about five years, northern European consumers will be familiar with this type of melon that stands out above the rest thanks to its flavour," he said.