Sofruileg celebrated 20 years of Nergi at Fruit Logistica. To mark the occasion, the company held a press conference to unveil the brand-new visual identity of its mini kiwis. Here is a look back at how these mini kiwis came to be and a preview of future plans.
Sofruileg unveiled the brand new Nergi logo at a press conference in Berlin, surrounded by its New Zealand partner, the Plant and Food Research Institute, and Nergi growers. François Lafitte, chairman of Sofruileg / © FreshPlaza
Mini kiwis in the berry segment: a big hit in Northern Europe
Faced with a product that was 'innovative and unique' at the time, Sofruileg decided in 2010 (the year of the first harvests) to carry out market research and consumer tests in France and the UK to decide if the Nergi should be positioned in the kiwi or the berry segment. As a result, the study recommended positioning Nergi in the 125g format in the berry aisle. The mini kiwis have been a hit with consumers, thanks in particular to their taste, originality, and novelty, and because they fit with the growing trend of healthy snacking as consumption on the go increases. It is therefore no surprise that the Nergi is a big hit in Northern Europe (particularly in Germany and Scandinavia), a leading market for berry consumption in Europe. The brand is also number 1 in the production and marketing of mini kiwis on the European market.
Why a new visual identity?
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Nergi decided to give itself a new visual identity, a "rebranding" designed to bring the brand more in line with current issues. Since the first logo was created in 2011, "major changes have taken place, in technology as well as in consumer habits, which are no longer in phase with the old logo," explains Kathleen Delille, trade marketing manager at Sofruileg. To develop this new visual identity, Sofruileg asked consumers to take part in a survey* carried out in Germany - Nergi's preferred market - in March 2023. The results showed that consumers are moving away from traditional meals, which are considered too long, in favor of snacking. Fruit is seen as practical and plays a key role in a healthy diet, and berries win for their practicality (easy to eat on the go) and their nutritional qualities. Sofruileg's new logo reflects all these elements: the green color for a natural product, the red color associated with berries, the round typography, reflecting the appetizing character of the fruit, and finally the petal, emphasizing the "vegetal and healthy aspect of the product."
*3 groups made up of men and women aged between 25 and 50: 1 group that knows about and occasionally buys mini kiwis, 1 group that knows about but does not buy mini kiwis, and the last group that does not know about mini kiwis.
To accompany this new visual identity, Nergi is betting on a new website and blog, with the ambition of becoming the "reference magazine for nutrition and well-being." This communication campaign is tailored to target markets with local influencers (14 influencers in 6 countries) via social networks (Facebook and Instagram) and "impactful" slogans such as "Small fruit, Max energy" or "Small fruit, Maxi snacking."
Screenshot from new Nergi website
Nergi takes on the rest of Europe
Already well established in Germany, Sofruileg wants to develop its mini kiwis on the European market. "But we need to take things one step at a time, in terms of production volumes," warns François Lafitte, chairman of Sofruileg. "There is still a lot of progress to be made in France and Italy to promote the product." The next step is to "develop sales in the UK." The orchards are also being developed. Sofruileg is currently looking for new production regions "to extend the season, as we did with Ukraine, which enabled us to harvest later." Nergi is harvested by hand between August 10th and September 20th, depending on the production area, and it is marketed between the end of August and the end of November.
In line with the increase in volumes, Sofruileg has developed its network of approved European commercial operators with Primland (France) and Fruitworld (Netherlands) in 2010, Ortofruit (Italy) in 2014, and Portprimland (Portugal) in 2015 / © Sofruileg
2005-2025: 20 years of research
Since its very first experimental orchards were planted in France and the Netherlands in 2007, Nergi has come a long way. Now grown in 4 countries (France, Portugal, Italy, and Ukraine) on 200 hectares by almost 140 Nergi growers, the mini kiwis native to Asia (where they have existed in the wild for several centuries) can boast 40 million trays sold since their inception, with figures increasing each year: 5,800,400 trays sold in the 2024 campaign compared with 1,200,000 in 2015.
Jean-Pierre Caruel, licensing manager at Sofruileg, looks back at the key stages in the development of Nergi / © FreshPlaza
The story of Nergi began in 2005. The New Zealand research institute Plant and Food Research and Sofruileg selected a new variety (Actinidia Arguta HORTGEM) which differed from its wild counterpart in terms of taste quality, production potential, and shelf life, all three of which were far superior. The first orchards were planted in France and the Netherlands in 2007. The first fruits were harvested in 2010, and commercial plantings began the same year. For almost 15 years, Sofruileg and its New Zealand partner have been working to develop technical itineraries (adapting the variety to European soil and climate conditions) to optimize agronomic performance and improve the marketing rate in terms of both quality and quantity. This was accompanied by research into post-harvest storage in order to maximize shelf life and extend the marketing period.
For more information:
Jean Pierre Caruel
Sofruileg
[email protected]
https://www.nergi.info/