Honeybear Brands continues to put Pazazz in the apple market
According to Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing for Honeybear Brands, 2019 is going to be a banner year for the Elgin, MN-based company.
“We’ve been in business for more than forty years, developing and bringing new varieties to market, but I can honestly say this is going to be a banner year for our business and our portfolio of premium and top-selling varieties,” Roper told The Produce News in early January.
And speaking of premium varieties, Honeybear’s Pazazz apple continues to top the charts with across-the-board demand from retailers and consumers.
“Demand and availability has risen sharply and you’ll see Pazazz blanketing more than 60 markets with new retail partnership additions up and down the Eastern Seaboard and in Northern California to name just a few,” Roper said.
With that steady increase in demand, Honeybear is now focusing on evolving the Pazazz brand with a strategic marketing plan.
“We’re launching the next evolution of the Pazazz brand across many different marketing vehicles,” said Roper. “Retailers and customers alike are going to see a bold new color palette in POS, packaging and in-store merchandising.”
What really sets the Pazazz apple apart from other varieties is it’s flavor profile, crunch, and overall eating experience, noted Roper, and the company wants to represent that in the way it visually showcases and promotes this new variety.
“2019 will see an integrated, extensive digital and paid social media campaign, using geo-targeting and high-impact, creative digital ads as well as other engaging content to target premium apple buyers around our retail partner locations,” Roper said. 
“We’re also working with hand-selected, well-known food, lifestyle, and parenting influencers across the country to create new Pazazz recipes, tips and other stories to help Pazazz fans find more ways to enjoy this amazing and unique variety.”
The evolution of the Pazazz brand includes a contrasting bright blue/deep red color palette in marketing materials, POS, packaging, etc., as well as an advertising and marketing campaign under the theme “Life is Best Lived with Pazazz.”
“We’re really spotlighting the unique personality of the Pazazz variety and brand and asking consumers to ‘Find Yours’ — to seek out and celebrate those special Pazazz moments in every day,” Roper commented.
As for other upcoming plans, Roper said the company is hard at work doing what it’s been doing for the past four decades — growing and bringing to market special and stand-out new varieties that can help retailers differentiate their premium apple offerings and delight their customers.
One such new variety that the company is especially excited about is its First Kiss MN 55 apple — a variety created by the University of Minnesota, grown exclusively in the Mississippi River Valley where Honeycrisp originated and brought to market by Honeybear Brands.
“Our initial 2018 first-year crop was small, but was a major hit with customers and will grow into a favorite for sure,” Roper added.
To find out more about Honeybear Brands and all its different apple varieties, visit www.honeybearbrands.com.
