“We are fiscally accountable to our growers and allocate our resources efficiently and effectively for the maximum benefit of the industry and the grower,” said Jennie Strong, international marketing specialist for the Washington Apple Commission. “Currently our top two export markets are Mexico and Canada, which combined make up over half Washington apple exports.”
For the past five years, the commission has run the “La Vida es Mas Facil con Manzanas” (life is easier with apples) campaign in Mexico, playing off the traditional Mexican concept that everything in life can be explained with apples.
“The campaign was initially started to increase the perceived value of apples in the Mexican market, followed by increasing awareness and consumer brand recognition,” Strong said.
The campaign was later expanded to include the “Give Apples” campaign, which fit under the Life is Easier with Apples umbrella.
“This was leveraged in the holiday season to strengthen the concept of giving apples as an act of goodwill and evolved to focus on the central idea that any reason is perfect for giving apples,” Strong said. “Through this campaign, Washington apples have been able to create a memorable and relatable campaign that deeply appeals to Mexican consumers. Due to this campaign, there has been a 9 percent increase in Washington apple shipments from 2019-2024, resulting in an additional $22.7 million in export sales dollars.”
For the Canadian market, over the past few seasons, WAC Canada has put a lot of effort into increasing brand awareness for the Cosmi Crisp variety.
“It took WSU over 20 years to develop the variety, which is exclusive to all Washington growers in North America,” Strong said. “Participation in consumer events around Canada has really highlighted the variety and allowed the Canadian consumer to sample it before they buy. Cosmic Crisp astronauts attended several of these events.”
A national billboard campaign also generated 34 million impressions. New Cosmic Crisp retail bins were also designed with over 2,000 being distributed to retailers across Canada with requests for more in the new season.
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association came out with its crop forecast for the season on Aug. 1, projecting about 124 million 40-pound boxes for 2024.
“Two seasons ago was a short crop around 103 million 40-pound boxes and this past season was high at around 136 million 40-pound boxes, so it’s nice to see a return to normal crop,” Strong said. “The key is the varietal makeup and providing apples according to consumer preferences. Our growers hold themselves to high quality standards. Because of this, along with excellent weather conditions, consumers can expect high quality apples.”
Washington state is known for eight main varieties but produces over 30. Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala and Granny Smith are among the top varieties.
“A lot of Washington shippers also own what are known as proprietary varieties or club varieties,” Strong said. “These are licensed cultivars with exclusive growing rights. One of the newest cultivars to come out of Washington is the Cosmic Crisp apple. It took WSU over 20 years to develop this variety and is available to all Washington state growers.”
Around the WAC, President Todd Fryhover plans to retire after 18 years and Michael Schadler will assume the position in September. Schadler will work closely with the WAC international marketing team to develop and implement strategies for the commission’s promotional programs in foreign markets.
