The base of Driscoll’s new brand positioning can be found in a focus on berry quality. Already from the early 1940’s on, Driscoll’s has been developing its own unique berry varieties. Through its extensive breeding programme, the company is able to combine as many good qualities in one plant as possible and translate the consumer’s needs into new products.
Marketing and Communications Manager EMEA Marieke Appel: “We have been going after delight since the very beginning, as we are convinced that our berries are not just consumed because of their nutritious value. Of course they are really healthy, but we want more, we want to create those simple moments of pure enjoyment.”
Capturing emotions
Driscoll’s new brand positioning is playing a key role in their category ambitions. Marieke Appel: “The berry category is mostly driven by private labels. Our aim is to become the first consumer brand in this category. We have taken a fundamental step with a clear global brand positioning, focusing on berry quality. In the upcoming years, we will use innovation as our biggest strength to create an emotional connection with consumers. This will show in new packaging, creative concepts and storytelling. By sharing the love and attention we put into the development and growth of our berries, we can offer the consumer a complete berry experience."
"In the more mature markets, we will also launch large consumer campaigns to increase our brand loyalty. Our aim is to enlarge the berry category knowledge of our retail customers.”
Searching for freshness
"In the more mature markets, we will also launch large consumer campaigns to increase our brand loyalty. Our aim is to enlarge the berry category knowledge of our retail customers.”
Searching for freshness
Driscoll’s of EMEA’s Senior Vice President, Theo Houwen, underlines that a close cooperation with independent farmers is essential in the production of a joyful product.
“Growers are fundamental in delivering the finest berries to our consumers, as they have a huge influence on the quality of our berries right from the start of our berry chain. That is why we continually invest in the development of clean plant material, high performing berry varieties and applied research, so that we can provide them with all the essential tools to grow delicious berries. A good example is our successful Northern European blackberry production."
"As a result of our extensive breeding programme, we captured unique characteristics into our blackberry varieties. On top of that, we utilised innovative growing techniques in our glasshouses to deliver outstanding berries to the market. The sweetness, size and juiciness of these fruits surprised many consumers in a way that contributes to the revival of the blackberry.”
Driscoll’s invests a lot of time in consumer studies, in-store research and panel tests to measure the quality and preferences of consumers.
Theo Houwen explains: “Freshness is, after flavour, one of the most important drives of berry sales. Therefore, we explore different options to produce closer to the European market and guarantee a fresh product year-round. This means that we are developing earlier berry varieties to better connect the seasons and use local-for-local production to maintain a short travel distance to the market. Furthermore we are optimising our cold chain, so that we can directly deliver our berries from the field to our customers.”
Theo Houwen: "We want to be a beloved and trusted consumer brand, and that that is something we can only achieve by looking at all aspects of our supply chain. Our challenge, as a fast growing company, is to keep our unique soul. By training and coaching our employees to work independently, we empower them to excel in our day-to-day business. Besides that, we offer our employees career and talent development opportunities. In Spain, we produced berries for years; however attracting new employees was always difficult. Since we started to cooperate with Spanish retailer Mercadona, people know how to find us."
"As Driscoll’s is expanding its distribution and brand exposure, we will also strengthen our position as a recruiter and build trust in the communities where we operate. According to Houwen, living up to the company’s vision also means that they have to take a great responsibility for social issues as water management, infrastructure and worker welfare."
“We want to give something back to the local communities in which we grow our berries. You cannot be an authentic brand, when you do not look at the world around you. In California for example, Driscoll’s took the lead in initiating several educational programmes on water irrigation to find a solution for the agriculture production in this dry environment. We can take learnings out of these initiatives and find the answer to a sustainable berry production on our own continent.”
For more information:
Karlien Korebrits
Driscoll's
Tel: +31 (0)85 0217 457
kkorebrits@driscolls.eu
“Growers are fundamental in delivering the finest berries to our consumers, as they have a huge influence on the quality of our berries right from the start of our berry chain. That is why we continually invest in the development of clean plant material, high performing berry varieties and applied research, so that we can provide them with all the essential tools to grow delicious berries. A good example is our successful Northern European blackberry production."
"As a result of our extensive breeding programme, we captured unique characteristics into our blackberry varieties. On top of that, we utilised innovative growing techniques in our glasshouses to deliver outstanding berries to the market. The sweetness, size and juiciness of these fruits surprised many consumers in a way that contributes to the revival of the blackberry.”
Driscoll’s invests a lot of time in consumer studies, in-store research and panel tests to measure the quality and preferences of consumers.
Theo Houwen explains: “Freshness is, after flavour, one of the most important drives of berry sales. Therefore, we explore different options to produce closer to the European market and guarantee a fresh product year-round. This means that we are developing earlier berry varieties to better connect the seasons and use local-for-local production to maintain a short travel distance to the market. Furthermore we are optimising our cold chain, so that we can directly deliver our berries from the field to our customers.”
Theo Houwen: "We want to be a beloved and trusted consumer brand, and that that is something we can only achieve by looking at all aspects of our supply chain. Our challenge, as a fast growing company, is to keep our unique soul. By training and coaching our employees to work independently, we empower them to excel in our day-to-day business. Besides that, we offer our employees career and talent development opportunities. In Spain, we produced berries for years; however attracting new employees was always difficult. Since we started to cooperate with Spanish retailer Mercadona, people know how to find us."
"As Driscoll’s is expanding its distribution and brand exposure, we will also strengthen our position as a recruiter and build trust in the communities where we operate. According to Houwen, living up to the company’s vision also means that they have to take a great responsibility for social issues as water management, infrastructure and worker welfare."
“We want to give something back to the local communities in which we grow our berries. You cannot be an authentic brand, when you do not look at the world around you. In California for example, Driscoll’s took the lead in initiating several educational programmes on water irrigation to find a solution for the agriculture production in this dry environment. We can take learnings out of these initiatives and find the answer to a sustainable berry production on our own continent.”
For more information:
Karlien Korebrits
Driscoll's
Tel: +31 (0)85 0217 457
kkorebrits@driscolls.eu