PLANT CITY, FL - When I interviewed the team at Wish Farms earlier this year about the company’s new headquarters for The Snack, they slyly hinted at an exciting new launch in the works. After months of anxiously waiting, the news has arrived that the grower and marketer of berries has added a fifth berry to its lineup, Pink-A-Boo Pineberries®. And let me just say, this addition to its portfolio was worth the wait!
“I think this new berry is going to be a big winner for Wish Farms, our growers, and our retail partners,” said Owner Gary Wishnatzki. “Our entire team is energized, and we are putting on a full court press to make it a success. We have a commitment to a serious marketing strategy that is going to move the needle in the marketplace.”
White in color, but getting a pink blush when ripe, the Pink-A-Boo name is a play on words that complements Wish Farms’ whimsical brand image while enticing consumers. As the purveyor explained in a release, pineberries offer a strawberry flavor, but with notes of pineapple, pear, and apricot. The fifth berry in Wish Farms’ portfolio also has a slightly higher sugar content and lower relative acidity than a traditional strawberry, creating a delicate flavor that leaves the palate refreshed.
Pineberries were developed through traditional breeding techniques at the University of Florida, and as Wish Farms explains, the red strawberries that consumers love were crossed with a wild white strawberry years ago to get where they are today.
Last season, retail trials of the berry were executed on a small scale, inspiring Wish Farms to increase its acreage from six acres to nearly 100 acres of Pink-A-Boo Pineberries at its Florida operation from December to April. Additionally, 150 acres of the newly launched berry will be harvested in California beginning in January and increasing through June into the fall.
“Our farm teams in Plant City, Duette, Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard have had good experience growing and packing pineberries so I’m confident that it will be a great season for quality and taste,” added Wishnatzki.
Wish Farms’ Pink-A-Boo Pineberries are packed in a one layer, 10 oz consumer unit. The new label features the image of a ripe pineberry and the phrase “Ripe and Ready” for further emphasis along with “NON-GMO.” The branded, bright pink box holds six units and displays the berries’ eye-catching color.
“Shoppers have become conditioned to look for a bright red strawberry, so it is up to us to educate the consumer on this unique addition to their produce aisle,” said Director of Marketing, Amber Maloney. “In addition to the call outs on the label and point of sale signage, a robust social media campaign is planned across multiple platforms.”
If your shoppers are anything like me, news of this intriguing fifth berry will have them lining up in the produce aisles to add Pink-A-Boo Pineberries to their baskets. So, be sure to reach out to Wish Farms to find out how you can make your store the go-to destination.
