Annies unveils new look and new product

As consumers, there are things in life we love that simply don’t need changing. Annies is one.

But while Annies’ dried fruit products are enduring, company owners Ann and Graeme Giles aren’t ones to rest on their laurels.

The Blenheim-based Giles now have a brand new livery that positions them firmly on the shopping radar for modern lovers of healthy foods. And as an entrée to the launch, Annies is introducing a new freeze-dried apple product called Sweet Apple Snaps.

Because they’re freeze dried, Annies Sweet Apple Snaps strikingly capture the fresh apple taste and have a fun crunchy texture.

“It’s been a long road to getting the crunch just right,” Ann Giles says. “We’ve been working on the project for around 12 months, testing and experimenting.

“Now we believe we have got the formula just right – the texture’s great and there’s a fantastic apple taste explosion when you snap in to them.”

Annies Sweet Apple Snaps were developed in Nelson by company orchardist Stephan Clark who spent countless hours of trial-and-error testing. Ann Giles is expecting Sweet Apple Snaps to do well both in New Zealand and export markets.

“Most of the dried apple products available on world markets just don’t cut it on the taste front and many just disappear in the mouth. We set out to solve those issues and we all reckon we’ve cracked it.”

Imagery

Annies new imagery and packaging has a look that is consistent with the product – 100 per cent genuine, premium quality and natural, and ever-so tasty. Ann Giles says the new packaging follows extensive research among shoppers and their families.

“It has been quite a journey really and we have had some amazing feedback from both kiddies and parents that has really helped us in the process. Some of the elements are as simple as visibility on supermarket shelves, product size and accessibility.

“Overall the youngsters love the taste of Annies – we regularly get comments such as ‘what a great way to eat fruit’ and ‘they’re so yummy and mum lets me have them because they’re healthy’. As a food manufacturer, that sort of feedback is very satisfying.”

While Annies has always been popular, the snack market has moved at a swift pace and feedback revealed Annies needed to seriously review its eight-year-old packaging.

Furthermore, feedback also led to the company to reduce the layers from four to two and make them wider for a “better eating experience”. Other research revealed fruit leather prices – which hadn’t increased for 10 years – were slightly too high so they were reduced to a more “snack-friendly” $1.79.

“We are absolutely delighted with the new look and hope health food lovers are too,” Ann Giles says.