The grower supported association acting as the overseer of the Pink Lady® Trademark has decided to again stand up for consumers enjoying those apples when it comes to the confusion being caused by the price look up (PLU) stickers used at retail.
“It’s another good year for our growers and the many consumers seeing Pink Lady® as their favorite apple,” says Alan Taylor, marketing director of Pink Lady America LLC in Yakima, Washington.
“However, it’s alarming to see consumers again being confused in some supermarkets where high quality Pink Lady® Brand Apples are being replaced by apples labeled as ‘Cripps Pink’ which can be packed at lower quality standards.”
Now in its second decade in supermarkets, and having reached the status of being one of the main apples in the produce department, Pink Lady® is a pioneer. However, it may be that being the first apple with a trademark at retail means more education about the brand is needed.
“In addition to being a great apple, the Pink Lady® Brand Apple has achieved its position in that produce department because of the marketing program behind it,” Taylor says. “This includes developing the strength of its brand, Pink Lady® , that represents an investment by the growers.”
“The consumer is used to seeing the Pink Lady® name on the PLU sticker so the sudden appearance of a different name is confusing and not fair when it has to do with the quality standards associated with the apple.”
Using the importance of quality standards and its trademark, Pink Lady America has, over the years, included an education program for consumers in its market program. “It’s been a bit of a challenge to explain that Cripps Pink is name of the variety and Pink Lady® is the name of the registered trademark,” Taylor says.
“This means the fruit packed under those quality standards is allowed to use the PLU sticker reading ‘Pink Lady®’ and not ‘Cripps Pink.’ This also means that the displays with Pink Lady® signage and apples identified by the PLU stickers as Cripps Pink are violating the trademark.”
Also of concern to Pink Lady America is to why this continues to be a problem. It’s taken the obvious strength of its trademark to maintain a prominent position in the produce department for all of these years.
“It could very well be that the stores are ordering Pink Lady® Brand Apples but for some reason some suppliers are sending Cripps Pink,” Taylor says. “This is unfair to growers, consumers and the retailers doing the ordering.”
“The growers deserve the return for their efforts in the orchard, the consumers deserve a quality product grown under the promise associated with the Pink Lady® Trademark, and the retailers deserve the product they believe they are in fact buying in good faith.”
Pink Lady America will be continuing its educational program stressing with both consumers and retailers the need to check all PLU stickers to be certain the Pink Lady® being purchased is the genuine apple packed to quality standards.
(For additional information contact Alan Taylor at pinkladyrep@embarqmail.com or 509-961-9186)
Source: Pink Lady America
