WHEN Tim Goodacre talks about branding, it's worth listening. And Australian producers need to listen, according to Tim.
The chairman of NutriKiwi, one of New Zealand's largest apple growers, was also one of the brains behind the globally successful Zespri kiwifruit brand.
Mr Goodacre operates 20 orchards, three packhouses and coldstorage facilities, all of which employ up to 1800 people in peak season.
He told National Horticulture Convention delegates in June that carefully managed branding has been an integral part of New Zealand's fruit export success.
That importance was illustrated by figures that Zespri Gold growers in New Zealand have an average income of about $100,000 while standard green kiwifruit producers will average $60,000.
But behind the flashy advertising and big dollars there needs to be a good product.
"There's no point having fantastic TV ads if your product isn't up to standard," Mr Goodacre said. "You have to deliver against the brand."
He played advertisements from Asia showing off the branded kiwifruit, where consumers largely just refer to "eating a Zespri".
Mr Goodacre went on to share his frank opinion about getting a product known, which caused a few murmurs within the room.
"Someone said it takes 20 years to establish a brand- it doesn't. If so, you're doing something wrong," he said.
Taking a good marketing idea through to fruition still needs a magic ingredient: money.
"Can these models work in Australia? You do need scale because you do have to spend money," Mr Goodacre said.
The "100 per cent New Zealand" campaign has been regularly highlighted at horticulture conferences throughout Australia as a successful marketing strategy that encompassed many different industries.
Mr Goodacre said a national united front certainly helped.
"You compete domestically but you cooperate internationally," he said.
"New Zealand growers realise they have no domestic market so they have to cooperate. There is a cooperative culture."
He said the push needs to come from the grower level.
"HIA can help but you are the guys that write the cheques. It's up to you," he said.
"Someone outside the chain cannot generate this sort of thing. It has to be done by the people growing the product and packing the product."
Grower incentives are also important in terms of squeezing the best from producers.
Zespri kiwifruit growers are paid a bonus for higher dry matter content (a measure used to calculate the ratio of dry to fresh weight – the higher the dry matter the better the taste).
"Some kiwifruit was starting to taste like potatoes," Mr Goodacre said.
At the retail end, Zespri employs local people deal with any issues that might arise, a practice which has paid for itself many times over, according to Mr Goodacre.