Freshmax Group is a fresh produce marketing and distribution operation using packaging to compete with manufactured snack foods.
Freshmax wants its fresh fruit to compete with processed snack foods in supermarkets and has been driving its growth through acquisitions and mergers.
Last year, when Holman Fresh was rebranded Freshmax in Australia, Freshmax also became a major shareholder in Valleyfresh and Valleyfresh North America.
Freshmax Farms purchased Murrawee Farms in Swan Hill and in November it merged its operating interests with that of Crasborn Group, a vertically integrated apple and stonefruit operation which packs and markets fruit grown on 500 hectares of orchard land in the Hawkes Bay. It provides considerable post harvest and storage services to third parties.
Freshmax knew that 'see, want, get' is how snack foods tend to be chosen. Snack food packaging uses bright colours, eye-catching illustrations and left-of-centre design to attract attention and cues like fresh food visuals to drive purchase. Its own products have their fresh food visuals already in place. Fresh fruit looks exactly like fresh fruit. What its produce didn’t have were the packaging lures. So Freshmax asked New Zealand design agency Tried & True to rectify that, beginning with the development of a brand the company could use across its berry fruit portfolio.
Tried & True first created the brand Munch’n, whose idea was ignited by “perfect little fruit mouthfuls that you just can’t stop popping”. The next challenge was to achieve a balance between branding and product visibility.
The agency knew that fresh produce purchases were triggered by a complex of sensory cues, with consumers taking time to ensure quality and freshness. The little Munch’n punnets reduced the area for branding and actual produce to do their jobs. Design had to be very simple, bold and cute while also letting the produce remain prominent. The agency also had to consider wholesale/delivery packaging that reinforced the new brand and its credentials. And it added an unexpected branding tool – a carry bag: still one of the most effective, mobile advertising media platforms available.
