Ever wondered what it takes for a small company to crack the Chinese market? DryNZ’s Anne Gibson says it’s about harnessing the Kiwi reputation, proving traceability, utilising WeChat, and undertaking considerable market research.
DryNZ’s pure New Zealand drinking fruit range launched into both the Chinese and Kiwi markets on August 16. Made with the freshest fruit from trusted New Zealand orchards and mixed with New Zealand Manuka honey, pure New Zealand drinking fruit is primarily a hot drink, but can also be used to enhance the taste and nutritional value of foods like yoghurt, ice cream, porridge, baking, and smoothies.
The Waiuku based company, which also produces the premium tea brand Ti Ora, describes its new pure NZ drinking fruit as an anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral powerhouse – a delicious fruit drink that helps boost your immune system and improve gut health.
The fruit comes from a gentle drying and concentration process, resulting in a fine, preservative-free powder with all the nutritional goodness retained. The inclusion of manuka honey enhances the flavour, adding a touch of natural sweetness resulting in a delicious cup of Kiwi produce.
DryNZ’s sustainability story is inherent to their business. Exporting dried fruit produces significantly less carbon emissions than fresh fruit, given the total weight of goods is 80-90 percent lower than it would be if it was not dehydrated. Dried fruit can also be harvested from non-tier produce (non-export sized fruit, or fruit that does not meet stockist specifications) which helps to reduce waste from growers. While fruit is ruthlessly sorted by food chains, DryNZ can use oddly shaped apples and lemons without compromising the quality of their final product.
DryNZ believes the demand for their products will be practically insatiable in China, as products from New Zealand are highly sought after in the Chinese market. New Zealand’s reputation as a world leader in soil quality, water quality, air quality and general quality of produce precedes itself in China, meaning that Kiwi products are revered for their purity and health benefits.
“DryNZ’s pure New Zealand drinking fruit has undergone an intense trialing and auditing process in order to determine the product’s suitability for the Chinese market,” explains DryNZ’s managing director Anne Gibson. “Throughout this development process, we have sought intel from a Chinese customer with a wealth of experience in exporting food products from the UK to China. From market research and liaison with our Chinese contact, DryNZ understands the key pillars of purchase in the eyes of the Chinese consumer – health, authenticity and traceability – and we have tailored our product to fit within these market constraints.”
Anne Gibson’s 4 top tips for success in the Chinese market:
1. Harnessing the Kiwi reputation: Reputable product origin is crucial to the Chinese consumer. New Zealand’s reputation as a world leader in soil quality, water quality, air quality and general quality of produce precedes itself in China, and contributes heavily to the perception of DryNZ’s products as fresh and healthy.
2. Proving traceability: Knowing where goods are from is extremely important to the Chinese consumer. A QR code is attached to all boxes of DryNZ’s pure New Zealand drinking fruit, enabling Chinese consumers to view how many times the box has passed through international borders.
3. Utilising WeChat: Although a relatively unknown platform in New Zealand, WeChat isn’t just a social app in China; it’s a lifestyle app – an all-in-one system with an audience base of over one billion. The WeChat Wallet allows users to make purchases quickly and easily right from the app, before being shipped directly from New Zealand to the Chinese customer.
4. Market research: DryNZ’s pure New Zealand drinking fruit has undergone an intense trialing and auditing process in order to determine the product’s suitability for the Chinese market. Changing their recipe to be slightly sweeter, in accommodation for the Chinese palette, is one of the most effective outcomes of this research – as Chinese consumers generally like their products sweeter than Kiwi consumers do.
The pure NZ drinking fruit range will be delivered door to door in China through the popular online social networking site WeChat, and will be available online for New Zealand customers via DryNZ’s website.
