Stemilt Growers Sets off on Its #RaveRoadTrip
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt has been raving about its newest apple variety since 2016, so I’m a little more than excited that yesterday was the beginning of its #RaveRoadTrip across six states. If you haven’t already guessed, this new apple variety is dubbed the Rave®. It’s the long-awaited successor of the Honeycrisp variety, best known for its outrageous juiciness. The caravan’s first stop took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the team was staked out in an inconspicuous Rave-themed station.
“We’re excited to hit the road with Rave apples,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager. “The #RaveRoadTrip taps into the success of last year’s Rave apple pop-up shop in New York City. Now, we’ve taken that concept to the road with a first-of-its-kind pop-up-shop-on-wheels activation for an apple brand.”
The company’s fun take on this product promotion is scheduled to cover 1,700 miles across the Midwest and East Coast. Stemilt’s #RaveRoadTrip is the first of its kind, starting in the state where this apple variety was first discovered. According to a press release, crew members pulled up in the Rave Road Trip truck and set up themed stations to attract customers. Beneath a branded tent, shoppers took the opportunity for an amateur photoshoot on Stemilt’s bright blue porch swing. Not only were visitors met with a delicious and exciting pop-up, but they could enter to win a sweepstakes of prizes unique to their hometown.
“This type of event helps us build the Rave brand one consumer at a time,” said Shales. “We’re also celebrating the best things about each city we are stopping at through sweepstakes and swag giveaways. It’s a fun way to build community pride and awareness of this up-and-coming apple that’s now in season.”
Rave apples were introduced to the market three years ago, and Stemilt uses word-of-mouth in addition to its pop-up campaigns to inform consumers that the season is in full swing. The news travels from physical station to social media platforms when shoppers use hashtags like #RaveRoadTrip and #RaveApples. Not only will the hashtags reach friends and family, but they will keep consumers in the loop about additional Rave updates. The company realizes that not everyone will make it to the pop-ups, so it hosts live sessions on social media where fans can tune in and ask questions.
“Whether they get to experience a Road Trip stop first-hand, or find Rave apples in a local grocery store, we want to encourage people to try and then rave about this new apple with their family and friends,” said Shales.
The Rave apple variety was born through cross-pollination of the Honeycrisp and SweeTango® varieties and bred by the famed David Bedford at University of Minnesota. Related to the unreleased MonArk variety, the Rave apple’s juiciness is balanced by a refreshing and snappy zing. With its largest season yet, Stemilt expects the apple to be available until early October.
“Rave is a fun apple brand and we’re having a blast bringing exciting activations like the Rave Road Trip to life,” said Shales. “We have lots of ground to cover over the next three weeks but are thrilled to get more shoppers into stores to try the outrageously juicy apple that they’ll rave about.”
I may or may not be planning a trip to the East Coast ASAP, but for now, please stick with us at ANUK for more on these exciting new apples.
