What comes to mind when you read the word “Peelz®?”
I’m guessing you’re thinking of Mandarins, correct? Now, I need you to broaden your horizons a bit, because Fowler Packing Company is making this well-known brand even more encompassing.
Entering its 20th year since it planted the company’s first Mandarin tree, Fowler Packing has dedicated itself to being one of the largest growers in the industry. In 2019, Peelz made its debut with a single product offering: conventional Mandarins. Now, powered by its third generation of leaders, the supplier is thinking outside of the Mandarin bag and has brought a new category to its fruit table: lemons.
“The Peelz brand stands out distinctly within the citrus category. In today’s marketplace, maintaining unwavering quality is essential, yet it’s not the sole criterion for success,” Sean Nelsen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, shares with me. “Consumers seek authentic brands that resonate with them on a personal level. We’ve departed from the whimsical, childlike imagery often associated with fruits and Mandarins, instead focusing on crafting a comprehensive citrus lineup that caters to diverse tastes. We continuously engage with our partners and consumer insights to understand their evolving needs, resulting in the expansion of our product line to include organics, Dekopons, Navels, and our summer Peelz import program. The introduction of lemons is a natural progression of this commitment.”
Fresh, contemporary, and unified is the aesthetic Fowler Packing aims for with its Peelz lineup. The range epitomizes superior quality as the company connects its products seamlessly with today’s discerning shoppers, even amid pricing pressures.
Since its Peelz inception, the company’s steadfast commitment has been to shoulder the burdens for its partners, allowing them to focus on their core business. By creating a comprehensive one-stop shop, Fowler Packing’s partners can reap the benefits of a unified brand presence, simplified billing and freight logistics, and increased overall volume and sales.
“Consumers continue to prioritize freshness, and they accomplish this by typically shopping at multiple stores each week,” explains Sean. “Our intentionally vibrant product lineup is color-coded by item, offering consistency that drives impulse purchases in-store. We strive to help ourselves and our partners become a one-stop shop. By actively supporting our retail partners with robust advertising promotions and engaging digital activations, we can help ensure that citrus remains prominently positioned in the minds of consumers.”
One way Fowler Packing continues to position the Peelz lineup is by bolstering its presence not only in produce aisles but also on the streets and across digital platforms. Vibrant branding, prominent displays, and extensive digital and advertising support all create a highly effective marketing campaign from in-person to an online experience.
However, the brand impact doesn’t stop at the shelf. Fowler Packing Company has something major hidden within its Peelz bag: the Peelz Road Tour.
“This season, we’re thrilled to bring Peelz® directly to the streets through our latest [Peelz Road Tour] initiative...It’s a direct way for us as a brand to engage with shoppers.”
Sean Nelsen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Fowler Packing Company
“This season, we’re thrilled to bring Peelz directly to the streets through our latest initiative. We will be hitting several cities across the country with our Peelz Airstream trailer to provide samples of our citrus products, distribute merchandise, and offer valuable coupons,” Sean comments. “It’s a direct way for us as a brand to engage with shoppers. We also made strategic investments in prime out-of-home billboard and transit placements in select markets.”
If luck would have it, the touring team would pass by some of them on their way to the next town, peeling a Mandarin or sipping on some lemonade as some much-needed fuel on their adventure.
For consumers not on the tour track, Sean assures me they will still feel the Peelz love, as the company recently launched its most extensive social media influencer campaign to date. Partnering with over 45 social media content creators, Peelz will be showcasing the passion and flavor the brand can bring to the plate to shoppers young and old. Fowler Packing recognizes the value Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms bring to the table. With many of its core citrus shoppers highly active across the digital world, influencer content will become a driving tool this season as content will be specifically targeted at shoppers near Peelz partner retail stores through May.
A brand legacy sparks the instant recollection of a product or feature. Building one takes time, and maintaining one takes tremendous effort. Whether that legacy has been in the making for 73 years, 20 years, three years, or one, Fowler Packing has the know-how and dedication to maintain that momentum and create avenues waiting to be explored. Strategic marketing, irresistible quality, and immense devotion have all coalesced into one harmonious brand, so, I’d say that Peelz has it in the bag. 
