Ecuadorian bananas are sold abroad with more than 50 brands

Two multinational brands and one Ecuadorian brand command the top 3.

Violeta Ramírez's smiling face appears on an oval background of red combined with yellow. The portrait is part of the main brand with which the Compañía Exportadora del Sur markets bananas abroad.

Gino Pinargote, owner of that company based in Guayaquil,He decided to incorporate his mother's image to create the brandMrs. Violeta.The exporter says that the idea arose to pay tribute to his deceased mother.

Since 2016 and under that brandThey export bananas to the markets of Russia, the Middle East, China and some European countries.Annually, Exportadora del Sur sells about 2.5 million boxes of bananas, mainly to Russia.

The company tries to include the stickers on each banana so that the customer recognizes the brand. The labels even have a QR code to direct the consumer to the website.

Ecuador annually exports its bananas under more than 50 brands, between own labels that belong to local exporters, multinationals and others that are owned by clients who place the orders.

In addition to brands that bear names in memory of deceased people, owners or founders of banana plantations, there are others that include animals, landscapes, caricatured bananas or simply the traditional brand of a business or transnational company.

Two multinationals and an Ecuadorian company command the group of the three main brands with which bananas are exported.

Of the 102.11 million boxes of bananas (18.14 kg) sent abroad from January to March 2021, the main exported brand wasDole with 12.58%of participation; in second place wasSmall with 6.61%and thirdly, with the4.07%, there is the Favorite brand(from the Reybanpac group),according to the Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec).

In the first quarter, 51 brands captured 75.18% of the share of exported boxes and another group of brands - which individually manages a smaller share of 0.14% - had 24.82%.

Richard Salazar, CEO of Acorbanec,explains that there are companies that have several brands and the use of these depends greatly on the commercial strategy and the orders they have in the markets. Thus, there are some that may have a permanent presence and others that come out for specific orders.

PUBLICIDADhttps://3a885af5c016912d4ffcca069d4c0d5f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Transnational brands handle a significant volume because they not only export through their own companies, but also authorize other exporters to send fruit with their stamps.

Other producers also focus on certain markets and ship bananas under their clients' brands.Paúl González, president of the Machala Agricultural Center and representative of Asoprograoro,says that they work with brandsFlower Queen and Little Antthat go towards the Russian market.

“The buyer gives us the brands, these two brands arrive in Russia,” says González, adding that they began working with Reina Flor about three years ago and with Hormiguita this year.

The leader maintains that they have gained a foothold in the Russian market due to the quality of the fruit, since it has a longer shelf life. They ship about 40,000 boxes weekly.

Johnny Valencia, who provides solutions for the banana sector,points out that currently there are companies that are working much more with technology to be able to reach their customers.

The market is already seeing greater action with QR codes, web pages and presence on social networks, says Valencia.

Favorita bets on technological innovation to target consumers

FavoriteIt is the Ecuadorian banana brand that is best positioned. It ranks third in the first quarter behind the multinationals Dole and Chiquita, according to theBanana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec).

This is the star product of theReybanpac company, from the Wong group. Under this brand it exports bananas to seven countries: Japan, England, Germany, Lithuania, Argentina, Chile and the United States.

In addition to this seal, the banana group also manages other brands with which it reaches around 15 nations.

The group has made technological innovations to better control its production and make its brand known.

At the level of digital tools, Reybanpacmanages traceability labels that are placed on pallets.Through these you have the ability to identify the farm of origin and the day the fruit was harvested. This allows you to have greater quality control.

On the other hand, the company has European clients (supermarkets) for whom they havebuilt-in QR codeson product labels. Thus, its buyers can access information about the farm where the product they purchase is grown from their mobile devices.

“Currently, especially among young people, consumer interest in having more information about products has been gaining strength and this influences their purchasing decision,” he says.Mónica Molineros, International Business Manager.

Reybanpac is currently developing a communication strategy to position both its Favorita brand and its image as a producer and exporter of premium Ecuadorian bananas in international markets.

Within this strategy, the main component is theof teams of two or more people. A single person with their business can also participate.digital. “We constantly spread news about the company's actions and the projects we develop. We also highlight the benefits that stand out for Ecuadorian bananas and in particular our product,” says Molineros.