When my kids see a Cuties commercial, the impressionable creatures turn to me immediately and ask for one. That's pretty impressive in a fresh fruit, if you ask me. Over the years that I've been buying, eating, and feeding my kids Cuties, I've only ever had one disappointing batch that didn't seem as sweet. Otherwise, the burst of success would be short-lived once people tested out a disappointing product. They're sweet, seedless, and easy to peel. The product is consistently good enough to back up to the hype drawn by the ad campaigns.They went national and launched a large ad campaign at the same time and during a smart time (holiday season, 2011, I believe).If there was a consistently good, well-marketed apple brand/package, I might be a more loyal, predictable apple customer, but as it is, I tend to just grab whatever looks/smells best that day. I don't have extensive apple knowledge as to which are in season when.

But because the BRAND and packaging do not change, consumers simply look for 'Cuties,' and there they are. I love to buy apples, too, but there's no real rhyme or reason to my apple buying.

The Cutie brand is available for a very good portion of the year, when many other fruits are NOT, because they very wisely use TWO varieties of Mandarin: Clementine Mandarins, available November through January and Murcott Mandarins, available February through April.

The economy in many places is also starting to recover, so people are more willing to pay a little extra for products of this nature.

Parents especially are bombarded with messages about how 'bad' many traditional snacks for kids are and how awful processed food is. The product is well-timed - more than ever, people are starting to be more cautious, more informed, and more motivated to purchase 'natural' and 'healthy' food alternatives.

Cuties oranges target