NEWARK, DE - The results are in for Q3 2015 of PMA’s eat brighter!™ research, and surveys now show 78 percent of suppliers have increased sales of products branded with eat brighter! this quarter. Beyond the sales increase, the study also found increased activity over this period among grower-shippers and promotional boards as eat brighter! programs are approved and move into the marketplace.
“More products branded with eat brighter! translates into more opportunities for kids and families to experience eat brighter! in stores,” explains PMA President Cathy Burns. “This rise in products branded with eat brighter! also means more opportunities for suppliers to engage buyers. The greater participation we have across all links of the supply chain to permeate the marketplace with positive fruit and vegetables messages — both brand-building promotions and universal efforts like eat brighter! — the more we’ll succeed at reframing fruits and vegetables in the minds of consumers.”
More specifically, PMA’s survey shows that eat brighter! sales in Q3 continue to track at a 3 percent average increase in sales year-over-year, as reported by participating suppliers. And due to the movement’s success, PMA will be extending the program through 2018 and beyond the U.S. into Mexico.
Avocados From Mexico is one of the promotional boards that saw its eat brighter! materials approved for market in the third quarter, and demonstrates commodity boards’ important role in advancing the eat brighter! movement. In return, PMA says the boards’ participation in eat brighter! bolsters their marketing toolkit with additional avenues for their message.
“Avocados From Mexico is very excited to be partnering with eat brighter!. The ability to associate the brand with the Sesame Street characters provides us with a powerful platform to engage with moms and kids and deliver messaging around the nutritional benefits of avocados and also provide avocado education,” said Stephanie Bazan, Market Development Director for Avocados From Mexico. “We plan to leverage this valuable asset to reinforce our brand while providing avocado education at the point of sale when they are making their shopping decision. We will also be promoting nutrition and avocado education messaging through social, digital channels and public relations efforts that are engaging to both general market and Hispanic audiences.”
Other eat brighter!-licensed commodity boards include:
- California Avocado Commission
- Mushroom Council
- Pear Bureau Northwest
- Peruvian Avocado Commission
- Potatoes New Brunswick
- U.S. Potato Board
All seven of the participating commodity boards distributed eat brighter! promotional materials to 159 companies, the survey shows, and 37 grower-shippers distributed eat brighter! product to more than 160 retailers and distributors.
“Promotional boards like Avocados From Mexico and these others reach suppliers through their membership, retailers through their marketing efforts and consumers through their direct outreach,” continued Burns. “They embrace marketing as a discipline by engaging the supply chain and leveraging promotions, in this case eat brighter!."
Burns shared that she believes these industry groups represent an important link in the supply chain for both promotional reach, and to advance the goal of increased produce consumption.
