BENTONVILLE, AR - Heading to the Oscars once again this year is, drumroll please, you may have guessed it...Walmart; or at least in the art form of short 60-second films during the awards-show telecast. In 2018, Walmart will bring this fresh set of films, or rather ads, to the screen, which will be crafted by one of three female directors: Melissa McCarthy, Nancy Meyers and Dee Rees, according to Variety.
This will be the second consecutive year that Walmart will advertise during the Oscars. In 2017, Walmart ran a series of short films that featured three different directors’ takes on a Walmart receipt: Marc Forster, Antoine Fuqua, and the pairing of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Check out The Gift by Antoine Fuqua below for a taste of what 2017 had to offer.
This year, each advertisement kicks off with the depiction of Walmart’s blue shipping box, and then continues with each director’s interpretation of its journey and what’s inside.
As Variety notes, in relation to the larger conversation going on with the #MeToo movement, Walmart executives say they aren’t trying to cash in.
“We are aware of the conversation going on, but we are looking to be integrated authentically into the show,” Kirsten Evans, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the company was quoted as saying. “Being a part of a really entertaining night is the sole purpose of what we were trying to accomplish.”
So, what else does Walmart have planned along these lines in 2018? The company will team up with Women In Film Los Angeles. This organization advocates for, and advances the careers of, women working in the screen industries—to achieve parity and transform culture, according to the Women in Film website. Three up-and-coming female filmmakers will be a part of the campaign and will be able to shadow the three 2018 directors as they set about to create the Walmart Oscars pieces, acording to Variety.
“There is kind of a long-held belief in the entertainment industry that the pipeline of talent isn’t deep enough and I think that it is starting to shift, and that this is representative of that shift,” Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director of the organization said.
As Variety reported, ABC has been seeking anywhere from $2 million to $2.6 million for a 30-second ad in its March 4th Oscars broadcast, according to media buyers and other people familiar with the negotiations.
“We haven’t always been front and center in these types of events,” Tony Rogers, Walmart’s Chief Marketing Officer stated. “We are trying to change that. We like the idea of Walmart as a brand being part of the public discourse and the public conversation.”
Between recently announced Oscar nominations and the buzz and excitement of the New Year, Walmart just might be finding a place among the "stars."
LOS ANGELES, CA - What happens when a Golden Globe winning actor challenges herself to her own hot pepper challenge? I give you Jennifer Garner, the latest to take to social media to show off her spicy produce-eating skills—or, if you watch the video, lack thereof.
On Monday, the Alias, 13 Going on 30, and more recently Capital One commercial star, hopped on Instagram to show off her home gardening talents, picking what looks to be a serrano or jalapeño pepper from her plot.
“What do you think: Is it going to be hot?” she asks as she takes a very generous chomp out of the green pepper and, suffice it to say, the answer turns out to be: yes.
“I wish I hadn’t done that. It’s not funny,” she grimaces, and you can clearly tell she is not exactly enjoying the experience.
So, what is her go-to remedy? Unfortunately, the garden hose and the cooling flavor of some her home-grown lettuce couldn’t tame the flames that were being stoked in Jennifer’s mouth.
“Regret! Regret! Regret!” she chanted, clapping her hands in frustration.
“Me vs. pepper. Upshot: Not as cool as I thought I was. #soyouthinkyoucanfarm #regretregretregret,” she captioned the video that had the ANUK office giggling aloud.
What do you think? Could Jennifer Garner make it in the pepper industry? Watch the video above and decide for yourself.
ORLANDO, FL - The National Mango Board (NMB) has welcomed a new Retail Program Manager in Tammy Wiard. Wiard is bringing a strong background in retail and consumer marketing to her role at NMB, where she will oversee the retail account team and all retail marketing support programs that contribute to year-round consumption and growth of the mango category at retail.
Wiard’s most recent experience comes from her work as Director of Retail Marketing for the Florida Department of Citrus, according to a press release, where she developed consumer retail marketing and brand building programs for both the grocery and foodservice industries. Wiard also has spent time on the buy-side herself, serving for several years as Albertsons’s/Safeway Advertising Director in Northern California, and overseeing both marketing services and agency management. Additional experience Wiard has garnered include time as a senior liaison for a retail marketing agency, a bachelor's degree from University of Kansas, and volunteer work with Olympic track and field athletes at the National Training Center who were preparing for London 2012.
“Tammy’s experience in creating and cultivating retail and brand partnerships will be key in bringing the NMB’s retail marketing program to the next level,” shared Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing. “Having Tammy on board will strengthen our retail team and perpetuate partnerships and relationships with U.S. retailers”
Wiard is stepping into the shoes of Wendy McManus, who announced in October 2017 that she plans to depart from NMB in June of this year.
“We are excited to have Tammy Wiard join the NMB. Her industry experience and strong skillset complements the NMB team very well,” stated Executive Director Manuel Michel. “On behalf of the entire Board, I also want to thank Wendy McManus for her 12 years of service to the NMB. She has played an important role in NMB’s marketing and retail programs and this effort has contributed to the growth and success of mangos. We wish Wendy the best in her new endeavors and hope she is forever a mango ambassador!”
Congrats to Wiard as she joins this excellent team of mango professionals!
RIDGE SPRING, SC – With growth top-of-mind, Titan Farms is further expanding its sales team with the promotion of Tonya Conaway to Customer Account Manager with Palmetto Processing Solutions, the peach processing sister company of Titan Farms; and welcoming Tammy Condrey as Sales Office Manager and Executive Assistant.
“As our business has grown over the past few years, so has our in-house sales team,” said Daryl Johnston, Vice President of Sales. “Both Tonya and Tammy bring great expertise to our team, and we couldn’t be happier to head into a brand new season.”
These two moves are in preparation for the 2018 peach season for Titan, as a premier grower, packer, and shipper of peaches in the Eastern United States.
According to a press release, in 2015, Titan Farms brought its sales team in-house in order to become a fully vertically integrated company, handling all business aspects from its Ridge Spring, South Carolina, headquarters. Conaway and Condrey join existing team members Jessica Gibson, and Sandra White, allowing Titan Farms to better provide service to its’ customers.
Since 2015, Conaway has been a part of the Titan Farms sales team as a logistics and sales customer service representative. Prior to her position at Titan Farms, Conaway was a grower consultant and inventory manager at Amick Farms for 13 years. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of South Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration.
Condrey brings more than 20 years of management experience to her new role, with 16 years spent as a special projects coordinator for the National Wild Turkey Federation where she coordinated shooting sports programs, turkey calling contests, and various other special events. Prior to joining Titan Farms, she worked at the University of South Carolina – Aiken as the office manager for the Central Housing Office. Condrey earned an Associates of Science in Accounting from Aiken Technical College.
Congrats to both Tammy and Tonya on your exciting moves and we look forward to the fruitful future ahead!
SYRACUSE, UT - Onions 52 had a whirlwind 2017, launching a company-wide rebrand in the last few months of the year that saw a new look, a new name, and so much more. Prepped with a brand that had retailers buzzing well through the end of 2017, the company is setting out in the New Year with a new product: Sunions tearless sweet onions.
I spoke with Bob Meek, Onions 52’s CEO, to find out additional details on the change from the Utah Onions name, as well as Sunions—a sweet storage onion that makes over-pungency a thing of the past.
“At Utah Onions, we literally outgrew our name, and decided it is time to represent who we truly are,” Bob explains, noting that the company had expanded to not just work with onions out of the state that was its former namesake. “We do onions 52 weeks a year…from Washington, from Oregon, from Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and many places in Mexico.”
And on the new Sunions brand onion that has had the industry watching so closely, Bob expects the tearless variety to take the category by storm.
“It is a truly tearless [onion]—the first of its kind—that kind be eaten or chopped and never shed a tear,” Bob continues. “We’re highlighting it, we’re excited for it, and have had very good interest in this product.”
For more, see our complete video interview with Bob above. And for further video news on new and innovative products in produce, keep watching AndNowUKnow.
LAKELAND, FL - No stranger to topping lists that tout the best in retail, Publix has once again clenched a top spot. The Florida-based grocer has ranked number one among Fortune magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies in the food and drug stores industry category.
Based on ratings calculated from thousands of businesspeople within each of the 52 industries Fortune has selected, the list of the World's Most Admired Companies asks respondents to rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria. According to Fortune’s website, these criteria include investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent.
Only six food and drug stores made the list, which is as follows for the category:
- 1. Publix Super Markets
- 2. Walgreens Boots Alliance
- 3. Kroger
- 4. Sprouts Farmers Market
- 5. George Weston
- 6. Smart & Final Stores
Publix is a frequent guest star on Fortune’s best of the best lists. According to Fortune’s profile on Publix, the retailer has spent 23 separate years on the highly respected Fortune 500 list, reaching number 87 in its last edition. The company also climbed from number 67 to 21 on the magazine’s most recent list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, and number 317 on its last Global 500 list.
To delve into the list yourself and explore other industry’s rankings, check out http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies. And stay tuned as AndNowUKnow keeps reporting on the best and brightest in retail!
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited J&R Fresh Produce LLC, operating out of Tampa, FL, for failure to pay for produce.
According to a USDA press release, the company failed to pay $281,225 to seven sellers for 30 lots of produce, which was purchased, received, and accepted in interstate commerce from August 2015 through June 2016. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, J&R Fresh Produce LLC cannot operate in the produce industry until January 10, 2020, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The USDA reporteed that the company’s principal, Shaheed Ackbar, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until January 10, 2019, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
USDA is required to publish the finding that a business has committed willful, repeated and flagrant violations of PACA as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business during the violation period. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – It is onion time, all the time, at least in my house. Whether its soups, sauces, sandwiches, or Crock-Pot® concotions, there is never and onion too far away. In an effort to help increase the ring at the register, Frieda’s Specialty Produce is introducing new, attractively branded, easy-to-display, 8 oz. clamshells.
“Our new clamshells show off and protect the specialty onions inside better than the mesh bags,” Alex Jackson Berkley, Assistant Sales Manager said. “These containers are also stackable, making them very easy to display. Plus, the containers reduce the amount of onion-paper shatter, keeping the display and produce department clean.”
With specialty varieties that include cipolline onions, red, gold, and white pearl onions, and boiler onions—all in 12/8 oz. pack sizes—retailers will be able to address the palate of all onion-lovers, or...the onion-curious.
As you can always expect from Frieda’s, these new clamshells feature the company’s signature colorful branding, which is eye-catching and attractive to shoppers, according to a press release.
I don’t know about you, but I will be peeling back the layers this year on all the recipe possibilities.
OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce is continuing to evolve its program and grow its team in 2018, with the addition of Hector Soltero as Director of Sales Planning. This new hire by the avocado powerhouse brings Soltero back to his Mission Produce home for his second stretch, having initially worked for the company from 2008 to 2015 in a sales capacity and as the Wholesale Manager.
“I am very excited to be back at Mission. The company continues to mature, and the opportunity was right for my return,” Soltero stated. “Mission has grown dramatically in the past few years, and our ability to service customers as we grow is our highest priority. It makes more sense than ever to refine our planning processes to ensure we are optimizing inventory levels and implementing effective sales planning strategies.”
Soltero will report to Brent L. Scattini, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, in his new role as Director of Sales Planning.
“With Hector, we’ve added depth and experience to our sales management and planning processes,” Scattini said. “Given Hector’s experience at Mission, as well as his work outside the organization, we feel that his skillset is a perfect fit for our needs.”
Soltero worked most recently in avocado sales for Westfalia Fruit and brings more than 10 years of sales and sales management experience to Mission.
Congratulations, Hector, on your reunion and exciting road ahead with Mission Produce!
BAKERSFIELD, CA – To get fresh produce off of grocery shelves and into grocery carts, we have our industry’s marketing talent to thank. And, while our industry is ever-changing, marketing teams like Gruszka Consulting continue to bridge the gap between growers and consumers by providing effective marketing strategies to help businesses grow. With the right tricks up its sleeve to get fruits and veggies to jump off grocery shelves and into consumer carts, Gruszka Consulting has tackled fresh ideas and marketing solutions to ensure produce continues to shine.
This year, Gruszka Consulting reached a new milestone in celebrating its fifth anniversary. I caught up with Owner and CEO Phil Gruszka to talk about the company’s last five years in the produce industry and its future.
“Five years ago, I had a vision of creating my own business that would help utilize my marketing and sales experience in produce, food, and beverages to help company’s reach their full potential,” Phil tells me. “Throughout my career, I have worked in marketing and new product development, and this new company is an extension of that experience. The results have been great, our business has been increasing every year, and customers continue to come to us again and again, and I have been having a great time doing it.”
Hitting the ground running, Phil attributes his extensive produce industry experience as the key to establishing establish Gruszka Consulting as a one-stop-shop for companies looking to be noticed in today’s competitive marketplace.
“My start in produce was working with Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic as the Vice President for nine years. Prior to that, I came from a background in brand management in food and beverage. After developing relationships in the produce industry, I started to notice a need for help from individuals and companies that didn’t have seasoned marketing experience,” Phil shares with me. “Over the last couple of years, we have been fortunate to work with great ag related companies.”
Along with Phil’s background in produce, his team’s creative, research, and commodity experience aligns well with the needs of companies looking for marketing innovation and assistance to grow their business.
“I think Gruszka Consulting is different from competitors because of our diverse knowledge and experience,” Phil states. “We have experience in food in a wide range of commodies, as well as the expertise to personalize projects in such a wide range of disciplines, which has been very beneficial for us and our clients.”
And marketing consulting isn’t the only business Phil has started in our industry.
“I actually started two companies,” Phil reveals. “Gruszka Consulting and a spice company as a labor of love. I have always been very passionate about food and cooking. Several years ago, I developed a spice blend called Phil’s 21™ that is currently in retail locations in California as well as on our own website, gruszkaspice.com, and on Amazon and Walmart. It’s an amazing product that I am very proud of.”
After hitting this milestone, Phil assures me there are only bigger and better things on the horizon for Gruszka Consulting. With possible plans to expand beyond produce and into the plant-based heath trend arena that is so popular with consumers this year, Phil believes the opportunities within our industry will continue to get better.
“Produce and its related products have the ability to get people excited, and I’d like to wow consumers with ideas and products that are new that the industry isn’t even thinking about yet. As a company, we want to continue to help other companies bring new products that currently don’t exist to the marketplace,” Phil says.
As someone who has accomplished so much in so little time, I ask Phil if he has any advice for those who are just starting out.
“If you have a vision, it really comes down to determination and going after your goals,” Phil shares. “That mindset helps not only with new businesses but established businesses as well. Setting a goal for the future and doggedly continuing to go after it, despite good or bad times, will serve anybody well in business and in life.”
Congratulations Phil and Gruszka Consulting, and here’s to many more years wowing the produce industry!
For more accomplishments happening in our industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.