California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: NWPB

  • Watermelon Board Fall-Winter Marketing Tactics

    On the heels of strategic planning and virtual Board meeting, which took place October 23, National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) is entering in to the fall and winter months well-positioned to strengthen demand for watermelon. Considering more than 30% of watermelon is consumed in the fall/winter months, year-round promotion is an integral part of NWPB programs.

    While each department at the Board has a different audience – including consumer, foodservice, retail and international – consistent programming strategies throughout the fall and winter months will focus on leveraging partnerships, serving as a resource, educating about watermelon’s health and versatility benefits, and maximizing social platform engagement. Not an exhaustive list, activity highlights by department include:

    Communications

    “How do you WINTERmelon” consumer social campaign utilizing influencer partnerships and earned media PR tactics to visualize watermelon in the winter usage ideas and versatility benefits

    • National paid feature syndication with winter-focus “Add Fruit Flavors to Fun Holiday Desserts” suggesting watermelon in nontraditional winter kitchen dishes
    • Dietitian education, inspiration and “edutainment” through FNCE virtual expo and culinary demo, highlighting RD Toolkit, Zero Food Waste and Watermelon Flavor Pairings
    • New launch of Jump with Jill multimedia educator portal with lesson worksheets built on existing watermelon partner videos for teachers and parents at home or in classrooms
    • Influencer social partnerships with Produce for Kids/Healthy Family Project, Kim Rose Dietitian, Fannetastic Food, Ana Quincoces and Pam Smith highlighting versatility and health benefits of watermelon year round
    • Shooting new TV commercial content focusing on both wellness and happiness, to be advertised on YouTube and other streaming content channels

    Foodservice
    • Print, digital and social media advertising with predominant foodservice publications to reach foodservice operators traditionally reached at events
    • New yield tool showcasing dice, wedge, juice and other formats yield from different watermelon sizes so chefs can easily switch between mini and seedless watermelon
    • Chef’s Roll partnership to create technique and recipe videos featuring popular watermelon formats including dice, wedge, juice, julienne rind, etc. to be shared through Chef’s Roll and used by the NWPB to educate and inspire operators
    • Virtual Flavor Experience conference to highlight watermelon’s year-round availability and versatility on foodservice menus
    • Partner with StarChefs to host a recipe contest to engage with no less than 200 chefs, build our recipe database and spotlight champions of watermelon
    Retail & International Marketing
    • Year-round retailer activations via domestic and international retail account management team
    • Continued distribution of Retail Kit in print and digital formats
    • Independent grocer outreach via Live. Balanced wellness activation kit planned for early 2021
    • Retail dietitian and retailer education outreach through virtual platforms
    • Presence at virtual conferences, trade shows and networking events“For many years, the NWPB has been tasked with promoting watermelon all twelve months of the year,” said Mark Arney, Executive Director for the NWPB. “Watermelon’s health benefits and versatility lends itself to everything from Halloween carvings to holiday punch to elevated usage ideas.”The next NWPB Board meeting, where staff will recommend marketing programs and the Board will vote on a budget for the 2021-2022 year, will take place virtually on Saturday, March 6, 2021. For more information or specifics about individual departments, contact Stephanie Barlow, Senior Director of Communications at sbarlow@watermelon.org. 

  • Watermelon Master Classes to Educate, Inform & Inspire

    The first of its kind, the Watermelon Virtual Master Classes were arguably one of the largest pivots of the Spring-Summer season for the communications program of the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB). The challenge was to move an NYC-based freelance summertime media event to online: a virtual version for the at-home world of media and influencers to educate, inform and inspire watermelon content and coverage.

    The reinvention of the media event turned into three separate virtual events with three different topics, three different presenters with three sets of recipe ideas, sending out three different curated boxes of watermelon goodies for the media to enjoy and utilize for their Watermelon Master Classes. The strategies were tri-fold:

    • Lean on “Back to Basics” materials to educate at-home cooks on easy ways to get creative with watermelon
    • Leverage “Use the Whole Watermelon” messaging to encourage use of the rind and juice
    • Develop strong relationships with members of the media and influence their watermelon content for months to come

    NWPB spent weeks pitching media contacts from major publications, in a time when much of the country was in a “shelter in place” order, to offer an at-home, free event to create content and excitement about the sweet summer staple. Additionally NWPB provided education focused on a year-round message to extend the seasonal reach and amplify watermelon’s appeal.

    “We confirmed attendees across the country, rather than have to only host those based in the NYC-area. We sent out custom curated watermelon boxes with a mix of items related to each class and related to our brand: a logoed chef’s apron and a new kitchen knife, a cocktail shaker and food pun spatula, etc. The boxes generated excitement and enthusiasm for the classes, and each one was well attended… with the cameras turned ON!” said Stephanie Barlow, senior director of communications.

    Further, the timing of the classes gave many attendees the opportunity to create their own watermelon content this summer, in time for National Watermelon Day and beyond. Several attendees posted on their personal social pages, where media turn into influencers and endorse watermelon recipes, usage ideas and health benefits. In total, NWPB hosted 60 food editors, writers and media dietitians. Their enthusiasm and delight over the events ensures earned media attention for watermelon to come for months.

    “To date, we have nearly 40 social media posts and 15 articles covering these events, which wasn’t even one of the main strategies but it is additional earned content on their personal influencer networks. We look forward to building long lasting partnerships with writers and their publications in the coming year,” said Barlow.

    These were the Watermelon Master Classes:

    ·       Watermelon Wellness with Pam Smith, RDN featuring Salted Watermelon Woju, Watermelon Overnight Oats, Watermelon Poke Salad and a Watermelon Yogurt Smoothie

    ·       The Ultimate Watermelon Workshop with cookbook authors Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein, creating Thai-inspired Watermelon Rind Salad, Curried Wheatberry Watermelon Salad and Watermelon, and Prosciutto and Mozzarella Skewers

    ·       Summer Sips Watermelon Cocktails with Jordan Catapano from This Girls Walks into a Bar, mixing a Watermelon Rose Sangria, Watermelon Gimlet and a Summer into Fall Cocktail

    Each of the classes incorporated watermelon key messages of health, value, versatility and year-round availability, but also gave attendees the opportunities to ask questions to the hosts or the watermelon experts from NWPB.

    “The engaging questions were rampant throughout all the classes, asking everything from watermelon storage techniques to flavor pairings, or alternative ingredients when you couldn’t find elderflower liqueur or red wheat berries, which effectively made these events much richer than a plain recipe demonstration,” Barlow continued.

    About National Watermelon Promotion Board

    The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by more than 800 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.

    Watermelon packs a nutritious punch, with each serving providing an excellent source of Vitamin C (25%), a source of Vitamins A ( 8%) and B6 (8%), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories. For additional information, visit www.watermelon.org.

  • Connecting the Watermelon Industry with Retail and Foodservice Buyers

    The new National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) Watermelon Supplier Database is the perfect platform to connect retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers as the summer season takes off for America’s favorite melon.

    Each year the NWPB staff promote watermelon to retail and foodservice audiences, both in-person and digitally. When a contact asks where they can get watermelon, this new database with help connect the dots. The new Watermelon Supplier Database is based on the new watermelon.org in the Industry, Retail and Foodservice sections and at watermelon.org/supplierdatabase, so all interested groups can easily access the database.

    The Board is still working to populate the database so if a member of the watermelon industry is interested, please visit watermelon.org/supplierdatabase. Multiple roles in the industry are encouraged to be a part of the database including wholesalers, growers, importers, brokers, processors, seed, transportation companies and more.

    Please reach out to supplierdatabase@watermelon.org with any questions.

    About National Watermelon Promotion Board

    The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by more than 800 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.

    Watermelon packs a nutritious punch, with each serving providing an excellent source of Vitamin C (25%), a source of Vitamin B6 (8%), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was an estimated 15.6 pounds in 2019. Watermelon consumption in the United States was approximately 5.1 billion pounds in 2019. The United States exported an additional 321.2 million pounds of watermelon. For additional information, visit www.watermelon.org.