I was influenced by an influencer during an education session about influencing.
And that means fresh pineapple will be punctured at my home.
During the “Kitchen Hacks That Stick” session at Produce for Better Health’s Consumer Connection Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., I was pierced by the impulse to buy kebab sticks and fun fruit and vegetable shape-cutters on Amazon. It was for — ahem — my preschool-aged child … not me.
Who made me click “Buy Now” while still speaking on stage? Beau Coffron, the father who packed artful school lunches for his children, inspiring him to create the Lunch Box Dad website and @lunchboxdad social media accounts.
His posts went viral, leading to national appearances on "Good Morning America" and "The Steve Harvey Show." He’s since been featured in People magazine, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, Bored Panda, Yahoo, E! Online and Martha Stewart.
And after Coffron said “Everything’s better on a stick,” I was compelled to click.
I hope this clicks with you too.
As spring winds down and summer ramps up, it’s time to remind shoppers to whip out the grill, the pineapple and those sticks. Show customers on social media, your website and in point-of-sale materials how many ways you can stick it to pineapple.
Learn on PMG: All about pineapples, the commodity
The fruit plays well with other fruit, but it also mingles well with peppers, onions, shrimp, chicken, pork, tofu — even steak. You could even mimic a ham and pineapple pizza on a stick, adding cherry tomatoes and cubes of cheese and bread.
“I don't know why it makes it more fun, but it does when you think about presentation this way,” Coffron said. “Anyone who has ever tried to get their toddler a red glass when they wanted a blue glass knows: Presentation matters. It just does.”
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This story was published in the May-June issue of PMG magazine. Flip through all the digital issues.