The Winter Springs, Fla.-based National Watermelon Promotion Board has a full plate of promotional activities on tap this spring and summer for retail and foodservice operations.
Retail opportunities include in-store, digital and social media marketing components that provide “customer reach for product and nutrition education as an extension to the brick-and-mortar element that is coming back into focus,” said Juliemar Rosado, the board's director of retail and international marketing.
Store-level education will be encouraged through the board’s newly developed Watermelon Learning Lab — an online tool with lesson plans and videos for retailers seeking to educate employees who work with watermelon, she said.
This will be the 15th year for the retail merchandising contest that encourages retailers to incorporate social and digital media and marketing efforts in addition to in-store experiences, Rosado said. The contest starts in July and runs through August.
At foodservice, key messages focus on educating and inspiring foodservice decision-makers, said Megan McKenna, senior director of marketing and foodservice for the board. Topics include cultivation, cutting and yield, health messages, value, versatility and year-round availability.
“Earned and paid media keep watermelon top of mind with operators throughout the year,” she added.
Earned media is prevalent in the spring, summer and early fall when watermelon is on more menus, she said, while paid media in the fall and winter continue to inspire operators.
Sponsored events are geared to all audiences in foodservice to spread watermelon messages.
For example, the board will again sponsor the Flavor Experience and host a sampling station during the IFPA Foodservice Show, but it will expand watermelon’s presence by sponsoring the K-12 Foodservice Forum, McKenna said.