APRIL/MAY/JUNE
2015
WATERMELON UPDATE
IF A CRISIS SITUATION ARISES, CALL 407-657-0261 IMMEDIATELY
Watermelon For The Win
NASCAR Promotional
Effort Zooming In
Watermelon Messaging
and Movement
NWPB is in the passenger seat for the
2015 NASCAR racing season with Ross
Chastain and his watermelon car. With
the goal of amplifying watermelon’s key
messages and awareness via the
watermelon NASCAR effort throughout
the 2015 season in the XFINITY series,
NWPB is coordinating watermelon
queen
travel
and
promotional
schedules,
coordinating
media
opportunities,
social
media
campaigning
with
a
custom
#WatermelonFTW promotion, retail instore promotions and at-track sampling
of watermelon to fans, pit crews, teams
and drivers. All in all, it’s about getting
everyone to #EatMoreWatermelon.
The help create awareness of and build
the
Watermelon
Board
social
community, we
are
encouraging
NASCAR fans to snap a picture at races
with their “W” – for win and for
watermelon – for a chance to win
watermelon prizes. To participate, fans
upload a “W” picture to social media
with #WatermelonFTW, @RossChastain
and @WatermelonBoard. During the
race weekends, the Watermelon Board
as well as the watermelon queens, Ross
and the associations are posting on
social media and using the #NASCAR
hashtag to extend the reach and
capture those fans and followers.
Watermelon Serves Up New Website for Summer
Watermelon.org Goes Editorial, Responsive
NWPB is proud to announce the new and
improved home base for all things
watermelon:
Watermelon.org.
“To
reinforce NWPB as the go-to resource for
all things watermelon, we organized the
new website into purposeful paths that
guide a consumer from awareness to
consideration to purchase,” said Stephanie
Barlow,
Senior
Director
of
Communications. “The new homepage
serves as a welcoming central station with
destinations for watermelon newbies and
adventure seekers alike. We developed a
Master Editorial Calendar to guide a
variety of fresh content to support each
consumer path. We will frequently feature
new content for the returning watermelon
visitor ensuring a fresh experience and path
with each visit.”
NWPB embraces the task of creating
relevant, innovative and unique content
promoting watermelon’s health, value and
versatility benefits throughout the entire
year. The new website allows for the
content to be delivered in an editorial
fashion,
spotlighting
partners
and
promotions but also continually featuring
top traffic drivers: watermelon recipes and
watermelon carvings.
With the rise of mobile and tablet traffic, the new Watermelon.org was designed to be responsive –
meaning the website changes format for the device it is viewed on. The content is streamlined for
best viewing by being adaptable to changing screen size and view choice. “In the end, it’s all about
the user: you get a cohesive experience optimized for delivering watermelon nutrition education,
usage ideas and seasonal promotions to your device quickly, intuitively, and beautifully.”
For the research, promotion and education cornerstones of the NWPB, a completely custom
content delivery site like Watermelon.org is an important anchor in its outreach fleet.
NATIONAL WATERMELON PROMOTION BOARD
1321 SUNDIAL POINT
WINTER SPRINGS, FL 32708
407.657.0261 office • 407.657.2213 fax
www.watermelon.org
APRIL/MAY/JUNE
2015
RECAPS
Queen Training
Every spring the NWPB hosts the newly crowned watermelon queens from each
association as well as the new national queen for an annual media and communications
training weekend. This year was hosted by Bayer CropScience in Raleigh, North
Carolina, and included an on-site tour at the bee care center. The queens are given all of
watermelon’s key messages to learn, as well interviewing tips and techniques to deliver
those key messages to a variety of audiences. Good luck to each watermelon queen in
2015!
West Expo
The NWPB exhibited at the inaugural West Coast Produce Expo held in Indian Wells, CA,
in early May. NWPB director of foodservice and marketing, Megan McKenna attended
the event along with NWPB retail account managers, Katie Manetti and Kenton Kidd.
According to The Packer, 180 buyers and 80 exhibitors attended the event. Altogether
more than 500 people attended the event.
A photo published in The Packer’s newspaper featured an image of Katie talking with a
produce buyer for Jewel-Osco. In the accompanying article, Megan was quoted in the
Packer stating, “Her group was able to talk with retailers about the board’s summer
display contest." She also said that there was a “good mix of foodservice and retail here.”
According to The Packer there was a good mix of large and smaller retailers present
allowing the NWPB staff to reach out to both groups.
CPMA
NWPB were exhibitors once again at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association trade
show. National Watermelon Queen Emily Brown, promotions coordinator Eleanor
Bullock, and retail account manager Cece Krumrine joined NWPB staffers Megan
McKenna and Juliemar Rosado to attend the convention that was held in Montreal,
Canada in mid-April. With the growing popularity of the Watermelon Queen program in
Canada, NWPB was able to introduce 2015 National Queen Emily Brown to many of the
key retailers in Canada. Canada’s largest event dedicated to the fruit and vegetable
industry, CPMA’s annual convention and trade show attracts more than 3000 participants
from all segments of the produce supply chain.
“Watermelon is best for days like today … or any other day.” @RyanDaG
APRIL/MAY/JUNE
2015
International Foodservice Editorial Council Reception
at the National Restaurant Show
JULY
The NWPB's first big splash with foodservice media was the International Foodservice Editorial Council's Reception at the National
Restaurant Show in May. The Board networked with foodservice media as they tried the Watermelon Rind Slaw and Watermelon
Bruschetta. Megan McKenna, director of foodservice and marketing, spoke with representatives from more than 12 foodservice
publications in addition to freelance writers, specializing in foodservice. The Board will be reaching out to foodservice media through press
releases as well as a product delivery this summer. Foodservice media is an important part of the program because chefs read these
publications to be inspired by new opportunities.
Wakefern Dietician Seminar
Wakefern (ShopRite Banner) conducted an all-day seminar for
all store dietitians on June 10 in Edison, New Jersey. All of the
attendees were dietitians that work with one or more ShopRite
stores in the Metro NY/NJ and Pennsylvania locations. NWPB
Retail Account Manager Cece Krumrine received an invitation
to participate in the seminar along with only two other
produce vendors. Elizabeth Somer, noted Dietitian for
National Watermelon Promotion Board, made a presentation
that covered all aspects of watermelon health benefits as well
as included a variety of suggestions on how to enjoy
watermelon in baked goods, smoothies, salsas and more.
NWPB was able to distribute various dietitian materials and
content from the watermelon.org website and were even
asked to supply more due to the unexpected high attendance
of the seminar. Wakefern expected 60 attendees and nearly
100 showed up. The seminar was very well received.
Attendees even commented on how they were surprised to
learn something new and beneficial about watermelon from
Elizabeth Somer’s presentation. All in all, the seminar was a
success!
Viva Fresh
NWPB was on-hand as exhibitors at the inaugural year of the Viva
Fresh expo, hosted by The Texas International Produce Association
(TIPA). The sold out event took place in Austin, Texas from March
26-28. NWPB attended educational seminars and was able to meet
with high profile buyers, retailers, and foodservice industry
professionals that were in attendance throughout the weekend.
NWPB would like to thank the Texas Watermelon Queen for her
hard work at the event. The show was a success for exhibitors and
attendees and will be held in San Antonio in 2016.
“Watermelon and coffee. Breakfast of the Gods.” - @SkochThaCoach
APRIL/MAY/JUNE
2015
Foodservice Menu Trends
Research Update
The NWPB is in its first year of the new foodservice program. To better understand the opportunity and help the foodservice
audience tap into the opportunity, the Board is kicking off the program with strong research initiatives. The first research
initiative is Datassential Menu Trends research to understand the current landscape for watermelon at foodservice. Here are
some high level results:
•
Watermelon shows up on 8.4% of the commercial restaurant menus scanned in the United States
•
In the Menu Adoption Cycle consisting of Inception, Adoption, Proliferation and Ubiquity, Watermelon falls in Adoption - a
great place to be as the NWPB launches a foodservice program
•
Watermelon penetration is fairly stable across all regions of the US which is great for national and regional chains across the
country
•
Watermelon is currently mentioned the most in appetizer and beverage sections on menus
More in-depth research results will be shared in a press release from the Board to foodservice and produce trade media and will
be posted on the website. This research will also be used with potential foodservice operators interested in trying watermelon
on their menu. Finally, the same research will be conducted again in 2018 to see how much progress watermelon has made on
menus.
MORE IN-DEPTH RESEARCH RESULTS WILL BE SHARED IN A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE BOARD TO FOODSERVICE AND PRODUCE TRADE MEDIA AND WILL BE POSTED ON THE
Where will
NWPB
Be Next???
Daytona NASCAR Race – Daytona Beach, FL – July 3rd-4th
School Nutrition Association National Conference – Salt Lake City, UT – July 12th 15th
National Association of College & University Food Services National Conference
– Indianapolis, IN – July 22nd & 23rd
Indianapolis NASCAR Race – Indianapolis, IN – July 23rd-26th
Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference & Expo – Monterey, CA
–
July 24th -26th
American Culinary Federation National Convention – Orlando, FL – July 30th August 1st
“Nothing beats fresh watermelon juice.” - @Afiq_Nazzrul