AUGUST
2015
WATERMELON UPDATE
NWPB Partners with
Shopping App Ibotta
In an effort to promote watermelon as we move into autumn, NWPB partnered with Ibotta, the mobile “app that pays you back.” Together, a customer incentive program for watermelon lovers was created that targets grocery store customers across the United States. Ibotta users engage in a mobile experience that replaces couponing with fun game-­‐like interactions, giving consumers what they actually want: rebates redeemable in all major retailers, and real cash rewards instead of credit or points. For a limited time starting in September, over two million of their users have the opportunity to unlock rebates on the purchase of any pre-­‐cut watermelon by taking a poll or viewing a recipe. Thinking summer? Think again! The rebates are redeemable until the $25,000 budget is depleted. The Ibotta retail app sponsorship heavily targets the Millenial generation and shoppers who prefer their mobile device as their main avenue of internet usage. The app will provide targeted and specific key messaging incentivizing watermelon purchases at the start of the shoulder season.
2015 Watermelon Carving Contest
Every July, in honor of National Watermelon Month, we here at the
@WatermelonBoard host an online watermelon carving competition.
We encourage beginners all the way up to professionals, and we award
points for originality and whimsy as well as technical skill. To even out
the entries, we have split winners so that beginners are not judged
against the experienced pros, and we have five categories. The categories
may change year to year, and the closer the fit and interpretation of the
category also gives you judging points. Because our job is to promote
watermelon every day of the year, we are always interested in new and
unique uses for the watermelon, and the construction of the carving. For
example, peeling a watermelon’s skin and painting on the white rind
won’t score as high as constructing a 3D animal, pinning in ears and arms.
To view the online gallery of all the entrants, visit
www.watermelon.org/TheSlice. NWPB awarded $4,000 in prizes to
winners who entered from as far away as Malta and the United Kingdom.
NATIONAL WATERMELON PROMOTION BOARD
1321 SUNDIAL POINT
WINTER SPRINGS, FL 32708
407.657.0261 office • 407.657.2213 fax
www.watermelon.org
AUGUST
2015
IT WAS ALL ABOUT WATERMELON AT THE
FLAVOR EXPERIENCE
The Flavor Experience held its 11th annual conference in Newport Beach, CA, August 2-5, 2015. There were
more than 200 foodservice operator decision makers in attendance representing culinary, beverage,
marketing and supply chain professionals. The overall goal of this event is to learn and share ideas about
flavor and how to optimize ingredients to create successful restaurant menus.
The Flavor Experience guarantees four menu items with the sponsorship but watermelon had many more.
To maximize the sponsorship, we worked with a consulting chef, Chef Dave Woolley, to develop
foodservice recipes for use at the conference. The recipes included watermelon grilled, compressed, pickled
and juiced to demonstrate the many used of the delicious product. The watermelon menu items included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Have it YOUR Way – Custom-Built Yogurt Parfaits
Fresh-Squeezed Watermelon Juice
Watermelon Ricky (syrup not fresh)
Watermelon Pancake Sandwich* (pictured)
Grilled Watermelon Salad* (pictured)
Pickled Rind & Fresh Watermelon with Lamb Chorizo and a Crispy Cheese Wafer*
Watermelon-Glazed Bristol Bay Alaskan Sockeye Salmon*
Skinny Strawberry Watermelon Mojito
Watermelon Moscow Mule
AUGUST
2015
THE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE CONTINUED…
Chef Dave was also invited to be on a panel focused on innovative desserts. He took the opportunity to
spotlight watermelon. Watermelon was also discussed in other trend sessions including salads, cocktails
and more.
Lastly, the NWPB partnered with other commodity boards to host an operator dinner during the event.
The appetizer was a Watermelon Beet Salad with Fried Okra, Chevre and Meyer Lemon Yogurt. One of
the entrée options was a Seared Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes, English Peas, White Asparagus &
Watermelon Vinaigrette with the halibut positioned on a watermelon raft. In total, 11 chains were
represented at the dinner.
We continue to follow up with contacts met at Flavor Experience including First Watch, BJ’s
Restaurants, Mad Greens, 7-11, Panera Bread, Red Lobster, Wendy’s and many more. The Board offers
culinary and marketing support to chains interested in featuring watermelon for the first time or in a new
way.
Attendees heard a lot about watermelons during
the trend and learning sessions.
The watermelon dishes helped inspire
operators to use watermelon in dynamic
ways on their menus.
AUGUST
2015
NWPB Reaps Benefit From Foodservice
Events with Promotions
The foodservice program at the NWPB is built to work cohesively. We sponsor events, make contacts,
those contacts lead to culinary or marketing support at the chain and the watermelon menu item is then
pitched to foodservice media to inspire other chefs to use watermelon. As the foodservice program
progresses, the model seems to be operating at full capacity!
In the last Watermelon Update, staff reported on the National Association of College and University
Foodservice. The NWPB sponsored the event in July, showcasing watermelon juice, fresh cut and a
recipe. Inspired from the event, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst hosted a Watermelon Day on
September 9, 2015 featuring eight watermelon recipes throughout the day, in all four of their dining
halls, available to more than 19,000 students and faculty who participate in campus dining. The NWBP
also provided brochures and other materials for the students. UMass used some of the existing NWPB
recipes but they did create a new recipe that we will be pitching to foodservice media.
Students enjoyed the multiple ways
the UMass culinary team featured
watermelons during the promotion.
UMass appreciated having NWPB
materials to distribute and display.
AUGUST
2015
Foodservice Events with Promotions
Continued…
The Surprise and Shine
juice at First Watch.
A contact made at the Flavor Experience is already showing results. First
Watch, a breakfast, brunch and lunch concept, primarily in the east and
central regions of the United States, is featuring a watermelon menu item.
The Surprise and Shine juice features watermelon, English cucumber,
lime, carrot and beet. The juice is a part of their Tastes of Fall limited time
menu, available from August 31-November 7, 2015. The juice is
supported by a menu insert and beautiful tabletop point of sale featuring
an image of the juice as well as inclusion on the some locations’ specials
chalkboard. In addition to including www.watermelon.org and touting
watermelon’s health messages, the section of the menu insert talking
about watermelon is titled, “A Fruit for All Seasons;” a great way to
promote watermelon’s year-round availability. First Watch has 135
locations in addition to 20 The Good Egg, 116 The Egg & I and one
Bread & Company.
Featured on the Tastes of Fall menu at First Watch
AUGUST
2015
ACF offered intimate interaction during the Fruit Carving Sculpture Workshop and
broad reach to over 1,000 culinarians during the opening reception.
Educating Chefs at the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation held their annual national convention in Orlando,
FL, July 30-August, 2015. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is a professional
organization for chefs and cooks who promote the professional image of American
chefs worldwide through the education of culinarians at all levels. ACF is the largest
professional chef organization in North America and is the culinary leader in offering
educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. Their membership
exceeds 17,000 professionals with more than 1,000 attending the national convention.
The NWPB sponsored key events and the ACF also included watermelon in a bonus
menu item. Cooks and chefs are required to earn ongoing credits to maintain their
level of accreditation; one of the credit earning workshops was a Fruit Carving
Sculpture workshop. The three-hour class used multiple products but watermelon was
the star. The same evening we sponsored the Welcome Reception with a station
serving Watermelon Rind Slaw and Watermelon Feta Bruschetta. The table also
included carvings from the workshop. We received great feedback about the carving
workshop and the recipes at the Welcome Reception. ACF also featured pickled
watermelon rind on a salad during lunch the next day.
AUGUST
2015
USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES TO GET
WATERMELON MESSAGES OUT
Kids are back in the classroom and that means kids will be eating snacks and lunch at school. Of course
WE know how what a great addition watermelon makes to any packed or menu lunch – now let’s let
consumers know too! Use the following posts to get our message out about the importance of putting
watermelon on school menus! (They are all Twitter-friendly and within 140 characters, but can easily be
cross-posted on your Facebook and Instagram accounts too!) Don’t forget to tag @WatermelonBoard!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Looking for an inexpensive way to keep kids hydrated during school? #Watermelon is 92%
water! #kidslovewatermelon #watermelonlunch
Let’s see #watermelon on school lunch menus! #eatmorewatermelon #kidslovewatermelon
#watermelonlunch
Kids are in school. Kids love watermelon. So, let’s put watermelon on school lunch menus!
#eatmorewatermelon #watermelonlunch
Are your kids in sports? #Watermelon is rich in citrulline, which may help reduce muscle
soreness. #eatmorewatermelon #watermelonlunch
If all kids have to choose from is nutritious foods, they will automatically make good choices.
#watermelonforschoolmenus #watermelonlunch
Use a kid’s sweet tooth to your advantage! Adding #watermelon to school lunch menus is a #win
#win. #watermelonlunch #kidslovewatermelon
Watermelon is packed with nutrients every child needs, like potassium and lycopene. Add
#watermelon to school lunch menus! #watermelonlunch
AUGUST
2015
Watermelon, Wondermelon! Student Art and
Slogan-writing Contest
Share with your Teacher friends! This school year
we’re partnering with Learning Magazine to host a
K-5 student art and slogan-writing contest
featuring – you guessed it – watermelon! Our
downloadable materials include a starter guide
and teaching lessons that will help facilitate
classroom instruction about watermelon, slogans
and art. Once students have the basics down, they
will address one or more benefits of watermelon in the slogan-writing contest and use a medium of their
choice to depict a watermelon in the art contest. You can find more information, including contest
specifics and rules at www.watermelon.org/TheSlice/Watermelon-Wondermelon. Or reach out to us with
any questions at contests@watermelon.org. Student entries are accepted through 2/1/16. Teachers can
also instantly enter to win our contest sweepstakes, where one lucky grand-prize winner will receive $500,
and three runners-up will get $100 each. Watermelon, wondermelon, wonderful!
New England Produce Council Annual Produce & Floral
Expo – Cape Cod, MA – September 15th – 18th
United Fresh Washington Conference – Washington, D.C. –
September 27th – 29th
Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo – Nashville, TN –
October 3rd – 6th
Marine Corps Marathon – Washington, D.C. –
October 22nd – 26th
PMA Fresh Summit – Atlanta, GA October 23rd –
October 25th
Where will NWPB be
next?
AUGUST
WATERMELON UPDATE
If you’d like to receive the update electronically, please email:
info@watermelon.org
National Watermelon Promotion Board
1321 Sundial Point
Winter Springs, FL 32708
2015