IRVINE, Calif. – June is “California Avocado Month” according to the California Avocado Commission (CAC), who is promoting the fruit through an integrated marketing campaign. Activity with foodservice operators, retailers, chefs, dietitians, bloggers and consumers throughout the month focus on the California avocado season and the origin of the fruit.
“It’s exciting to have third-party influencers and even customers tell the California Avocado Month story,” said Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for CAC. “Marketing activities like these encourage consumers to expand their consumption of California avocados.”
A promotion by restaurant chain California Tortilla is an example of a foodservice operator involvement in the program. The chain is celebrating California avocados all month with flyers, social media and in-store point-of-sale material that features an open avocado, the Hand Grown in California logo and the headline, “You Don’t See Kale Getting Its Own Month”. California Tortilla invited its patrons to free chips and guac (with purchase) on June 17.
California Avocado Month retail activity includes product demonstrations, in-store activity and “meet the grower” events, as well as supermarket registered dietitians’ consumer programs. For example, on Colorado’s Channel 2 news King Sooper’s dietitian noted California Avocado Month and shared tips for using California avocados at breakfast time, in smoothies and salad dressing.
Public relations support of California Avocado Month kicked off with an artisan chef media dinner June 4 at celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s Maude restaurant in Los Angeles. The event encouraged media to develop coverage around California avocados. Seventeen influential media representatives including bloggers and representatives from L.A. Magazine, DineLA and the Huffington Post participated. Attendees enjoyed a 10-course avocado-centric meal that showcased the versatility of California avocados in various dishes. DeLyser addressed the media, encouraging them to incorporate California avocados into their dishes and to look for the California label when shopping for avocados.
CAC’s public relations outreach through registered dietitians has resulted in more than 10 million media impressions for California Avocado Month to date. On June 4 Maggie Moon, author of "The Elimination Diet Workbook" went live in the Livestrong.com blog with a post on "26 Things You Didn't Know About Avocados”. Moon opened with June as California Avocado Month, and provided reasons why to choose California avocados. On the same day Manuel Villacorta, author of "Eating Free", "Peruvian Power Foods" and "Whole Body Reboot", featured California Avocados in a segment on California Superfoods that aired live on the Spanish language program "Al Despertar" on Univision 14 in the California Bay Area. Villacorta also is cross-promoting the segment on his social media channels.
About the California Avocado Commission
Created in 1978, the California Avocado Commission strives to increase demand for California avocados through advertising, promotion and public relations, and engages in related industry activities that benefit the state’s nearly 5,000 avocado growers. The California Avocado Commission serves as the official information source for California avocados and the California avocado industry. For nutrition information and recipes visit CaliforniaAvocado.com, or join us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados and @CA_Avocados on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for updates.
Source: California Avocado Commission