MONTEREY, Calif. (May 3, 2010) — Continuing on its mission to reignite the packaged
salad category and less than six months after introducing its re-imagined DOLE Salads line,
Dole Fresh Vegetables has launched the first DOLE salad kits with a commitment to
wholesome, all-natural ingredients that extends to the very bottom of the bag.
All Natural DOLE® Salad Kits are the industry’s first widely distributed prepackaged
salad kits to combine farm-fresh lettuces and vegetables with all-natural toppings and salad
dressings. While Dole has always been committed to providing only all-natural lettuces and
vegetables in its salad kits, the expansion of its all-natural commitment to all other kit
ingredients — including nuts, croutons, cheeses, seasonings and dressings — represents
the industry’s largest commitment to all-natural salad kits. The kits are being rolled out to
stores in the United States April through June 2010.
The reformulated line is a direct response to years of consumer research showing
that many salad consumers, while recognizing the healthy, flavorful appeal of packaged
salads, have reservations about the wholesomeness of certain salad kit ingredients,
especially the dressings and toppings. To qualify as all natural, the ingredients in All
Natural DOLE® Salad Kits contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
“Our goal continues to be nothing short of reshaping the category by giving salad
consumers compelling new reasons to increase their consumption — and in-kitchen
experimentation — of packaged salads,” said Michelle Gonsalves, director of marketing,
new products for Dole Fresh Vegetables. “With the introduction of All Natural DOLE Salad
Kits, we’re giving busy salad lovers exactly what they’ve told us they want: fresh, complete
salads kits that not only deliver robust flavors and high-quality toppings, but also are free of
the ingredient unknowns associated with salad kits in the past.
“Dole has taken the ingredient guesswork out of salad kits to give health and flavor
seekers the industry’s largest offering of all-natural, completely wholesome salad kits.”
Last year, Dole revamped its bagged salad line with a series of product, packaging
and marketing firsts developed from extensive in-store and in-home consumer research to
reshape the way America shops for and consumes prepackaged salads. Chief among
those innovations was an Easy-Open bag developed by Dole product engineers in
response to customer demands for easier-to-open salad packaging.
The revolutionary bag, which is also used for All Natural DOLE Salad Kits, can be
opened with a simple pull. In addition to new “All Natural” banners, the bag features a
“Suggested Entree” panel that provides protein, seasoning and side dish serving ideas to
enable salad users to turn their DOLE salad kit into a wholesome DOLE salad meal.
Industry-leading Product Variety
Similar to DOLE Salads, which was expanded last year to 32 blends, Dole has
extended its line of All Natural DOLE Salad Kits to appeal to the widest consumer
preferences, seasonal purchase and consumption trends. An industry-leading 14 salad
kits, including four distinct Caesar and seasonal varieties, now distinguish the line, as well
as the industry’s first all-natural coleslaw kit.
Beyond boasting a variety of flavor profiles, Dole’s re-imagined salad kits are all
natural — a commitment to wholesomeness that now extends beyond DOLE-branded
lettuces and vegetables to include dried fruit (cherries, cranberries and pineapple), nuts
(almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower kernels), cheeses (Bleu, Cheddar, Gruyere,
Parmesan, Romano and Swiss), seasonings (cracked pepper and herbs) and other
toppings (crisp noodles, dried salami, tortilla strips and several varieties of croutons).
Also included in each kit is one of nine all-natural salad dressings or vinaigrettes —
ranging from Dole’s Own Apple Cider Dijon Vinaigrette and Pumpkin Harvest Vinaigrette to
three varieties of Caesar dressing — made exclusively for Dole.
Research-driven Development
Like the 32-blend line of DOLE Salads introduced last year, All Natural DOLE Salad
Kits were developed following years of consumer research of packaged salad shopping,
purchasing and usage and attitude trends. The findings showed a growing reluctance by
packaged salad users to fully embrace salad kits due to lingering doubts about the origins
and wholesomeness of certain kit ingredients, namely toppings and dressings.
“Our research found that while consumers are drawn to packaged salads for their
obvious flavor, nutrition and wholesome benefits, their trust in salad kits has been
compromised due to the preservatives, artificial flavors, colors and other ingredients in salad
dressings and toppings,” said Gonsalves. “At the end of the day, today’s salad consumers
simply want to know what is — and isn’t — in the non-produce ingredients of their salad kit.
The launch of All Natural DOLE Salad Kits solves this dilemma by extending the all-natural
commitment beyond the lettuces and vegetables to everything else in the bag.”
According to Gonsalves, the relaunch of DOLE Salads and All Natural DOLE Salad
Kits is part of a larger commitment by Dole and the Dole Nutrition Institute to increase the
nutritional health of Americans and work to reverse a number of negative health trends —
among them the growth of poor diet and inactivity as the leading cause of preventable
death.
All Natural DOLE Salad Kits Marketing
Inspired by the campaign for DOLE Salads, the marketing launch of All Natural
DOLE Salad Kits will use a combination of national advertising, digital/online, in-store, social
media and PR elements to inspire Americans to rethink prepackaged salad kits. The
campaign breaks in June 2010.
The star of the All Natural DOLE Salad Kits campaign is the DOLE Salad Guide, the
compelling salad spokesperson created by Dole in 2009 for the relaunch of DOLE Salads.
The first salad-specific spokesperson ever created by Dole, the DOLE Salad Guide is the
world’s most enthusiastic salad expert, dedicated to inspiring consumers to broaden their
salad horizons by experimenting with compelling DOLE Salads blends and kits, and using
them as a basis for in-kitchen creativity and meal-planning.
For All Natural DOLE Salad Kits, the DOLE Salad Guide will be seen traveling the
world in search of DOLE salad kit inspiration. Specific elements include local TV spots,
trade print ads, online banner ads and Web site promotions, as well as shelf banners and
other in-store elements throughout the country.
Once again, Dole’s salad sage will serve as the focus of a dedicated Facebook® and
Twitter® outreach program to retailers, salad enthusiasts and other influencers. Created in
late 2009, these DOLE Salad-specific platforms are now followed regularly by close to
40,000 fans and followers.
Source: Dole Food Company Inc.