WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt and Sunkist are bringing apples and citrus together in a new partnership that aims to get more servings of fruit into kids’ hands. Today, Sunkist has joined Stemilt’s trademarked Lil Snappers program to market kid-sized citrus under the popular consumer label.
“We’re excited to announce that Sunkist oranges and mandarins are coming soon to the Lil Snappers line of kid-sized fruits. Sunkist is thrilled to be working with Stemilt to jointly market citrus, apples, and pears to kids,” said Julie DeWolf, Director of Retail Marketing at Sunkist Growers.
“Stemilt is equally excited about working with Sunkist to bring Lil Snappers to additional homes across the country,” said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt Marketing Director. “This partnership brings together two great companies working jointly to promote one great brand for kids.”
Stemilt introduced the Lil Snappers product line to the produce industry last fall. Lil Snappers are premium, kid-sized fruits packaged in three-pound bags. The bags are designed to stand up in retail displays and consumers’ refrigerators and have a convenient zipper for easy access and storage.
“Lil Snappers received an overwhelming amount of support in their launch year. Consumers rave about the quality and convenience of this product line. It’s important to both Sunkist and Stemilt that we build fruit lovers for the future, and including citrus – another popular item among kids – in the Lil Snappers line will help us do just that,” said Pepperl.
The two companies will feature the new Lil Snappers program at their booths at PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA this weekend. Stemilt (booth #2156) and Sunkist (booth #2138) will have several varieties of Lil Snappers on display, including Gala apples, Navel oranges, and d’Anjou pears. The new Navel orange Lil Snapper bag will be available for purchase through Sunkist in January 2013, with other citrus varieties such as the Cara Cara navel, Moro Blood orange, Minneola tangelo and California Mandarin coming soon after.
In addition to bringing Lil Snappers to the citrus category, Stemilt and Sunkist plan to introduce mixed-variety bags of Lil Snappers, such as Gala apples and Navel oranges, to get kids to try new varieties and flavors, with other exciting mixtures coming soon after.
“Kids like variety, especially when it comes to lunches or snacks,” said DeWolf. “With the mixed variety bag, they have a greater number of options each week. By making Lil Snappers available in many new varieties, we’re pleasing kids’ palates and helping parents meet their goal of providing a balanced diet full of valuable antioxidants and nutrients.”
Both companies will maintain sales of their own products under the Lil Snappers brand, with Stemilt handling apples and pears, and Sunkist handling oranges. The two companies will collaborate to market fruit to kids and create a level of cross-category promotions that hasn’t been seen in produce before.
In the coming months, Stemilt and Sunkist will launch a Lil Snappers website where visitors will be able to access kid-friendly recipes for apples, pears, and citrus, as well as activity sheets, nutrition information, and more. Stemilt and Sunkist will use the same QR code on Lil Snappers bags to promote a mobile version of the website that will provide a wealth of information in store at the touch of a button.
The partnership between Sunkist and Stemilt to extend the Lil Snappers product line delivers fun and healthy products that encourage kids to eat more servings of fruit each and every day.
“The concept of smaller fruit for kids, packaged under a kid-friendly label, was brilliant in and of itself,” said Elizabeth Pivonka, president of Produce for Better Health Foundation, the nonprofit entity in partnership with CDC behind the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters national public health initiative. “But then to extend the brand to other kid-size fruit to double its reach and the impact on moms and kids just takes it to another level. I applaud both Stemilt and Sunkist for providing wholesome solutions for moms.”
About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the leading shipper of sweet cherries and the largest supplier of organic tree fruits in the nation. Stemilt has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility since 1989, when founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s Responsible Choice program. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com and follow Stemilt on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
About Sunkist
Sunkist is a cooperative of family growers since 1893. Steadfast to its commitment to provide quality fresh fruit, Sunkist is one of the world's oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, packing millions of cartons of fruit each year. Expanding its presence beyond the produce aisle, the Sunkist® brand has licensed its name to more than 700 products – ranging from vitamins to beverages – in over 55 different countries. For more information about Sunkist, visit www.sunkist.com. Follow Sunkist on Twitter, Facebook, and You Tube. Sunkist is a registered trademark of ©2012 Sunkist Growers, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Stemilt
