IRVINE, Calif. – The California Avocado Commission (CAC) is launching a series of contests and sweepstakes to encourage demand for California avocados in season. Plans include a retail ad contest, a Cinco de Mayo sweepstakes, the return of CAC’s popular Avo Babies® photo contest and a recipe contest promoting California avocado usage for 4th of July and American summer holidays.
“The industry is forecasting an average California avocado crop size this year of about 400 million pounds,”said Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the Commission. “This means there will be promotable volume and availability from California continuing into October from some areas, and CAC has developed season-long programs for retailers and consumers to stimulate demand.”
With promotable crop volume this year, CAC is encouraging retailers to let their shoppers know they are carrying California avocados. The Commission is sponsoring a retail ad contest from May 16 through September 12. United States retailers who advertise California avocados can accumulate points to win prizes, and they earn bonus points for using CAC’s Hand Grown in California logo in their ads. The ad contest grand prize is a Canon Eos Rebel T3i MP digital SLR camera set with a value of $1,500. Additional prizes include Kindle Fire 8G tablets, Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Noise Cancelling® headphones, and Apple iPad®3 32 GB tablets. Retailers can find CAC’s ad contest details at CaliforniaAvocado.com/Retail.
Consumers will have multiple opportunities to win prizes as well. To build awareness of the California avocado season launch and promote California avocados usage during Cinco de Mayo, CAC put together a sweepstakes targeting its more than 97,000 Facebook® fans. With Visa® gift cards and California avocado gift packs as prizes, the promotion kicked off on April 15 and will run through May 5. The program is part of the Commission’s Cinco de Mayo marketing outreach that encourages consumers to learn more about California avocados and their spring through fall season, as well as to try timely recipe ideas. As of April 30, nearly 3,500 California avocado fans had entered CAC’s Cinco de Mayo sweepstakes.
The 2nd Annual California Avo Babies® contest will kick off on Mother’s Day, May 13, and run through Father’s Day on June 17. In 2011, CAC created the Avo Babies program to spread the news that California avocados make a great first food for babies and to bring new users to the avocado category from babyhood. The contest drew much interest, with nearly 300 qualified submissions, which was almost double the Commission’s goal. Importantly, the California Avo Babies program brought more than 30,000 visits to CAC’s Facebook tab. In 2012, in addition to sharing nutrition information and avocado recipes for babies and toddlers, the Avo Babies’ contest will award $10,000 in scholarship prizes. To enter, parents submit photos of their babies enjoying California avocados, and this year fans will vote for the grand prize winner. A panel of CAC judges will select the two first prize winners.
“Contests and sweepstakes can be valuable tools to motivate retailers and consumers,” said DeLyser. “CAC’s key is to integrate them with our overall marketing messages so that we are consistent in our brand communications.”
A Fourth of July recipe contest will round out California avocado season contests and sweepstakes. Executed online, the recipe contest will engage consumers to create new dishes featuring California avocados and encourage incorporation of avocados into traditional American summer holiday recipes. Prizes range from an avocado gift pack to a grand prize that includes a free case of California avocados every month for four months.
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 information about California avocados, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocadosand follow the California Avocado Commission on Twitter at Twitter.com/CA_Avocados.
Source: California Avocado Commission
