While bananas are U.S. grocery stores' top-selling item — an astounding 96% of households buy them every month — banana consumption declines a bit in the summer, as people take advantage of the availability of other seasonal fruits.
Dole Fresh Fruit, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Inc., isn't taking this lying down. In fact, for the second summer in a row, the company and its agency, DGWB Advertising & Communications (Santa Ana, Calif.) have set out actually to change consumer banana-eating habits in key markets, via the company's "Go Bananas After Dark Tour." What's more, they're reporting significant success.
Dole Fresh Fruit, the nation's largest supplier of fresh bananas, targets cities with particularly high banana-consumption/brand penetration, and activates a barrage of integrated media efforts for a few weeks within each. The mission: Promote new ways to enjoy the fruit outside of the breakfast/lunch meals, when most bananas are consumed; that is, change perceptions and habits regarding the fruit. Key promotional tool: an arsenal of banana-inclusive dinner and dessert recipes — many featuring grilled or fried bananas (such as grilled Bananas Foster or teriyaki pork chops with bananas) — as well as banana-based cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
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