Del Monte Fresh Produce Launches Integrated Campaign Promoting Banana's Role in Nutrition and Weight Loss

CORAL GABLES, Fla., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Del Monte Fresh Produce Company announced today the launch of "Buy A Bunch. Lose A Bunch.", an integrated marketing campaign that aims to engage consumers with Del Monte's motto, "Eat Healthy. Live Healthy." The initiative focuses on bananas, the most purchased fresh fruit by U.S. consumers, as an affordable diet staple to lose and maintain weight.  "Buy A Bunch. Lose A Bunch." kicks off the first day of summer, when consumers are looking to trim extra pounds and get into great shape for summertime fun.

"'Buy A Bunch. Lose A Bunch.' combines traditional in-store signage with social and mobile media to connect with consumers in our fast-paced, changing marketplace," said Dennis Christou, vice president, marketing, North America, for Del Monte Fresh Produce Company. "There is no magic bullet to weight loss, but bananas can be an integral part to a nutritious low-calorie diet. Their affordability and popularity put them within reach for any consumer."

The initiative involves a number of online and offline components. Online, Del Monte is offering five trips for two to the Banana Beach Resort in Belize. One trip will be given away along with $100 gift cards in a sweepstakes run through supermarket retailers and www.fruits.com.  The retail promotion will be supported with a series of new banana stickers and in-store signage highlighting the sweepstakes and driving consumers online. Four additional trips will be given through Del Monte's new Facebook page, "Fan of Bananas" (www.facebook.com/fanofbananas), in a Diet Challenge Sweepstakes, where consumers are encouraged to learn more about bananas and healthy eating. By completing a series of four challenges that range from sharing a recipe and photo to taking a survey, users are entered into the sweepstakes drawing for the trips, and will have a chance at other prizes. Twitter users can engage in the promotion via the handle @fanofbananas.

The Diet Challenge will kick off with a Twitter Party, hosted by @MomCentral. With over 16,000 followers, the partnership with MomCentral will allow a socially active group of people interested in healthy eating to learn about the campaign and how bananas contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Participants will also be able to win some fun banana-related prizes by retweeting information and answering quiz questions.

Del Monte is also reaching mobile consumers with the launch of the Del Monte Fresh Lifestyles application for iPhone and BlackBerry users.  The app will feature recipes and product information, diet information and tools, fun games for adults and kids, and downloadable coupons for bananas and other Del Monte fresh fruits and vegetables (available for free at the iPhone App Store and BlackBerry App World).  

Additional Facebook programs will offer more chances for consumers to engage and win prizes, including live chats with a nutritionist and fitness tips from experts. The page will also provide coupons, recipes, diet and nutrition tips, trivia and general information on bananas. Del Monte views activity within social media as long-term community building for banana enthusiasts to share ideas and experiences.

"Staying fit is not a trend; it's a lifestyle. We want our consumers to feel empowered to eat fresh and to be healthy," said Christou. "The Facebook Banana Diet Challenge and Del Monte Fresh Lifestyles app are tools to help jumpstart a new, healthy lifestyle."

About Del Monte Fresh Produce Company

Del Monte Fresh Produce Company is one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables.  For more than 100 years, the Del Monte® brand has been a symbol of product quality, freshness and reliability worldwide.  Del Monte Fresh Produce Company rushes top-quality fruits and vegetables to market assuring that consumers are receiving the freshest, most flavorful and delicious fruit and vegetables available. From their farms to American families, Del Monte Fresh Produce nurtures their products to give the very best.

SOURCE Del Monte Fresh Produce Company