Sunkist Growers Inc., based in Sherman Oaks, CA, has begun shipping its California-sourced Star Ruby grapefruit and should have good supplies of this item through July. “Sunkist’s California Star Ruby crop is very strong this year, with fruit showing exceptional color and great taste even early in the season,” said Joan Wickham, Sunkist’s advertising and public relations manager. “A full run of sizes is available.”

Sunkist will back up the merchandising of this citrus item with its “Not Your Mother’s Grapefruit” campaign. The campaign focuses on the great nutritional profile of grapefruit and emphasizes the diverse uses for the fruit. The goal is to educate millennials (the oldest of who are in their mid-20s) of the many ways grapefruit can be used, as opposed to the singular method that was dominant for an older generation of users.

The Sunkist spokesperson explained that grapefruit gained popularity in the 1970s when the “grapefruit diet” became a popular fad diet among women. “Because of the misconceptions associated with the original grapefruit diet, Sunkist felt it was important to educate younger women about the modern-day benefits of this nutrient-rich fruit,” Wickham said.

With its many weight-loss benefits, grapefruit is also part of Sunkist’s “The Biggest Loser” promotion. Through an off-air licensing agreement with the popular reality show, specially marked Kwik Locks on Star Ruby packaging encourage consumers to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of two trips to the Biggest Loser Resort. That campaign runs through late May and directs consumers to a descriptive online site for sweepstakes participation.

Wickham said the co-op is promoting the opportunity through all of Sunkist’s social media channels. “Sunkist has developed a special micro-site specifically for this promotion, where consumers can enter the sweepstakes, access information on healthy living and find a forum to connect with other like-minded individuals for support, motivation and ideas for living a healthier lifestyle. The website is www.PeelAwayThePounds.com.”

As it typically does, Sunkist is working with chains individually to custom build promotions that meet their needs around this campaign, as well as other marketing opportunities. “Education should be a primary objective for marketing citrus at retail, and the same is true for grapefruit,” said the Sunkist executive. “A recent study found consumers are often confused shopping in the produce department. As new items are being introduced all the time, retailers need a method of ensuring consumers can easily find the new items and describe and explain unique taste, nutrition or recipe usage.”

She added that good in-store displays with header cards can provide solutions to better educate consumers. Sunkist offers interchangeable header cards for point-of-purchase displays that present all the information a consumer needs, including QR codes, which give smartphone users instant Web access to great recipes as well.