In response to the increase in assessment funding from half a cent to three-quarters of a cent per pound for whole fresh mangos sold in the United States, the National Mango Board’s consumer, retail and foodservice promotions, as well as nutrition, health and food-safety research programs will be expanded beginning in Quarter 4.The NMB approved these new projects during its board meeting held Sept. 11-13 in Washington, DC.

Consumer PR & Marketing

With assessment increase funding, which began Sept. 1, the NMB will execute several exciting initiatives through the Consumer PR & Marketing program, all with a focus on holiday entertaining. This theme will highlight mango’s year-round availability and versatility in recipes.

Media contacts will receive a kit with fresh mangos along with new flavor pairings featuring iconic holiday spices from around the world. The spice pairings are meant to inspire new recipe ideas for media to share with readers for creative holiday entertaining ideas.

The holiday entertaining theme will also be incorporated in expanded Facebook outreach. Using Facebook advertising and giveaways to promote the NMB’s Facebook presence, consumers will participate in mango trivia questions, online photo scavenger hunts and submit recipes or pairing ideas, all driving more engagement with the NMB’s Facebook page.

Additionally, the NMB will create a new video tutorial illustrating how to cut a mango. This tool is critical to educating consumers about mangos and encouraging them to enjoy the fruit at home. The new video will feature Megan McKenna, NMB director of marketing, to highlight the organization as a resource for all things mango. 

Retail Promotions & Marketing

With the increased assessments, the NMB’s Retail Promotions & Marketing Program is also ramping up for an exciting fourth quarter. Additional retail promotions will take place, including sales contests, demo events and other promotional efforts.

“This increase in promotion funding is a great way for the NMB to show an immediate return to industry members,” Ronnie Cohen, NMB chairman, said in a press release. Additionally, the NMB will be producing new point-of-sale materials as well as investing in expanded category development research.

Foodservice PR & Marketing

The NMB’s foodservice public relations and marketing will also expand in Quarter 4 with additional event sponsorships. The NMB will co-sponsor an editor dinner featuring fresh mangos at the International Foodservice Editorial Council event to deepen relationships with key editors. NMB will also sponsor a break during the National Restaurant Association’s Fall Marketing Executive Group conference and feature two mango recipes. Attendees of these events often determine marketing promotions as well as menu items.

To continue reaching mango industry members with valuable information and place more mango stories in industry trade magazines and newspapers, the NMB’s trade public relations and advertising program will also receive an increase in funding beginning Quarter 4.

Research

The NMB’s research program will conduct new studies beginning Quarter 4 in an effort to gain more insight into the health benefits of fresh mangos; as well as generate new findings and technology to maximize food safety through the mango supply chain. The following are the additional research studies for Quarter 4 are colon and breast cell culture project, human absorption trial, breast cancer preliminary human study and mango food-safety program.

The results of these additional research studies will give the mango industry more insight on the role of fresh mangos in nutrition and human health, which will support the NMB’s marketing program with new consumer and nutrition messages. In addition, learning more about mango food safety will help increase awareness of the possible risk points of fruit contamination.

“Executing these programs and additional research studies will provide more information to share with consumers on mango’s nutritional benefits and the mango industry’s high safety standards,” William Watson, NMB executive director, said in the press relase.

For more information about the NMB’s marketing and research programs,  visit www.mango.org/industry.