The National Mango Board will once again conduct the Mango Mania Display Contest throughout the month of July and give away more than $12,000 in cash prizes to retailers.

The display must be kept in place for at least one week between July 1 and July 31, and this year's contest will include both small and large retail chains. All entries must be received by the mango board office by Aug. 20, 2014.

"This is the first year large retail chains will be able to participate in the contest and we are very eager to see everyone's creativity," said National Mango Board Marketing Director Megan McKenna. "Participating in the contest can help increase small and large retail chain sales as well as educate our consumers about this delicious tropical fruit."The National Mango Board will hold the Mango Mania Display Contest throughout the month of July.

Prizes will be awarded by the mango board in four store categories based on the number of stores in the chain and the number of cash registers in the individual store that enters the contest.

Stores will be able to use the point-of-sale materials included in the Mango Mania Kit. To order online or for more information, visit www.mango.org/contest.

Of course, the display contest is only one effort that the mango board is launching during the summer to help promote this tropical fruit. The board is partnering with celebrity spokesperson, Clinton Kelly, co-host of ABC's lifestyle series "The Chew," to motivate consumers to refresh their dishes and upgrade seasonal favorites with the fresh and delicious taste of mango. The Mangover campaign stresses how mango's versatile taste and year-round availability make it an easy upgrade for meals and snacks. The National Mango Board's Mangover campaign was honored with the Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation & Engagement (SABRE) award May 6 in the Food & Beverage (Commodity) category.

The National Mango Board's Mangover Celebrations initiative looks for creative ways to enhance celebrations throughout the seasons, brightening traditional dishes into memorable meals with an unexpected pop of color and flavor. During the course of the year, Kelly works as an editorial contributor for a national long-lead publication to provide Mangover advice on recipes, fashion and décor.

The Mangover Celebrations campaign also includes several social media programs such as a Pinterest contest, where consumers will add and tag mango-themed pins, and a Facebook fan drive contest for a chance to win $50 each weekday.

The mango board will also arrange mango deliveries to local, short-lead and long-lead media as well as top celebrities in order to capitalize on seasonal messages and current events.

"The purpose of the campaign is for consumers to become more familiar and comfortable with how to incorporate mangos in everyday meals, all while learning how to select, ripen and cut the delicious fruit," said McKenna. "Clinton Kelly's collaboration along with creative social media content, fun events, and strong coverage in media, will help place mangos at the top of everyone's everyday grocery list."

Throughout the year, the mango board staff reaches out to retailers offering information and tools to help them sell mangos. The board offers seasonal point of sale material that can be ordered on its website. It also is producing a web-based educational program called "Mango University with Professor Mango," which will go live later this summer. Mango Mover is a monthly newsletter for retailers that can also be signed up for on the board's website.

In addition the board has developed a Mango Retail Handling and Ripening Guide. A webinar showing how to use this tool can also be viewed at www.mango.org.

Category development is another ongoing effort of the mango board. Currently the board is conducting a store display test, with the objective of testing alternate display positioning for mangos over a 10-week period. There are 40 different stores involved in the test. When concluded, data analysis will reveal which positioning is best for mango sales.

In the foodservice arena, the mango board is involved in a variety of initiatives to help promote its fresh product. Currently, the first-ever chef recipe Mangover contest is in its judging stage. The contest yielded 24 submissions.

Board staff attend numerous foodservice events and conventions in an effort to showcase mangos.

On the research front, the board has commissioned a menu tracking study to determine how mangos are used by the foodservice trade. This information will help the board target future promotions.