One year after the launch of the eat brighter! movement, an initiative created to change the game of marketing in the fresh produce industry and inspire children and their families to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, Sesame Workshop, the Partnership for a Healthier America and the Produce Marketing Association have agreed to extend the program through 2018. The extension is a result of the program’s success in the United States and Canada, including positive metrics and increased participation across the industry.

PMA’s Research Center has been tracking the movement’s early adopters who have been in market for approximately six months. These participants are self-reporting positive sales lifts of 1-2 percent on "eat brighter!" branded items.

“The ability to put a character and figure so well-known among shoppers for a minimal fee has allowed us to increase our sales volume and merchandising capabilities with several retail outlets," one supplier said in a press release. "Customers participating in the program are anxious to continue building their collection of eat brighter! items and other customers are anxious to take eat brighter! labeled product and monitor its ability to increase engagement and sales.”

Since the first impact survey in 2014, an additional 30 companies have since reported that they’re supplying product in market. Nearly 60 companies, representing more than 130 commodities, have signed onto the movement with more than 30,000 retail stores accepting eat brighter! branded product.

“We’re all anticipating the impact on sales through the eat brighter! movement and early results — a 1 to 2 percent increase in sales thus far — sends a positive signal that we will continue to track over time,” Cathy Burns, PMA president, said in a press release.

The movement’s success has also led to the expansion of the program in Mexico, allowing produce marketers, retailers, school foodservice and promotional organizations who sell product there to participate. The announcement was made at the PMA Fresh Connections: Mexico Conference & Expo.

As the program evolves, a variety of tools have been developed by PMA and Paragon Design, the design agency contracted to work with participants in the early stages of integration, to help companies onboard easily. These updates include a new, user-friendly website; step-by-step tutorial; and an updated toolkit features guidelines for more than packaging and point-of-sale. It includes digital ads, press releases, sell sheets, webpages, retail circulars, coloring and activity sheets, and the assets for Plaza Sésamo for the consumer market in Mexico.