New APEAM board names Emiliano Escobedo marketing director
New APEAM board names Emiliano Escobedo marketing director
The Avocado Producers & Exporting Packers Association of Michoacan, which represents the avocado industry in the Mexican state of Michoacan and which is better known by the acronym APEAM, has named Emiliano Escobedo director of marketing, reporting directly to the organization's new chairman and board of directors, who were appointed in July and officially inaugurated Nov. 18 by Mexico President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa.
Mr. Escobedo has been with APEAM since 2005 as an industry representative and marketing strategist, initially working out of New York and for the past two years in California.
"Emiliano has proven to be a key player for APEAM by cultivating trustworthy relationships with importers, wholesalers and retailers," Alejandro Alvarez del Toro, chairman of APEAM, said in a statement. "We are confident that as APEAM's new marketing director, he will continue to build awareness and market demand for avocados from Mexico in the United States."
As new marketing director, "the first thing I did was put together a team," Mr. Escobedo told The Produce News Wednesday, Dec. 3. Among the team members are Alejandro Gavito and Eduardo Serena, "who were part of my team as industry representatives. We converted that to a business development and promotion team now."
Mr. Escobedo, who will be based in Los Angeles, said that he will be personally involved in business development in addition to heading marketing and promotion activities. Mr. Gavito will be based in Texas and Mr. Serena in Chicago.
APEAM has hired Integrated Marketing Works in Newport Beach, CA, as its agency of record, Mr. Escobedo said. IMW, which was "our agency last year in California," will now be working with APEAM on its national campaign. IMW has "over 18 years experience working with avocados."
Lewis & Neale Inc. in New York will be doing consumer public relations for the group, he said.
APEAM launched a three-month-long national campaign just prior to Thanksgiving, which is "just the time to promote," since avocado sales in the United States trend upward from Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl, he said. The national campaign focuses on the general market and Hispanic consumers in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The advertising component involves television and radio ads and is projected to achieve 164 million impressions during the three-month period, "so it is a very aggressive campaign." It has been "well received" so far, Mr. Escobedo said.
The campaign will also have an on-line component. "We are going to be doing some video and recipe contests on-line with up to $10,000 in cash prizes," he said.
The public relations component will be "very aggressive as well" and will involve television, radio and print.
Mexico is a leading supplier of avocados to the United States with a market share exceeding 40 percent.
Mr. Escobedo has been with APEAM since 2005 as an industry representative and marketing strategist, initially working out of New York and for the past two years in California.
"Emiliano has proven to be a key player for APEAM by cultivating trustworthy relationships with importers, wholesalers and retailers," Alejandro Alvarez del Toro, chairman of APEAM, said in a statement. "We are confident that as APEAM's new marketing director, he will continue to build awareness and market demand for avocados from Mexico in the United States."
As new marketing director, "the first thing I did was put together a team," Mr. Escobedo told The Produce News Wednesday, Dec. 3. Among the team members are Alejandro Gavito and Eduardo Serena, "who were part of my team as industry representatives. We converted that to a business development and promotion team now."
Mr. Escobedo, who will be based in Los Angeles, said that he will be personally involved in business development in addition to heading marketing and promotion activities. Mr. Gavito will be based in Texas and Mr. Serena in Chicago.
APEAM has hired Integrated Marketing Works in Newport Beach, CA, as its agency of record, Mr. Escobedo said. IMW, which was "our agency last year in California," will now be working with APEAM on its national campaign. IMW has "over 18 years experience working with avocados."
Lewis & Neale Inc. in New York will be doing consumer public relations for the group, he said.
APEAM launched a three-month-long national campaign just prior to Thanksgiving, which is "just the time to promote," since avocado sales in the United States trend upward from Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl, he said. The national campaign focuses on the general market and Hispanic consumers in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The advertising component involves television and radio ads and is projected to achieve 164 million impressions during the three-month period, "so it is a very aggressive campaign." It has been "well received" so far, Mr. Escobedo said.
The campaign will also have an on-line component. "We are going to be doing some video and recipe contests on-line with up to $10,000 in cash prizes," he said.
The public relations component will be "very aggressive as well" and will involve television, radio and print.
Mexico is a leading supplier of avocados to the United States with a market share exceeding 40 percent.
