Avocados from Mexico remain “the remaining market share leader and the number one selling avocado” in the United States for the 2011-12 season, according to a written statement to The Produce News from Eduardo Serena, marketing director of the Avocado Producers & Exporting Packers Association of Michoacàn, commonly known by its acronym APEAM.

Mexico ships avocados every month of the year, but because of the timing of the main crop, the crop year is considered to run from the first of July to the end of June. During the 2011-12 crop year, “Mexico shipped more than 781 million pounds of avocados” into the United States, exceeding the previous year’s exports by more than25 percent, Mr. Serena said in the statement, which was dated July 26.

As the new crop for 2012-13 gets Eduardo Serenaunderway, Mexico’s volume is expected to increase, and avocados from Mexico are projected to once again be the category leader” as a result of “an increase in local avocado production in Mexico.

“We are pleased to announce that there will be plenty of fruit to promote this fall, as well as strong advertising support at impactful levels to help build awareness, increase usage and help retailers further drive demand in-store,” he said in the statement.

The 2012-2013 volume projection for Mexican avocado exports to the United States is expected to be more than 825 million pounds.

“To drive retail sales, build the avocado category and sustain our strong brand momentum, Avocados from Mexico [APEAM’s name for its promotion program] commits more funds to marketing support than any other avocado organization in the U.S.,” Mr. Serena said in the statement.”Our fully integrated marketing program targets both general market and Hispanic consumers and includes television and radio advertising in select markets, national print ads, consumer promotions, online and mobile advertising, public relations outreach, social media engagement, in-store retail merchandising and more.”

A fall and winter advertising blitz will reach more than 87 million consumers, he said.

Among the upcoming promotions for Mexican avocados is one with a Halloween theme called Spookamole. “As Halloween continues to grow as a major holiday with increased spending, Avocados from Mexico has exciting plans to build on the Spookamole campaign that was launched last year to position rich, creamy avocados as a must-have Halloween party food,” Mr. Serena said in the statement.

That campaign is also being extended to the Hispanic market in celebration of Dia de los Muertos, the Hispanic equivalent to Halloween, he continued. The promotion will run from Oct. 1 through Nov. 2 and will include a festive consumer sweepstakes as well as an avocado dress-up game “with mobile format and kooky-spooky Halloween costumes for the Avocado Amigo characters.”

For the December holiday season, “Avocados from Mexico is helping retailers increase sales by showing consumers that they can bake better by substituting avocados for butter or oil in brownies, cookies, cupcakes and other favorites. The results are rich, most, guilt-free goodies,” Mr. Serena said in the statement. That message will be spread by a consumer sweepstakes on Facebook, a full-page FSI on Dec. 2 featuring the sweepstakes and reaching more than 13 million consumers, in-store signage in thousands of retail locations, and “a targeted November e-blast reaching nearly 450,000 consumers.”

As the avocado category continues to grow, “Avocados from Mexico is making sure retail opportunities do as well by creating new ways to build demand, increase brand awareness, and expand usage ideas,” Mr. Serena said in the statement. “There are a variety of merchandising materials available for retailers to use in-store this fall and winter when consumers are likely to be planning holiday meals or getting together to watch football games.”

A new hexagon-shaped Avocados from Mexico display “can hold up to two cases of bulk avocados” and is ideal for secondary displays, he said.