With 95% of Americans snacking daily, consumers are always on the lookout for fresh, fun ideas that will shake up their stagnant routines. California Walnuts is promoting walnuts as a “go-to snack” inspiring consumers to Do More with Walnuts through the summer by tapping into nostalgia, a top food trend. Did you know that 71% of U.S. consumers enjoy things that remind them of their childhood1? Developed to drive demand, the promotion highlights walnuts’ versatility, ease, health benefits and proper storage, utilizing various communication efforts to help make walnuts top of mind when consumers are making snacking decisions
and show easy ways to mix up snacking routines by putting a modern twist on childhood favorite recipes.
Under current budget constraints, this year’s promotion, which launched in early May, does not focus on an in-store retail effort. Instead, this year California Walnuts is leveraging social media influencers, inspiring news stories, and co-hosting a health professional webinar with California Strawberries to highlight how walnuts are a fun and easy summer snack tapping into nostalgia.
The integrated promotional efforts help consumers see how they can upgrade their snacking routine with walnuts by:
- Driving Media Coverage: A press release and targeted media outreach efforts featured new recipes that appeal to consumers in two ways: simple to prepare and delivering nutritional benefits. The new recipes include Strawberry Walnut Hand Pies and Walnut ‘Chorizo’ and Goat Cheese Mini Pizza Bites. To date, these efforts have generated 1,157 stories with 197 million potential views, including placements in Boston Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and more.
- Prompting Influencer Content: Social media influencers who inspire food choices, @TheDelicious, @DwardCooks and @CamilleStyles, created fun snacking recipes featuring walnuts including Snack Boards, Walnut Butter Date Balls and Olive Oil Snacking Cake, which will be shared with their combined 503,500 followers to inspire new ways of preparing snacks with walnuts.
- Generating TV Segments: Tapping the trusted guidance of registered dietitian Carissa Galloway, walnuts were featured in broadcast segments surrounding “Smart Snacking for Summer.” These TV segments highlighted how walnuts are a snacking nutritional powerhouse in key markets across the U.S. including Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Tampa, Philadelphia and more.
- Inspiring Health Professionals: California Walnuts also partnered with the Produce for Better Health Foundation for a co-sponsored health professional webinar with the California Strawberry Commission on National Walnut Day, May 17. The webinar provided tips and suggestions for upgrading snacking routines with walnuts from chef Jackie Newgent, RD, CDN and included a culinary demo where Newgent modernized classic snack recipes: Strawberry Walnut Lollipops (a better-for-you take on the Tootsie Roll Pop) and Strawberry Walnut Pinwheel Snacks.
- Providing New Recipes on Walnuts.org: The walnuts.org/snacking landing page now provides consumers new ways to include walnuts in snacks. Featured new snacking recipes include: Walnut Birthday Cake Bites, Chocolate and Walnut Covered Banana Pops and Walnut Browned Butter Rice Cereal Treats. To drive awareness to the snacking versatility of walnuts, the new landing page will be shared on social media, through digital advertising, with media and media RD networks, in the consumer e-newsletter and health professional advertising materials.
To view how the snacking campaign is inspiring consumers to do more with walnuts, visit https://walnuts.org/snacking/.
- Global Trends Survey Mintel, 2020
