Produce Marketing Association teams with the Entertainment Resource & Marketing Association to bring fresh produce to the big and small screen around the world

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In support of the produce industry’s efforts to drive demand for more
fresh produce, Produce Marketing Association today announced a strategic
alliance with the Entertainment Resource & Marketing Association (ERMA)
–the association of entertainment marketing professionals – to bring
fresh produce center stage through television shows, movies and online
entertainment.

As part of the alliance, ERMA has agreed to advocate the use of fresh
produce in entertainment production and track that use. PMA has agreed
to assist ERMA to make generic, fresh produce available as those
entertainment opportunities arise. Produce companies that may want to
feature specific products or brands will still be able to use product
placement companies to do so. ERMA members work on product placement.

Part of the team who solidified the agreement with ERMA was Jin Ju
Wilder, director of corporate strategy for Valley Fruit and Produce
Company and PMA Board Director. “Movies, shows, and celebrities
influence what consumers purchase and how they behave, so getting more
fresh fruits and vegetables on-screen and in the hands of actors can
help make produce cool to consumers,” she said. “ERMA’s members were
very enthusiastic about being part of PMA’s multi-pronged approach and
were confident that fresh produce could be incorporated in multiple
entertainment channels, making fresh fruits and vegetables ubiquitous
on-screen. I’m excited to see what can result from this alliance as it
is clear that ERMA members have the expertise and the influence to make
it happen.”

ERMA President Michael Schrager noted that using more fresh produce can
fit easily into shows, whether its use is plot-driven or ancillary, like
fruit on a kitchen counter or a conversation that takes place in a
produce department. “When popular characters choose produce from the
store, the fridge, or the restaurant menu as part of their everyday
interactions, viewers will identify with that as the right way to eat.
By identifying shows with school age characters we hope we can help move
today’s youth to a healthier lifestyle and lessen the incidence of
problems such as childhood obesity,” he said. “Our members have a proven
track record and can help make that happen.”

This partnership is one of several ongoing demand creation efforts by
PMA to improve consumers’ health and combat childhood obesity. In 2013,
Sesame Workshop and PMA joined PHA to launch the eat brighter!™
movement. The initiative promotes fresh fruit and vegetable consumption
to kids ages 2 to 5 by allowing PMA’s community of growers, suppliers
and retailers to utilize the strength and influence of the Sesame
Street brand without a licensing fee. And, earlier this year, PMA
contributed $1 million on behalf of the fresh produce industry to
support PHA’s launch of FNV. Shorthand for fruits and vegetables, FNV is
a brand focused on increasing consumption and sales of produce among
teens and moms.

PMA’s President Cathy Burns said, “I’m very excited to add this
strategic alliance to our existing efforts to use marketing—in its
broadest terms—to create greater demand for fresh produce. This effort
joins eat brighter!™ and FNV as new ways to put produce in front of
consumers and ultimately drive fresh produce demand for our members.”

“We know that kids are very much influenced by the brands they see in
movies, on TV and in the hands of celebrities,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A.
Soler. “Collaborations like the one between PMA and ERMA help market
fruits and veggies in creative, engaging ways that get families and kids
more excited about eating them.”

About Produce Marketing Association (PMA)

Produce Marketing Association is the leading trade association
representing companies from every segment of the global produce and
floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections
that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption.
For more information, visit www.pma.com.

About Entertainment Resource & Marketing Association (ERMA)

Established in 1980, ERMA is the association of entertainment marketing
professionals. ERMA’s membership includes the leading product placement
and branded entertainment agencies, motion picture and television
studios, and consumer brands who actively participate in entertainment
marketing.

Contacts

Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
Meg Miller, +1 (302) 738-7100,
ext. 3031
mmiller@pma.com
or
Entertainment
Resource & Marketing Association (ERMA)
Michael Schrager, +1
(310) 452-0426
Michael@erma.org