EiC in mum deal

The long-awaited Eat in Colour campaign is due to go live in the next two weeks with a significant pr push aimed principally at the UK’s mothers.

The campaign will focus on three key elements the main one being the pr effort which will use serving suggestions and handy tips alongside photography to inspire readers and viewers to enjoy fresh produce. Bray Leino, the agency running the campaign on behalf of the Eat in Colour board, will target national and regional newspapers, the women’s press, radio and websites. It also aims to create news coverage around issues related to fresh produce consumption.

“Our emphasis is on mothers in particular,” said Anthony Levy, chairman of the campaign. “We are developing news stories some of which will be research-based and some to create excitement and fun.”

The second element of the campaign is the roadshow which will begin to tour the country late in the spring and which will itself help to generate stories for the regional press. It will be a mobile unit equipped for sampling and cookery demonstrations. “Eating is believing,” said Levy. “We will take the taste experience directly to the campaign’s target audience.

The roadshow, coupled with www.eatincolour.com which will go live later this month will also feature elements that are attractive to young people and children.

“We want to overcome some of the reluctance of young people to try fruit and vegetables,” said Levy. “But part of what we also want to achieve is to help mum find ways to make fresh produce more pleasurable to eat.”

Sustaining consumer interest in fruits and vegetables is a key aim and for this reason Eat in Colour has purposely chosen to avoid the post-Christmas media emphasis on dieting. “What a lot of the coverage is missing is ‘how can I keep it going?’” said Levy. “One of the things we want to do is give people help to keep that up and show them what they can do with practical advice and simple, easy ideas for busy parents. We want to demonstrate that fresh produce can be straightforward and convenient, but also pleasurable.”

Eat in Colour will also build on the awareness generated by 5 A DAY. “People now know why they should eat more fresh produce, but we want to answer the question why would they want to by showing it puts colour on their plates and is a pleasure. We want to change behaviour.”

At this stage there is no intention that Eat in Colour becomes a brand logo although that may develop over time and Levy hopes that all the retailers and not just the three committed to funding the campaign will come on board to support its aims in store over the course of the year. “We hope all the retailers will want to pick up this message and my general message to the trade would be that if we can create an environment where we are growing sales of fruit and vegetables, then there is an opportunity for everyone to compete and get their share of it.”

Eat in Colour was first unveiled by the Fresh Produce Consortium following a call for a generic campaign at Re:fresh 2005 as a route to encouraging increased frequency of purchase of fruit and vegetables in the UK. The campaign has secured financial backing from producers and importers as well as Tesco, Asda and Somerfield.