Last week we showcased new website announcements for Fresh Summit that made an impact, but websites aren’t the only type of company news that can be perfectly timed with an industry expo. New product announcements are one of the top public relations opportunities that fresh produce marketers can take advantage of in the weeks leading up to a major tradeshow like Fresh Summit.

Launching a new product at Fresh Summit is a great move for several reasons:

• We know from speaking with the trade publications like And Now U Know that the week leading up to and the week following tradeshows attract heightened awareness and produce a lift in traffic and clicks to trade advertising and announcements.
• Featuring your new product in your booth is a great way to attract leads and get customers to visit you during the show to experience your new offering firsthand.
• A spot in the Fresh Ideas Showcase at PMA Fresh Summit is the number one promotion tactic for driving attendees to your booth, according to PMA. The Benefits of this showcase include year-round online recognition, an on-site display shelf in a heavily trafficked area, and a product listing in the printed, online and mobile directories for attendees. A panel of judges review the showcases to select a winner of “Best Overall Product Promo” as well as “Best Packaging Promo.” If you have a new product timed to launch at Fresh Summit next year, this could be you!

We thoroughly reviewed the Fresh Ideas Showcase and visited booths with new product launches as well in an effort to find marketers leveraging the show for their brands. Here are some of the great examples of new product launches we found:

• SUNSET’s Pasta Kit Line Expansion – Mentioned last week in our overall “What Blew Us Away” post, we loved seeing SUNSET’s new additions to their pasta kit line. These products create experiences similar to that of home meal delivery services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, providing everything you need to cook a meal in one package. This speaks directly to the needs of millennials and shoppers with busy lifestyles because they offer convenient  preparation without sacrificing flavor. 

• Misionero’s Organic Wholesome Salads – Misionero came to PMA Fresh Summit armed with a trifecta of company news: They announced the revamp of their Earth Greens organic logo and the also teased their new website that will launch soon. In addition, the company responded to the increasing demand for organic offerings with the debut of organic salad blends containing leafy greens and other roasted veggies like beets.
• Ippolito International & Queen Victoria® value-added offerings – Ippolito International announced several exciting new value-added offerings carrying the Queen Victoria® label prior to PMA Fresh Summit. However, one item in particular that caught our eye was actually a foodservice item: cauliflower rice. Mentioned by PMA CEO Cathy Burns during her “State of the Industry” speech, cauliflower is highly on trend and value-added products like cauliflower rice are highly sought after as a lower carb option. Ippolito’s promotion of this leading up to the show was well-timed given current trends and the B2B audience attending the show.

• Side Delights “A Cut Above” fresh-cut potatoes – This new product offering caught our eye because Side Delights positioned to product for a specific eating occasion: tailgating! This value-added potato offering includes fresh, never frozen, washed and pre-cut potatoes that can work for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but the company chose to put a fun “tailgating spin” on the product, which underscores the need for more “occassion specific” offerings in the marketplace.
• Monterey Mushrooms’ “Let’s Blend™: Finely Diced Mushrooms” –  This unique new product offers a convenient solution to blend with a protein source like ground meat to create savory favorites such as tacos and burgers with less calories. Monterey Mushrooms took advantage of the Fresh Ideas Showcase with a strong display of the new product including stats and info on the years of research the company has done to support the product’s entrance into the marketplace.

• Love Beets’ Golden Beets – Adding more color to their already colorful product line, we were excited to see Love Beets’ new Golden Beets product announced prior to the show and featured in the Fresh Ideas Showcase. The beets are pre-diced to make things easier on the end consumer, which makes for a “no mess and no fuss” product. Plus, with honey as the only added sweetener and a little vinegar to bring out the flavor, this product is guilt-free!

• Pete’s Living Greens Endive and Escarole Pete’s Living Strips – With perfectly timed pre-show PR, Pete’s Living Greens announced the debut of its Endive and Escarole Living Strips. With the roots still intact, these unique products offer an alternative to bagged salads that provide added freshness and peak flavor. We were also drawn to the patent-pending 100% recyclable container – something consumers have indicated they would like to see more of in 2018.
• Concord Foods Fresh Success – Unveiling a new Fresh Success product line, Concord Foods showed off their new sweet and savory dips and sauces with a NOLA-inspired twist in the Fresh Ideas Showcase. With this new product line, Concord Foods is hoping to inspire busy parents to serve their families more fruits and veggies in a healthy but convenient way. Not only does it taste good, but Concord Foods has removed additives!

Brami® Lupini Beans – This exciting new product was also a first-time exhibitor at Fresh Summit, and boasts “more protein per calorie than any other plant on earth.” Lupini beans are an ancient food source known as a favorite to Roman warriors, and this brand has taken that image and created an exciting, on-trend product that can be cross-merchandized with other fresh items as a salad topping or snack. Brami® came to PMA armed with a PR trifecta of pre-show announcements, a spot in the Fresh Ideas Showcase, and an exciting “roman warrior” themed presence in the first-time exhibitor aisle!

Good Foods’ Line of Refrigerated Dressings – We’ve had our eye on the growing offerings of Good Foods for some time now, and we were excited to see and taste the company’s debut of six varieties of dressings–Asian Ginger, Beet Balsamic, Apple Thyme, Avocado Ranch, Blue Cheese, and Classic Caesar – at the show. Based on the growing demand for cleaner products without added sugars and preservatives, these dressings are likely to do well in the produce aisle!

                                                                Image Courtesy of Good Foods 

Jicama Tortillas from Coliman Produce – Expanding on the trend for fresh, low-carb substitutes for classic favorites, Coliman Produce featured their new Jicama Tortillas in the Fresh Ideas Showcase. Jicama tortillas have been seen in restaurants for a few years now, but Coliman is making it possible for consumers to recreate their restaurant favorites at home with this pre-sliced tortillas made from Jicama.

As a Fresh Summit exhibitor, you cannot go wrong by launching a new product and capitalizing on all the buzz this has to offer before, during, and after the show. PMA Fresh Summit isn’t the only opportunity marketers have to do this, however. While Fresh Summit is arguably one of the biggest events of the year, companies that are unable to time their launch with PMA would be wise to align it with another show or regional expo to gain the same PR momentum. For example, if you missed the pre-PMA launch timeframe but have a new product to share before the end of the year, why not align your launch with the New York Produce Show that’s right around the corner?

How about you? Did you launch a new product at PMA Fresh Summit that didn’t make our list? We’d love to hear about the success of your launch and add to our list of exciting new products! Email us today to let us know about your new product.