If you gave a child the choice between an apple and a cookie, which one do you think she’d choose? In most cases, the child would choose the cookie (unfortunately, most adults would, too). But if you put a sticker on the apple that featured the adorable Sesame Street character Elmo, guess what happens? The number of kids who choose the apple more than doubles.
Those encouraging results were discovered by researchers at Cornell University. Also encouraging is the recent news that the folks at Sesame Street have teamed up with the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and the Partnership for a Healthier America to allow PMA members to use Sesame Street characters on its products and advertising for FREE!
That’s fantastic news for fruit and veggie producers – who typically don’t have very large promotional budgets – because the licensing to use characters like Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Bert & Ernie is often a marketing luxury they can’t afford. It’s also good news for the National Watermelon Promotion Board, because they’re a member of the PMA.
“As any parent will tell you, it’s not always easy to convince kids to make healthy eating decisions, but this offer from Sesame Street will definitely help,” said National Watermelon Promotion Board Marketing Director Gordon Hunt. “It won’t be easy, but with a little creativity and time, I think we can turn the produce aisle into one of the most popular grocery shopping stops for kids.”
Even though the agreement won’t begin until the middle of next year, it’s never too early to start thinking about how to capitalize on this opportunity. Of course, the big question for the National Watermelon Promotion Board isn’t whether or not to take advantage of Sesame Street’s offer (they’re pretty sure they will), but which furry character to use as a spokespuppet for watermelon.
They haven’t made any decisions yet, but they want to know what you think. Check out the poll on the right to weigh in on the issue, and leave a comment below with any additional thoughts you might have about this good news.
I watched the show often as a child, so when it comes to Sesame Street characters, I have a few personal favorites. I won’t tell you who my favorite character is because I don’t want to influence the poll, but I’ll give you a hint: He’s blue and he doesn’t have a sweet tooth.