MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Totino's brand of frozen pizzas and hot snacks is running a sweepstakes involving Brian Billick, head coach of the 2000 NFL champion Baltimore Ravens, which is designed to reinforce Totino's independence theme.
he-life of an influential role model, spokesmen said.
The sweepstakes will be delivered inside 66 million specially marked packages of Totino's brand products, now in supermarkets. Billick's face appears on all these packages. Consumers have a chance to instantly win one of two grand prizes for themselves and three guests. A 2002 powerhouse weekend will include: Attendance at Saturday's pre-game practice, exclusive pre-game field passes for Sunday's game, private club seat tickets, locker room post-game passes for each winner and one of their guests, $500 spending money, and airfare and hotel accommodations.
In addition, 25 first prizes include a video game system complete with a library of six EA Sports video games and accessories, and 36,000 second-prize winners will receive free Totino's products.
Totino's chose a football partnership because Totino's peak selling season directly coincides with football season (September-January).
The promotion was developed to appeal to women as the primary grocery shopper and kids because they need quick fuel food like Totino's, said Jeff deLeon, marketing manager for Totino's Pizza. The promotion will be supported by a national television campaign, two national FSIs -- one dropped yesterday, the other to appear in mid-January -- in-store advertising and in-store displays and circulars that began Oct. 1.
Pillsbury here, the packaged food division of Diageo, owns Totino's brand. Totino's core frozen pizza has 22% of the volume share; its Pizza Rolls has 26% of the hot snacks category, deLeon told SN. Most sales occur in the grocery channel. "The entire brand is looking at kids' positioning," deLeon said.
Totino's tagline is "How Kids Help Themselves," playing off the fact that tweens and teens can easily microwave the pizza rolls.
Heinz Smart Ones In skating Sponsorship
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Heinz Frozen Food here recently announced its agreement to become an official sponsor of the United States Figure Skating Association. The agreement with USFSA and its exclusive marketing partner, ABC Sports, gives Smart Ones the naming rights to Smart Ones Skate America, a premier USFSA international competition in Colorado Springs, Colo., that will be held Oct. 25 to 28 and televised by ABC Sports on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.
As the first international skating competition of the 2001-2002 season, Smart Ones Skate America is expected to attract the world's top figure skaters as they aim for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The partnership makes Smart Ones the exclusive frozen food sponsor of the USFSA while granting advertising, marketing and signage rights to reach millions of figure skating fans through live and televised USFSA events on ESPN and ABC Television Network.
Dreyer's Kicks Off Golden Cone Club
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Grocers may notice more of the over-50 crowd buying packaged ice cream from Dreyer's/Edy's Grand, here, as the brand has recently started an exclusive club for senior ice cream lovers.
Those "experienced enough," as the manufacturer puts it, to apply for membership in the Golden Cone Club receive a newsletter, discount coupons for Dreyer's or Edy's ice cream products, a key chain, a magnet photo frame and opportunities to collect and save for free ice cream.
Brands currently made by Dreyer's include Grand, Grand Light, Homemade, Dreamery, Whole Fruit Sorbet, M&M Mars, Starbucks, Godiva and Healthy Choice.
Florida Group Launches Promotion
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The North Florida Frozen Food Association here has teamed up with 20 national manufacturers to hold a month-long promotion throughout the Southeastern United States.
The promotion, called the October Frozen Food Festival, and held in conjunction with the National Frozen Food Association, Harrisburg, Pa., features discount coupons on a variety of products. Consumers will have access to the coupons on the freezer doors at regional grocery stores. The coupons will be attached to special Frozen Food stickers on the doors.
The promotion will be supported by radio commercials and newspaper ads in the major metro areas in the Southeast.
"It's the goal of NFFFA to help families learn about the convenience, benefits and the nutritional value of frozen food," said Sam Agrilla, the newly elected president of the NFFFA and a broker with Acosta Sales & Marketing here. "The participating manufacturers have some very unique and delicious meal and snack foods that we believe the customers will enjoy."
The NFFFA members who are coordinating the October event are Bill Grondzik of Acosta and Cindy Sears, Nestle USA.
