RETAILERS USE BROADWAY SHOW TO PROMOTE CHEESE

LYNNE MILLER

NEW YORK -- More than 1,200 supermarkets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut participated last month in a "Weekend on Broadway" sweepstakes sponsored by Switzerland Cheese Marketing.

The promotion was a partnership between Switzerland Cheese Marketing and Dodger Theatricals, producers of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine production of "Into the Woods," starring Vanessa Williams.

Hundreds of consumers who shop at the A&P, Waldbaum's, Pathmark, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, Bravo, C-Town, D'Agostino, Food Emporium, Foodtown, Gristede's, Key Food, King Kullen and King's supermarkets in the tri-state area entered the sweepstakes. In addition to showcasing Emmenthaler, Gruyere and Switzerland Swiss cheeses, the marketing campaign featured Jack and the Beanstalk and his cow, Milky White, both characters in the show, in the point-of-purchase materials distributed to the stores.

Along with colorful point-of-sale display stands set up at the stores, customers learned about the sweepstakes through 45- and 60-second promotional spots on local radio stations. The grand-prize winner, a Wycoff, N.J., resident, received a night on Broadway that included four VIP tickets to "Into the Woods," an exclusive backstage tour, dinner and lodging in New York's Times Square area. In addition, 15 first-prize winners each won four tickets to "Into the Woods."

The promotion gave sales of the highlighted cheeses a strong boost, an official with Switzerland Cheese Marketing told SN.

"Our promotion with 'Into the Woods' far exceeded our sales expectations," said Rosemarie Schilt, spokeswoman for Switzerland Cheese Marketing, a company that promotes and represents the cheeses of Switzerland here in the United States.