H-E-B GETS 'PAIRED WITH PRIDE' IN PROMOTION 2004-03-22 (2)

ROBERT VOSBURGH

SAN ANTONIO -- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has introduced a new cross-merchandising promotion of crackers, wine and cheese under a year-long "Paired with Pride" program.

The trio of vendors includes processor-members of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Dare-brand Breton crackers and vintages from Canandaigua Wine. Each will be part of a special merchandising set erected in more than 120 H-E-B stores throughout Texas during the rest of 2004, according to WMMB officials who organized the promotion.

"We've strengthened our partnership with them and are extending our exposure of Wisconsin cheeses, along with the companion products," said Dana Tanyeri, director, national product communications, for the WMMB, based in Madison, Wis.

H-E-B specialty cheese cases have been designated as the primary sites for the promotion, where special wine racks have been set up merchandising up to five varieties of Canandaigua wines. Each was selected to pair with one of the cheeses that will be rotated through the promotion period, according to Tanyeri.

"In their specialty cheese areas, there is a special display and merchandising section [highlighting] the appearing promotions, where they'll have wines and the cheeses that are being featured for that period," Tanyeri added. "It's a cohesive merchandising unit."

The wine bottles themselves will come attached with multi-panel neck hangers that include tips for wine and cheese pairings, as well as a coupon or refund offer for the featured Wisconsin cheeses, she said.

Consumers will get additional help in the form of a cheese/wine pairing wheel and counter cards available at the display, both of which include additional information on pairing the appropriate wine with the featured cheese.

For example, the three-panel counter card lists 12 cheeses, a description of their flavor, wine choice and complementary food items like grapes or breads. Two of the back panels contain more in-depth descriptions of the red and white varietals available under the Canandaigua label.

The two-sided pairing wheel includes cheese varieties on the outer rim, and cutouts revealing flavor characteristics of the cheese and suggested wine pairings. On both point-of-sale materials, H-E-B's name is featured prominently, as well as the WMMB and Canandaigua wine logos.