PISTACHIO GROUP TESTS SAN ANTONIO AND TARGETS THE NATION

ERIC THORSEN

FRESNO, Calif. -- With the goal of promoting pistachios as a year-round snack, the California Pistachio Commission here launched the second phase of a two-pronged ad campaign late last month.

With the theme, "You Can't Say No to Pistachios," a national ad stint is running simultaneously with a local campaign that includes more intensive promotions. According to CPC officials, the aim is to gauge the effect of a targeted local advertising effort against the more generalized national campaign.

The coast-to-coast program is comprised of half-page print advertisements in a number of popular women's magazines. The ads emphasize the healthy aspects of the snack, including its cholesterol-free and low-saturated-fat properties.

The local campaign is focusing on the San Antonio market and includes a number of billboard advertisements, as well as 60-second radio commercials.

"[We] wanted to test the viability and what would happen in a market with radio and billboard vs. the national campaign," said Karen Reinecke, president of the CPC. "That's why we chose one market; it's simply a test."

The billboard and print ads are identical, and the radio jingle goes along with the theme of the campaign, she added.

Both promotions focus on female consumers aged 25 to 54, because past research and purchase data indicate they are the largest buyers of pistachios on a regular basis, explained Reinecke.

"We're really going for the major market that is out there shopping on a weekly basis," she said. "We know that women are the ones basically buying [pistachios] for their families and for their husbands."

Unlike the first phase of the campaign, which ran in unison with the Super Bowl, this segment will promote the nuts on their own merits, explained Reinecke.

"We wanted to [measure] the value of promoting pistachios during a non-traditional nut-selling season," she said. "Most nuts are traditionally sold during the holidays."

The CPC specifically selected the San Antonio market to test the advertising strategies based on the lower expenses associated with a smaller market, as compared with larger, costlier markets like New York and Chicago. It was also based on the availability of raw data, said Reinecke.

"It's one of the few markets we have in our ACNielsen scan data study where we can really take a look at the numbers and see if there was a market change," she explained. "By taking a look at a regional market, you can really test a program and test the value of advertising."

According to Reinecke, retailers participating in the local campaign include Boise, Idaho-based Albertson's and H.E. Butt Grocery Co., based in San Antonio. She said the retailers already participate in the CPC's ongoing retail incentive program.

Under this, the CPC pays them a fee for running pistachio ads at least four times in a 13-week period, up to a maximum of six weeks. The fee is also based on the number of units in their chain, she said. The program began Feb. 1, 1999 and will run through May 31, 1999.

The CPC is also awarding cash incentives to retailers who participate in the organization's display-incentive program. The displays must meet specific CPC criteria to receive the rewards, which are based on the number of participating stores.

In addition, the CPC is offering free hexagon-shaped display bins. The displays measure 29 by 20 inches and can hold 50 pounds of loose pistachios. They are UV coated, and covered with colorful graphics and the tag line,"California Pistachios: The Official Party Nut."

During the April promotions, Reinecke said that San Antonio-area retailers were encouraged to use these bins or build their own. They will also be encouraged to increase the number of display promotions and increase the amount of advertisements appearing in their in-store circulars.