VENDORS RIDE WALDBAUM'S BEAUTIFUL BALLOON

BARBARA McDONALD

SHIRLEY, N.Y. -- Waldbaum's sponsored its first annual balloon festival here with the help of vendors who promoted their products in the chain's 84 New York metropolitan area stores.

For a six-week period surrounding the Waldbaum's Balloon Festival, Aug. 14-16, participating vendors received advertising and display space for their products, according to Andy Carrano, spokesman for A&P, Montvale, N.J. A&P owns the Waldbaum's chain. Most of the promotion was confined to two weeks before the event.

Some of the in-store specials were for Poland Spring Water, a gallon for 99 cents; Hershey syrup, two 24-ounce squeeze bottles for $3; Welch's grape juice, 64 ounces for $2.99, and Folgers Coffee, $2.99 for a 13-ounce can.

"It was an opportunity to get our name out in front of our customers, and for our customers to enjoy a balloon festival, and we offered discount tickets as a reward," said Carrano.

The tickets, available in advance at the stores, cost $6 for children four to 12 ($10 at the gate) and $11 for adults ($15 at the gate). Children three and younger were admitted free.

The strength of vendor advertising and display presence in stores or at the festival depended on the level of sponsorship by the food manufacturers, Carrano said. Four levels of sponsorship were available to the 56 vendors that participated; about two-thirds of them represented grocery items.

Korff Enterprises, Mahwah, N.J., ran the balloon event. Soda, chips, cookies, ice cream and similar products were available at stands or sampling booths. "The sales opportunity is huge; it's like a state fair," said John Korff, president.

One of the most eye-catching balloons looked like a huge brown paper grocery bag with fruit spilling out of the top. The Waldbaum's name was printed on it in green letters.

Waldbaum's Balloon Festival afforded grocery sponsors a good opportunity for exposure to a crowd estimated at 80,000 people over three days at Brookhaven-Calabro Airport here.

Most food sponsors had booths for sampling. Some products from sponsors, like Coke and Coors, were sold at concession stands set up on grounds, owned by Brookhaven Town.

Korff produced other balloon festivals this summer with Quik Chek, Reddington, N.J., and Smith's Food & Drug Centers, Salt Lake City and Smitty's Super Valu, Phoenix.

The Utah event was tied to a golf tournament. Smith's and Smitty's will host another festival for SuperBowl weekend in Phoenix, he said.

In other news, Waldbaum's recently embarked on a new marketing campaign with the theme, "If It's Good for You, It's Good for Waldbaum's." As part of the campaign, the chain changed the look of its store circulars, which now have a white background with the new slogan at the top.