New pouch packaging and retail displays for Nature’s Partner branded fresh plums tie into owner Giumarra Reedley’s [www.giumarra.com] summer 2014 plum promotion: “Easy as Pie.”  Helping consumers do it themselves, the 2-lb resealable pouch features a peel-off recipe label and quick-response (QR) code that links to a YouTube video with baking instructions.

The video, “How to Make a Fresh Plum Pie,” features Mrs. Helen Krause of Reedley, Calif., who shares her time-tested plum pie recipe and step-by-step easy baking techniques.

“This new Nature’s Partner plum promotion will lift retail plum sales by giving consumers a reason to buy plums in quantity,” says Jeannine Martin, director of sales for Giumarra Reedley. “A consumer enticed to make Mrs. Krause’s plum pie recipe will need to purchase two 2-lb bags of plums.”

Additional retail merchandising tools include a reversible high-color vinyl display wrap which can be used with Nature’s Partner Euro shipper boxes or RPCs. One side of the wrap features the plum promotion and cooking video QR code. The other side depicts a multi-stone fruit design that can be used throughout the California season.

“The dual design wrap gives the retailer merchandising flexibility and extends the life of the display materials, making it much more sustainable long term,” says Kellee Harris, western region business manager for Giumarra.

Nature’s Partner red and black plums will begin shipping in early June and will be available through September; both varieties are available in the promotional pouch bags.

UPDATE 3-27-14 - Kellee Harris, west coast business manager for Giumarra, answers specific questions about the packaging for Packaging Digest:

What material are you using for the pouch?

Harris: The pouch bags are made of laminated 2 mil polypropylene.

Who supplies the peel-off label? What appears on the base label (the one that stays on the pouch) once the recipe is removed?

Harris: The peel-off label supplier is Yerecic. The base of the label includes consumer information on the benefits of pollinators to plums as well as other crops, which is a growing concern for both our growers and consumers nationwide. Nature’s Partner is committed to creating more awareness of the need to expand native pollinator habitat through educational programs such as those offered by The Xerces Society.

The inside label reads as follows:

PLUMS & POLLINATORS
‘Bee A Buzz Buddy!’
At Nature’s Partner, we are dedicated to helping educate consumers about pollinators by encouraging everyone to “Bee A Buzz Buddy!” For example, did you know some varieties of plums are reliant on pollinators such as honeybees and bumble bees to ensure bountiful harvests each summer? You can learn more from The Xerces Society, a national organization dedicated to pollinator habitat protection. Just click on www.xerces.org  for more information. Join Nature’s Partner and Bee A Buzz Buddy Today!

Who created the graphics for the pouch and the retail display? Why is it important for the display and pouch graphics to match?

Harris: We created the graphics for the both the pouch and display in house with our graphic designer, while also working with the supplier of the peel-off label. The look of a matching pouch, display and other sales materials makes the entire promotion more cohesive and eye-catching, bringing it together for the consumer. The consistency is important for our brand integrity.