During Cancer Prevention Month, Honeybear Brands® is leveraging the power of purpose-driven marketing through its continued partnership with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Now in its fifth year, the collaboration spotlights Pazazz® apples as a flavorful, fiber-rich choice that supports cancer prevention and overall wellness—while demonstrating how produce brands can play a meaningful role in guiding healthier consumer choices at retail and beyond.
· Pazazz Apples has partnered with the American Institute for Cancer Research during Cancer Prevention Month. Why was this partnership important for Honeybear Brands, and how does it align with your long-term brand mission?
This is the fifth year Honeybear Brands and AICR have partnered to share healthy eating and cancer protection tips, reaching more than 25 million Americans to-date. Honeybear Brands® Pazazz® apple invites shoppers to check out the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) online tool, cancer health check which gives instant feedback about how well they match up with AICR’s evidence-based recommendations to lower the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
The partnership with AICR is an important one as AICR’s mission to promote healthy eating and educate consumers on ways to protect themselves from illness aligns with Honebyear Brands’ efforts to drive awareness around the health benefits of apples.
After all, a diet rich in fiber can help lower the risk of cancer – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Apple peel is a prebiotic necessary food for probiotics that maintain a healthy gut, which in turn supports good overall health. One medium sized apple delivers approximately 4.4 grams of dietary fiber., which can help lower the risk of certain cancers. That is more than one-third of the minimal 15 grams of daily recommended fiber for the average adult.
“Apples are an easy and delicious way to get more fiber to your daily diet. The age-old advice to eat ‘an apple a day to keep the doctor away” is true. Whether you eat apples on the run as a snack or in a lunch box or include them as a quick ingredient in your favorite recipe, apples immediately increase the health benefit,” said Kristi Harris, Honeybear Brands Brand Manager. “Pazazz apples are some of the best tasting varieties at this time of year, so consumers experience exceptional flavor while making health conscious decisions”.
· From your perspective, how can produce brands play a stronger role in shaping consumer awareness around cancer prevention and overall health through everyday food choices?
Brands and their retail partners have the opportunity to directly impact consumer food choices. We know shoppers are seeking healthier alternatives. It’s imperative that brands connect with those shoppers at the right time – when they are in the produce aisle considering their fruit purchase – and in ways they can understand.
We partner with retailers to help spread the word about apples and their health benefits. We encourage our retail partners to display signage and digital messaging that encourages shoppers to super charge their diets with apples that provide dietary fiber, antioxidants, and hep support “good gut,” the foundation for overall good health. We can provide assets that with QRCode that encourages shoppers to take the AICR and Pazazz apples online cancer health check.
In addition to retail awareness efforts, Honeybear Brands also partners with social media influencers to share recipes with their followers. These recipes incorporate apples in easy and tasty ways. We also support our AICR partnership with paid and earned media.
Through these collective efforts, we are reaching shoppers in multiple ways with the same message in order to help reinforce the apple health benefits.
· What impact do you hope this campaign will have — both in terms of consumer behavior and the broader produce industry’s approach to purpose-driven marketing?
Honeybear Brands and Pazazz apples hope we can impact shopper behavior – arming them with information to make smart choices. Specifically, we want them to choose apples and understand that by doing so, they are supporting their health in multiple ways. Moreover, we want them to experience the bold, bright and juicy flavor of Pazazz®.
With more shoppers choosing apples, we hope to support the apple industry’s effort to push apples to the top spot when it comes to fruit preferences.
