The National Mango Board (NMB) has launched a marketing campaign, renaming the Ataulfo mango variety to “Honey.” Over the years, the Ataulfo name has been repeatedly reported as hard to pronounce for U.S. consumers, retailers and the media, creating purchase barriers and missed education opportunities for this popular Mexican variety. Retailers and industry members are encouraged to use Honey as a more consumer-friendly name to help increase Ataulfo sales.
“When consumers struggle to pronounce Ataulfo, it can create resistance and lack of understanding of the fruit”, stated Manuel Michel, Executive Director at the NMB. “The NMB’s goal is to help consumers overcome the barriers of entry and encourage increase purchase of the fruit. Our ultimate objective is to make the Honey mango more mainstream and generate excitement amongst U.S. consumers, retailers and media by providing them a more consumer-friendly name.”
The NMB’s Honey mango renaming efforts will highlight the versatility, sweet taste, and creamy texture of the variety, as well as the deep roots within the rich Mexican culture. Throughout the renaming campaign, the information around the origin of the variety will continue to be shared on mango.org and promoted with media outlets.
While the rebranding to Honey will not have any implications with USDA or PLU code requirements, shippers are encouraged to use “Honey” on the PLU stickers to help consumers easily identify the variety. To help teach shoppers about this sweet-tasting mango, free Honey Point-of-Sales (POS) materials from the NMB will soon be available for retailers to order. Additionally, retailers are also encouraged to offer multiple varieties, sizes, and prices to present consumers with more options. POS materials are free of charge for retailers to order from the NMB, visit mango.org/retail for more information.
Contact:
Angela Serna
National Mango Board
Tel: (407) 629-7318 ext. 113