America's Second Harvest to Feeding America

From the offices of Rick Bella and America's Second Harvest, a significant message about a name change and repositioning of the organization designed to better convey the message of the mission. The letter from Vicki Escarra, president of America's Second Harvest:



As a valued partner, you already recognize the importance of doing your part in the fight against hunger in America—thank you. For that reason, we contact you today with some terrific news. Background As you know, our vision is a hunger-free America. In order for us to realize that vision, we must mobilize the public around the issue and motivate their involvement in our mission. We have spent the last year conducting research to understand how to engage the public in our movement. We have been careful and methodical in our approach. We have undertaken the critical steps of gathering a fact base, so that we better understand who in the public would be most responsive to our messages. We conducted the first consumer segmentation study in the history of our organization. Having this information will allow us to better focus resources. We also identified a brand positioning for our organization that best captures the intersection of who we are with what motivates the public. It is called Feeding Hope, providing the fuel to survive and even thrive. This brand positioning will undoubtedly compel Americans to become more passionate about the fight against hunger. An Exciting New Name We are at our next critical juncture: what name and logo best deliver the organization’s capabilities, mission and future potential, while stimulating public attention and commitment. Once again, we have adopted a fact-based approach towards understanding whether we should keep our current name or move to another option. This process has included multiple touch-points with stakeholders and is being led by a cross-functional team of senior-level network members and national office staff. I am proud to say that I serve on this team, alongside our heads of marketing, development and communication. Likewise, four members from our food bank network serve, one of them a founding member of our network. So, with great enthusiasm, I share with you our new national organization name: Feeding America. Feeding America is the resounding winner among the public segments. It will best allow us to reach our goal of mobilizing the public more significantly behind fighting hunger. Here are some of the exciting highlights:
Scored higher (among the public) on more criteria than any other name option (including our current one)
Particularly strong with faith-based segment, our most valuable group, though also very positive across other two priority segments
Best fit with Feeding Hope positioning
Best suggests an organization committed to hunger relief
Increases interest among the public in addressing hunger
An emotional connection/motivating
Is simple
When affiliated with local member, most likely to increase support to local member
In brand valuation, shows most future potential of any name candidates
Comparable ratings (vs. other lead name options) on following attributes for the public
Rated Feeding America as strong performer on Access to food; a commitment to feeding people • Sustenance


Next Steps We are moving to logo and architecture development and testing with this new name immediately. Our plan is to have this developed and tested by the end of June 2008. We plan to debut the new name and logo internally at the end of June and then release to the public in September 2008, in support of Hunger Action Month. Please see attached information detailing further specifics about our name selection, our timeline and an invitation to connect with our Chief Marketing Officer and Resource Development team regarding our name change and next steps.

Alongside these dates, we have full planning underway for a careful migration strategy for our key constituents (namely current individual donors, Corporate Donors and Foundations and Government/Allied organizations). You should expect a logo framework and usage packet in July/August. We want to minimize any loss from the name change and recognize this news as an opportunity to strengthen our commitment to the fight against hunger in the US. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to taking this next important step. Please contact me or your contact on our Resource Development team if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

Warm Regards,

Vicki Escarra
President & CEO

TK: Look for an Ad Council campaign for Feeding America from September through November, and full launch of the brand by November.

Youtube of the Day - Fresh Summit

Tomato Futures, Part Deux

In my fictional parallel universe...

...the phone rings.

"Hey, what's up, man?"

"Thanks for returning my call," I reply. "Off-season OK for you?"

"Yeah, whatever. I been decompressing for a month now, and I still ain't back to normal."

"Salamanders still in your brain, huh?"

"You got that right. We were defending something that didn't need to be defended in the first place," he says.

"No lie. But listen. Forget the FDA, the CDC, all of them. I got an idea."

"Oh, @#$&."

"Wait a minute. This is good. You ready?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"OK." (I breathe, a pregnant pause for effect.) "I wanna buy futures on your fall crop."

"You wanna buy what?!"

"Futures. In November. Five loads, two weeks before Thanksgiving. Let's talk price."

He pauses, I can hear the virtual gears straining to turn in his head over the crackling phone line.

"So you want to do a contract--a set price, Act of God clause, the whole nine yards."

"No, no, you don't understand. It's futures. I buy 'em, you sell 'em. Any time between now & November, which is expiration, I have the option to sell 'em back to you, at whatever the market will bear. And buddy boy, I plan to make a profit. I think you skated by on hurricane season last year. This year you won't be so lucky."

"I think you're completely out of your mind. You been getting into the Patron again?"

"Nope, sober as a judge. But this is the coming thing. When all the young MBA-types come into the business, they're gonna be doing this. Why shouldn't we have a leg up on 'em?"

"Lemme tell you something, " he says. "When those 'MBA-types', as you say, come into the business, it'll be time for me to get out, and run away very fast. The contract deal is bad enough--they're made to be broken. This cockamamie thing...would have people shooting each other."

"OK, OK. I just thought you were more forward-thinking than I guess you are."

"I'll remember that come fall."

"Hey, just kidding. Just wanted to activate your mind a little. And see if you're gonna make it up here for a night or two before you have to go back down south."

"Maybe. Call you next week. Seeya."

Later,

Jay

Truck rate report - Aug. 26

More surplus than shortage this week...from the USDA's National Truck Rate Report of Aug. 26:

A slight surplus of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions:onions from North and East Points Colorado, and sweet potatoes from Louisiana and Mississippi. A surplus of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions: lettuce, mixed vegetables, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries from Salinas-Watsonville California,peaches from South Carolina, citrus, avocados, mangoes, asparagus and mixed vegetables from Mexico Crossings Through Texas and watermelons from Texas. A slight shortage of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions: potatoes from Big Lake and Central Minnesota.A shortage of trucks was reported for the following commodities and regions: potatoes fromCentral Wisconsin. LAST REPORT was issued for onions from Southern New Mexico. All other districts reported an adequate supply of trucks.

Wednesday headline roundup - Aug. 27

Headlines snatched from the Web and the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group this morning:


2 plead guilty in Hunts Point gambling ring - Big Apple From the post:

Two men with reputed ties to organized crime pleaded guilty on Tuesday to participating in an illegal gambling ring run out of a wholesale produce market at Hunts Point in the Bronx.

Systems approach for Chilean grape imports - Big Apple Pretty big news here in a FR proposed rule. From the post:

We are proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow fresh table grapes from Chile to be imported into the continental United States under a systems approach. Currently, as condition of entry, all table grapes from Chile must be fumigated with methyl bromide as a risk-mitigation measure for Brevipalpus chilensis. Under this proposal, we would allow a combination of risk-mitigation measures, or systems approach, to be employed in lieu of methyl bromide fumigation.

Hundreds of workers held in immigration raid NYT reports:

In another large-scale workplace immigration crackdown, federal officials raided a factory here on Monday, detaining at least 350 workers they said were in the country illegally

Cell phones seen as emerging payment device at grocery stores

,

Supermarkets may be the next target market for near field communication phones, at least according to presentations during the recent IT Leadership Summit of the National Retail Federation.

One of the presenters, an executive for supermarket chain Cincinnati-based Kroger says NFC phones are a good fit for supermarkets because of their time-saving potential. “Nobody stands in a grocery line because it’s a pleasure. We are looking to shave more than seconds off that line,” he said. He was one of several panelists discussing “Mobility and Near-field Communication - The New Era of Ubiquitous Retailing.”

Chiquita signs deal for China venture From the story:

Under the agreement, which is subject to regulatory approval, Chiquita and Haitong will form Zhejiang Chiquita-Haitong Food Co. Ltd. The venture will operate a food-processing facility in Cixi, China, where it will produce packaged salads, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables and fresh chilled beverages, according to a news release.


Cafeteria trays disappear in bid to fight obesity

Grocers fight to hold on to customers

Survey says shoppers won't compromise on food quality The no-spin zone? Not exactly... a release from Whole Foods:

Whole Foods, the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, today announced results from a recent survey that found, despite rising food prices, nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults (79 percent) say they do not want to compromise on the quality of the food they buy and the majority (70 percent) are continuing to buy the same amount of natural and/or organic foods as they always have.

Immigration: too hot for DNC

Economy making us greener?

Housing recession builds

U.S. Economy: between zero growth and recession

Dole considers investment in Angola

Children Emulate Healthy Eating Patterns of Parents

WIC to offer fresh fruits and vegetables

Wal-Mart Canada expects bigger market share

FDA pursues jalapeno at root of salmonella investigation