Kids and families are central to marketing efforts at Westlake Village, Calif.-based Dole Food Co. this year, said Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications. “As you might expect, kid-friendly bananas have a starring role in two strategic alliances that allow Dole to reach even more North American families in 2020, Goldfield said. “One is with the nonprofit Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), which has a mission to build healthier schools and students.”

Dole worked with AFHK to create a free interactive Healthy Eating Toolkit offering schools recipes, tips and other information designed to “make eating more accessible, fun and delicious,” Goldfield said. “Ideal for shoppers looking for recipe inspiration, an at-home version of the toolkit for parents features timely articles and tip sheets for eating healthy on a budget, getting kids involved in the kitchen, reading nutrition labels, conducting taste tests at home, and accommodating picky eaters,” he said.

Dole’s other major strategic alliance in 2020 is with the Walt Disney Co, Goldfield said. “Since 2016, Dole has launched 10 in-store Disney-themed programs and more than 2 billion kid-appealing banana stickers themed to Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel films and characters that parents use to excite and animate their kids and families toward healthier living,” he said. Dole’s relationship with Disney continues in 2020, with a year honoring Pixar films and characters, including initiatives themed to Disney Pixar’s Monsters Inc. and Ratatouille, Goldfield said. “The campaigns feature custom digital and social media content, inspired new recipes, healthy-living tips, and Pixar characters on millions of Dole fruits and vegetables at grocery and retail stores nationwide,” he said.

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