Ocean Spray increases advertising,
marketing budgets with new focus
10/7/99 According to a report published in
today's Boston Globe, Ocean Spray is increasing its advertising budget from $34 to $46
million and its overall marketing budget, which includes both advertising and promotions,
from $75 million to $100 million. Ocean Spray continues with Arnold Advertising. The theme
of the new ads will be "you know its good". They will target the consumers who
frequent the juice aisle on a regular basis, with advertisements in the print media and on
cable television. There will be an emphasis on the health benefits of cranberries as well
as a shift in from describing Ocean Spray as a "fruit company" to focusing on
the cooperative's cranberry growing heritage. Boston Globe Article
Generic Promotion:
A free ad in the N.Y. Times
10/6/99 Sometimes there is a second chance in
advertising. Ask Coca-Cola. Cranberry industry analysts have suggested that the momentum
generated by the original studies about urinary tract infections and cranberries wasn't
adequately maintained. Now the New York Times has published an article in their Living
Section entitled "An Old wives' tale meets new science." While it doesn't
introduce any new data about the health benefits of cranberry juice, the timing of the
story couldn't be better.
Read the article HERE.
Speculation
about future role of Mefford at Ocean Spray
by Hal Brown
10/3/99 Dean Mefford begins work at Ocean Spray
this week. He'll oversee the day-to-day operations of the company as C.O.O., the number
two man in the chain of command. Designated interim Chief Operating
Officer, he is ostensibly a "lame duck" like his superior Tom Bullock, who is
due to retire sometime in the year 2000. Both men are in their fifties and could easily
have another executive career in their futures.
The Boston Globe is reporting the story under
the headline "Mefford's appointment to Ocean Spray post sets off speculation".
Possibilities run from Mefford being an acquisition advance man for his former
employer; to his being groomed as the next CEO.
John Decas, President of Decas Cranberries in
Carver and Wareham, Massachusetts believes that the Ocean Spray board of directors will
try to avoid what they perceive as an admission of failure, i.e., selling the company to a
larger entity. He is quoted as saying ''My gut feeling is that [Ocean Spray's] directors
will try to pull a rabbit out of the hat.''
The word from Ocean Spray's point man for public
relations, Chris Phillips is ''All speculation about Dean Mefford and Ocean Spray is
beyond any semblance of reality."
Read story here: Boston
Globe - 10/3/99 |
Harvest '99: Crisis in Cranberry
Country?
by Jane Lopes, Editor
The Middleboro Gazette
Republished with Permission
Picture
10/7/99 With this year's cranberry harvest in
full swing, the industry is expected to exceed last year's bumpers crops by 5%, or some
294,000 barrels, according to Cranberries, a trade magazine published by grower Carolyn
Gilmore.
That's not good news to Southeastern
Massachusetts growers, who have seen prices drop for $85 a barrel a few years ago to $35
last year. With a two-year inventory of 2.8 million barrels, payments to growers are not
expected to increase this year.
:We're drowning is a sea of cranberries, "
said Ms. Gilmore, who works 30 acres of bogs in South Carver and Wareham with her husband.
CONTINUED | Easy
to print version
Growers' dilemma: too many berries, not
enough markets
by Paula Charbonneau, Staff Writer
The Middleboro Gazette
Republished with Permission
10/7/99 Regional cranberry growers are being
forced to reevaluate how they approach world markets and how they can streamline
government environmental regulations in the wake of declining profits.
Independent growers and growers who how shares
in the Ocean Spray cooperative face the worsening dilemma of too many berries and not
enough markets, and some industry insiders say "we have no one to blame but
ourselves." CONTINUED | Easy to print version
Ocean Spray Launches
New Marketing Campaign
10/6/99 Integrated
Communications Efforts to Support
Next Generation of Healthful Products. Read press release HERE.
Media
click photos to enlarge
10/5/99 Bostons WB Channel 56 aired a story
entitled "Blue Harvest" on the drop in price per barrel which was attributed to
the cranberry surplus. Jeff LaFleur, Director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers'
Association and John Decas, President of Decas Cranberries were interviewed.
10/4/99 Boston WBZ
Televison, aired a brief spot on the noon news about the cranberry surplus. Ocean
Spray grower and member of the Ocean Spray Board of Directors, Jeff Kapell, was shown
harvesting. Picture
Bittersweet Harvest...
10/3/99 The front page article in the New
Bedford Standard Times, "Bittersweet Harvest", is accompanied by the
striking cranberry pictures readers of southeastern
Massachusetts newspapers are used to seeing every fall. This harvest season the
articles being published all reflect the dire state of the industry, rather than the
beauty of the harvest.
These articles give growers an unusual
opportunity to read the latest take on the situation at Ocean Spray. It appears that
"business as usual", with essentially more of the same only bigger and
better, is still an option for the cooperative.
With no mention of mismanagement at Ocean Spray,
the article attributes the following to Phillips: "Ocean Spray has been a victim of
its own success. Its growth and profits inspired its competitors, who wanted to 'ride the
wave' with the local firm - but then played a critical role in lowering the market
prices."
Regarding "rumors" of an acquisition
of Ocean Spray, Phillips is quoted that these have "raced beyond all semblance of
reality." The article goes on to say that Phillips "conceded" a sale or
merger is still "an option" while expressing confidence that the industry will
turn around. "The is a solvable situation. It won't last forever; but that doesn't
make it any easier now for the small grower. They put their hearts and souls into
this," Phillips is quoted.
Read the article here: Standard Times, 10/3/99
Ocean Spray to use Internet outsourcing
to meet travel and entertainment needs
10/7/99 A sound and reliable way to utilize the
power of modern technology without the risks inherent in adobpting free standing softwear
is to utilize the power of the Internet. Ocean Spray has selected Concur Technologies ( www.concureworkplace.com ) for travel,
entertainment expense management and travel booking services. "With Concur
eWorkplace.com we can move to a new level of automation, using the power and flexibility
of the Web, with virtually no risk" said William H. McBain, assistant treasurer,
Ocean Spray. "Our employees are eager to use this solution, and we anticipate that we
will be up and running quickly to begin to realize the benefits Concur eWorkplace.com
offers. Ocean Spray will take advantage of Concur's simple, predictable pricing.
"With less up-front expenditure required for Concur eWorkplace.com, the risk factor
is negligible." Read
Concur Press release here |