Heinz Rolls Out the Green Carpet for Local Fans
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Heinz sets out to prove that it
is, indeed, easy being green. As its highly anticipated EZ Squirt launch
begins nationwide, Heinz has chosen its hometown as the stage for the public
debut of its latest colorful condiment.
"News about EZ Squirt has captured attention on virtually every
continent," said Casey Keller, managing director, Ketchup, Condiments and
Sauces for Heinz North America. "But, we wanted Pittsburghers to be among the
first to enjoy our latest product launch and get a taste of success along with
us."
To commemorate the launch of this local food phenomenon, the following
events are planned for Tuesday, October 17:
-- Green eggs and ham breakfast for Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and
members of Pittsburgh City Council, accompanied by "Pittsburgh Goes
Green" proclamations recognizing one of the most successful product
launches in Heinz history;
-- A lunchtime "Green Giveaway" of french fries with green ketchup on the
steps of the City-County Building Downtown. Free to the public.
-- Installation of a new North Side banner, featuring a 40-foot Heinz EZ
Squirt bottle complementing the current red neon sign.
Heinz estimates that its sales forecast for the product's first year of
shipments will be met in the first 90 days, and the company has stepped up
production to ensure that grocery store shelves remain stocked, increasing
production to 24 hours, seven days a week and adding additional equipment.
Heinz EZ Squirt will begin to appear on store shelves immediately,
although widespread availability may not occur until December. EZ Squirt will
be available in 24-ounce bottles retailing for approximately $1.79.
Kids Get A Cool Ketchup
While Heinz is not the first to adopt an outrageous color to appeal to
kids' sense of fun, virtually no other kid-friendly food has been greeted with
such excitement.
"Ketchup is particularly important to kids," observed Keller. "It's how
kids flavor food and personalize it. It's what makes a lot of other food
acceptable to them. This is the first ketchup that goes one step further,
with a bottle kids can control and a color kids themselves selected."
"We listened very closely to our No. 1 consumer and gave them what they
asked for," said Keller. "And the positive response proves that our approach
was the right one." Kids are the No. 1 consumers of ketchup, eating more than
5 billion ounces of ketchup annually, or half the U.S. volume.
Kids also provided the inspiration for EZ Squirt's fun color, package and
control features. The bottle is ergonomically designed to fit smaller hands
and its special cap ensures a super-thin ketchup stream. Green was among the
most popular colors mentioned by kids as their preference for the new product.
The company is also quick to point out that the green hue is achieved by
adding food coloring to traditional Heinz Ketchup ... not from green tomatoes
as many consumers suspect. Intensive testing was conducted to ensure that the
same great taste of Heinz Ketchup was not altered. Research confirms that
there is no difference in taste between the red and green EZ Squirt varieties.
In addition, Heinz EZ Squirt is fortified with Vitamin C, another first Heinz
has introduced to the category.
With sales of more than $9 billion, H.J. Heinz Company is one of the
world's leading marketers of branded foods to supermarkets and away-from-home
eating establishments. Its 50 companies operate in approximately
200 countries, offering more than 5,700 varieties. Among the company's famous
global brands are Heinz, StarKist, Ore-Ida, Weight Watchers, College Inn,
Boston Market, Smart Ones, Budget Gourmet and Bagel Bites.
SOURCE Heinz
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Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/575757.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 575757
CONTACT:
Deb Magness of Heinz, 412-237-5806, or
deb.magness@husa.com; or Pattie Sullivan, 412-456-4300, or
psullivan@magnetcom.com, for Heinz
NOTE TO EDITORS: Heinz EZ Squirt product samples as well as
photography and broadcast quality b-roll footage are available
for distribution. For background materials and interviews,
contact Deb Magness at 412-237-5806.
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