USA: Opportunity Knocks During Halloween Season; Coca-Cola and Nabisco Respond With Retailer Treat

Retailers are in for a real treat during the Halloween season as Coca-Cola North America and Nabisco, Inc. join forces to implement a seasonal promotion designed to capture a portion of the $5 billion consumers will spend on the holiday. The program, which includes attention-grabbing lobby displays and optional couponing and sweepstakes opportunities, will feature Coca-Cola classic and Nabisco cookies and crackers."Halloween has become big business for supermarkets and mass merchandisers," said Tom Hernquist, senior vice president of marketing for Nabisco Biscuit Company. "The average consumer spends $98 on Halloween, with almost 20 percent devoted to attending parties or home entertaining."Research indicates Halloween is second only to Christmas in terms of retail spending and is the third largest party day of the year, rivaled only by New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl."The Halloween season is ripe for innovative marketing," said Jeff Dunn, senior vice president of marketing, Coca-Cola North America. "Carbonated soft drinks, along with cookies and crackers, are the two largest consumable dry grocery categories. When the market leaders in both of these sectors join forces to create a promotion, retailers will profit."In addition to the lobby displays, the promotion features include compelling joint purchase coupons, chainwide sweepstakes, store-by-store sweepstakes and dealer loaders. Coca-Cola classic, caffeine free Coca-Cola classic, Ritz, Air Crisps, Cheese Nips, Ritz Bits Sandwiches, Chips Ahoy!, Nutter Butter, Halloween Oreo and Easy Cheese will be among the products on display in easy-to-shop locations.