Newman company targeting millennials

NEWMAN’S Own was having trouble getting the word out about its philanthropy.

The brand has “All Profits to Charity” inscribed across every label on its popular salad dressings, tomato sauces and microwaveable popcorn – a pledge that has amounted to more than $485 million donated since 1982.

But some wondered if consumers were simply being distracted by the movie star Paul Newman’s dazzling smile.

“They might see it the first time, but the second or third time they only see Paul’s face,” said Bruce Bruemmer, vice president of marketing for Newman’s Own. “The ‘All Profits to Charity’ is lost.”

Well, the grin is not going anywhere. But Newman’s Own is making more of a show of its record of magnanimity, rolling out a marketing initiative aimed at millennials who might not recognise the famous face of the brand and might have little to no knowledge of its altruistic story.

For a no-frills company that has tried to avoid the spotlight – its celebrity co-founder notwithstanding – the new promotional effort is an unusual step. But it follows a growing pattern among large corporations to highlight their philanthropic work to appeal to a younger audience. Millennials especially have demonstrated a propensity to favour companies with a generous mission.

“What we’re doing is not new,” said Robert Forrester, chief executive of the Newman’s Own Foundation and a longtime friend of Newman, who died in 2008. “This is in our DNA.”