Kern's Launches Juices with Disney, Santa Ana Shop

Orange County Business Journal, Nov 24-Nov 30, 2008 by Volpe, Michael

RiechesBaird Adds Healthcare Exec, Solar Energy Client; PowerMark Markets Client to Spas

MEDIA & MARKETING

Santa Ana-based Stremicks Heritage Foods LLC has started making a line of juices for kids featuring a Walt Disney Co. TV character.

Santa Ana's Specialized Marketing Services Inc. is heading up the marketing campaign for Stremicks.

The company's Kern's for Kids juice is aimed at preschool children. It comes in three flavors: apple, strawberry banana and berry.

Stremicks, which makes organic dairy products and juices, is using Disney's "Handy Manny" - a bilingual handyman who has talking tools - to market the juice.

The goal is to appeal to Hispanics, according to Michael Stannard, president of Specialized Marketing Services.

"The Kern's brand has a strong identity in the Hispanic marketplace," he said. '"Handy Manny' is a crossover as well."

Santa Ana's Specialized Marketing, known for direct mail and interactive services, is focusing the campaign on store displays and direct mail. The shop has worked with Stremicks for five years, previously marketing the company's organic milk brand.

Stremicks is targeting California and Phoenix for the launch.

"We've put together a strong launch and next year we'll start the rollout into the national marketplace," Stannard said.

Specialized Marketing is monitoring the coupon redemptions and case sales in key markets, he said.

The shop also plans to work with Disney for online marketing.

"We are fortunate enough to be able to work with Disneychannel.com and Disney-related Web sites with the interactive side of things," Stannard said.

RiechesBaird Adds Exec, Client

Irvine-based RiechesBaird added Mike Ritchey to head its healthcare practice.

The agency, which specializes in business-to-business advertising, has been growing its healthcare practice in recent years.

Ritchey comes from Minneapolisbased medical device maker ev3 Inc., which has a large Irvine operation. At ev3, Ritchey was senior vice president of corporate marketing and communications. He has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and started in marketing at Irvine's Edwards Lifesciences Corp., now one of ReichesBaird's larger clients.

The agency also counts Britain's Futura Medical PLC and Rancho Santa Margarita-based Gish Biomedical Inc. as clients.

Ritchey will direct integrated marketing strategies for clients.

In other RiechesBaird news, the agency also added Monrovia-based Soliant Energy Inc., a maker of commercial rooftop solar panels, as a client.

The solar panel company tapped the shop for brand strategy, including designing a logo and tagline.

Soliant Energy faces competition from larger companies including Arizona-based First Solar Inc. and San Jose-based SunPower Corp.

It is targeting real estate developers and property management companies to try and carve a niche in the solar energy market.

"It's a feeding frenzy right now (in the solar energy industry) and everyone is trying to get noticed," said Rob Myerson, brand strategist at RiechesBaird. "More and more business are seeing the environmental benefits, but they also see the huge potential for financial benefits."

Bringing Power to Light

San Juan Capistrano-based PowerMark Group Inc. added IinnLight Technologies Inc. as a client.

The Laguna Beach-based light therapy company recently began marketing its IinnLight Pro unit to spas. The technology targets skin problems and wrinkles, but doesn't require a licensed technician to operate it.

Ad shop PowerMark, which focuses on technology companies, did the initial branding, Web site, marketing material and tradeshow development for IinnLight.

"We have done absolutely everything to promote them in the marketplace," said Colleen Edwards, president of PowerMark. "And now we're continuing their public relations effort as For breaking media & marketing news, sign up for free news updates at ocbj.com