Brand Activism delivers! Below is a sample of our work for the Herdez® brand and information from Hormel Foods with additional details on the MegaMex Foods marketing success:

From today’s release:
Hormel Foods Celebrates Growth of MegaMex Foods at its Annual Shareholder Meeting

During its annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Minn., on Jan. 31, 2012, Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a multinational marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, celebrated the growth of MegaMex Foods, its 50/50 joint venture with Herdez del Fuerte. Since its inception just two years ago, MegaMex Foods has increased sales by more than 150 percent.

“The focus of MegaMex Foods is to bring the spirit of Mexico to every table,” said James M. Splinter, group vice president, Grocery Products at Hormel Foods. “Great brands like Herdez®, CHI-CHI’S®, La Victoria®, Don
Miguel®, and the new additions to MegaMex Foods, Wholly Guacamole®, Wholly Salsa® and Wholly Queso®, will help us accomplish this goal. We are excited about the future because our expectation for this business is that it will continue to grow at an accelerated rate exceeding that of our core Grocery Products portfolio.”

MegaMex Foods was a key driver of success for Hormel Foods which experienced record success in fiscal year 2011. To highlight this achievement, Jeffery M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods, offered remarks on the company’s recent growth.

Read the full release from Hormel Foods here.

AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) and Herdez Del Fuerte, S.A. de C.V., today announced a definitive agreement to create MegaMex Foods, a 50/50 joint venture to market Mexican foods in the United States.

The venture will significantly expand the existing agreement between the two companies and produces a portfolio with initial revenue of about $200 million. The comprehensive portfolio includes brands and products, such as CHI-CHI’S®, HERDEZ®, LA VICTORIA®, EMBASA® and DOÑA MARÍA®, among others, which resonate with Mexican-American and mainstream consumers of Mexican foods.

“This expanded, long-term agreement with Herdez Del Fuerte is an example of how we continue to look to diversify our product portfolio,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “MegaMex Foods will have the scale and skill set to establish leadership in Mexican foods and grow the category. The collaboration should allow us to better serve both the growing U.S. Hispanic population and the vast numbers of the general population who love Mexican food.”

“MegaMex Foods will combine the premier Mexican food products and brands of Herdez Del Fuerte with the strength in manufacturing and distribution of Hormel Foods,” said Juan Marco Gutiérrez Wanless, chairman at Herdez Del Fuerte. “This is an important step toward delivering on our ongoing growth and profitability strategy and making us stronger for the future, as we increase presence nationwide.”

In order to provide focus to the business, MegaMex Foods will be a free-standing entity with an independent management team based in Chino, Calif. MegaMex Foods will optimize efficiencies by leveraging core competencies of the parent companies, such as manufacturing, research and development and the supply chain.

The organization of MegaMex Foods is expected to be completed around October 26, 2009, which coincides with the start of fiscal year 2010 for Hormel Foods. Formation of the expanded joint venture is conditioned upon the parties reaching agreement on the joint venture structure and ancillary agreements relating to product manufacturing, management services, and product and trademark licenses, and upon other customary conditions. Atlas Strategic Advisors LLC, the New York investment banking firm, acted as exclusive advisor to Hormel Foods and Herdez Del Fuerte in the transaction.

About Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring quality, value-added brands to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, and in each of the past 10 years, Hormel Foods was named one of “The 400 Best Big Companies in America” by Forbes magazine. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com.

About Herdez Del Fuerte

Herdez Del Fuerte, based in Mexico City, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and beverages in Mexico and the United States. The company has a strong product portfolio mainly based in tomato, fruit, vegetable, jalapeño, mole sauce, coffee and tuna products marketed under highly recognized and valued brands, including HERDEZ®, DEL FUERTE®, DOÑA MARÍA®, LA VICTORIA®, NAIR®, EMBASA®, BÚFALO®, LA GLORIA®, CARLOTA® and BLASÓN®, among others. Herdez Del Fuerte also markets and distributes products from affiliated companies such as Hormel Alimentos, McCormick de México and Barilla México. To fulfill its retail and foodservice customer and consumer needs, Herdez Del Fuerte operates seven manufacturing facilities and nine distribution centers across Mexico with more than 6,000 employees. Herdez Del Fuerte is a joint venture between Grupo Herdez, S.A.B. de C.V., and Grupo KUO, S.A.B. de C.V. For more information, visit http://www.grupoherdez.com.mx and http://www.kuo.com.mx.

‘Welcome to HERDEZ’ was launched this month by RIESTER-a full service marketing firm, specializing in advertising, public relations, public affairs and internet strategy. Spearheaded by RIESTER-KALIS, the company’s packaged goods and retail division, the campaign ‘Welcome to HERDEZ’ is centered in tradition and heritage-shared traits with American consumers of all generations and backgrounds. It includes: English-language television advertising, print and a sophisticated interactive online campaign.

“All of our work unfolds within the context of Brand Activism^TM-a belief that the most successful brands are those built upon groups of consumer advocates,” said Tim Riester, president and CEO of RIESTER. “Our work with HERDEZ is an excellent example of this approach. Our client challenged us with creating a campaign that would capture the brand’s personality while inspiring a kinship with the target market to the point of triggering an informal referral program.”

Sharing thoughts about this approach from a cultural standpoint, Sergio Carlos, director of multicultural services at RIESTER, said, “From a multicultural marketing perspective, this campaign is more of what we are going to see in the future. In this instance, we have a staple of the Mexican-American diet that has found ready acceptance and is appearing on other cultural groups’ tables. Although cultural relevancy continues to be critical, as the general market becomes more diverse, ethnic influences will continue to transfer into non-ethnic markets. As a result, clients are seeking marketing solutions that resonate with multiple audiences without compromising the message.”

According to Murray Kalis, partner of RIESTER-KALIS and account director of Hormel Foods, HERDEZ’s Minnesota-based partner helping market and distribute the brand within the United States, this approach is new for the company. “Until now, they’ve focused solely on the first-generation Spanish-speaking Mexican-American consumer. But HERDEZ is steeped in tradition and heritage; a valuable brand promise that has not been explored with the general market. HERDEZ is from ‘salsa’s’ country of origin. This heritage combined with a delicious product gives them an edge over the competition because the consumer is looking for authenticity.”

Further commenting on the connection with the consumer, Tom Ortega, executive creative director at RIESTER, said, “‘Welcome to HERDEZ’ is an ‘experience’ that speaks to all audiences. By connecting the authentic and colorful character of Mexico with the real attributes of the product, the commercial is able to evoke positive, memorable emotions in the viewer. From the very beginning, we wanted to create a commercial that was as authentic as the product.”

The television commercial was shot entirely on location in Mexico City among the districts of San Angel and Coyoacan through the collaborative efforts of RIESTER, Beachhouse Films based in Los Angeles and Cedro Films based in Mexico City. Interestingly, the market and family kitchen scenes were created and shot at the historic landmark family estate of Emilio El Indio Fernandez, an actor and film director from Mexico’s Golden Era of cinematography. See the commercial by visiting www.herdeztraditions.com. Experience the shoot at www.riester.com.

Equally important to the campaign is a sophisticated Internet campaign that shares popular recipes and invites visitors to enter the names of friends as well as enter to win a seven-day vacation for a family of four to the Mexican Riviera, a location known for offering both a contemporary and traditional Mexican experience. Visit ‘Welcome to HERDEZ’ online at www.herdeztraditions.com. The campaign will run through mid-July. The winner of the ‘Welcome to HERDEZ’ trip giveaway will be notified mid-July.

About RIESTER
As one of the top marketing firms in the Western United States, RIESTER offers its clients a complete range of services including; research, brand planning, media planning and buying, broadcast and print ad creation, publicity, government relations and Web marketing. The agency has offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.

RIESTER is the agency of record for multiple regional and national clients including: Gold’s Gym International; McDonalds; Culligan; Hormel; HERDEZ; Veterinary Pet Insurance; Arizona Lottery; Scottsdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; Casino Arizona; the Arizona Meth Project; and the California Department of Conservation. RIESTER’s public affairs activities include statewide and local ballot measure campaigns as well as candidate campaigns for municipal, state and federal office.

RIESTER has been named the fastest growing, privately held advertising and public relations agency in the country by Inc. magazine four consecutive years. In 2001, Creativity Magazine listed RIESTER among the Top 20 Creative Agencies to Watch in America. Visit us on the web at www.riester.com.