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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW, ACTIVE CHEESTRINGS ICON HELPS PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR KIDS
New Packaging Pleases Parents and Kids: Strategies International

TORONTO, ON (October 15, 2003) – In stores in time for back-to-school Parmalat’s re-designed Black Diamond Cheestrings is ready to rejuvenate the cheese snacks market. In engineering a full re-design for the brand, including the popular "Cheesy" mascot, Strategies International and Parmalat ensured Black Diamond Cheestrings’ dominant market share will continue.

"Research confirmed, to be a success in the cheese snacks category, you need to appeal to parents’ concerns about nutrition while fulfilling the kid’s desire for cool, fun food," commented Sharen Hills, Brand Manager, Natural and Snack Cheese at Parmalat. "The way Strategies International incorporated the 100% real cheese message plus designed our Cheesy mascot performing activities kids can relate to, links the brand closely to a healthy, active lifestyle and ensures the product will continue to motivate both kids and the shopper at the dairy case. Cheesy is now much more relevant as a mascot to the kids and strategically it allows for the development of Cheesy’s personality – cool, fun, active. In fact, recent Ipsos-ASI research indicates that icons help brand linkage, in-store identification, and increase the liking and relevance of a brand’s advertising campaign."

Black Diamond Cheestrings and sister brand Lactantia Ficello in Quebec, launched in 1991, were the first stringable, 100% real cheese brands in Canada and they were the first to launch different flavours. Parmalat is the Canadian leader in the $ 58 million cheese snacks category, enjoying 60% market share. The Cheestrings & Ficello brands are growing at 17% annually.

Greg Berube, Strategies International President added, "In our work for close to two dozen grocery brands over the years, I’ve always found it’s a challenge to keep a brand icon like Cheesy dynamic, fresh and relevant. We have always told our clients that ‘we think shelves’, so we’re happy with the evolution of his appearance which was backed up by research results, and look forward to some pretty positive numbers on the brand by year end."

Strategies International is the brand custodian for a number of Parmalat brands, including Black Diamond, Esker and Lactantia.

For more information, please visit www.si-creative.com.

For photo of packaging and further information contact:
Rob Landsmann, Fantail Communications Inc., 416-363-4805, rob@fantailinc.com

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