Customers and fans of Robeks whole fruit, premium smoothies are flocking to the company's Facebook page this month to capture the wing-flapping energy of the brand's legendary brand symbol – its cheerful hummingbird – in a naming contest that continues through the end of July.
The grand prize winner will receive smoothies for a year while four runners-up will be awarded $50 gift cards. To drive customer involvement, Robeks will select the five names entered in the contest and invite customers and fans to rank them in a "People's Choice" award. Contestants can enter here.
Bursting with energy and known throughout the world as an essential pollinator of fruits, plants, and trees, the hummingbird has been a vivid symbol of the sun-sweetened whole fruits, natural juices, and healthy ingredients that go into Robeks premium smoothies. From the beginning, the company wanted an icon that instantly communicated the essence of the Robeks brand. A sign of good luck in many cultures, the hummingbird is also associated with high energy, vitality, and friendliness.
Since the company first opened for business in 1996 in Los Angeles, Robeks decided it was time to give this exquisite, feathered creature a name using the popularity of social media.
"We want our customers to join us in having fun with the brand and feel engaged with our campaigns,” says Dan Fullmer, Robeks chief marketing executive. “We have intuitive customers who make healthy eating a top priority, without ever compromising taste. The hummingbird naming contest is a creative way to get the buzz going in Robeks social community, add new friends, and give them a sense of brand ownership."
Hummingbirds are one of the oldest creatures to have lived on the earth, dating back nearly 30 million years. They can be found in many parts of North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. Native Americans and some ancient cultures have a sacred reverence for hummingbirds, ascribing near-mystical powers. A hummingbird can beat its wings as fast as 80 times a second, and certain varieties migrate 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico without stopping. They play a key role in sustaining the earth's fragile ecosystem as plant pollinators.
