Beech Nut steps up competition with Gerber

FLORIDA, N.Y. Beech-Nut has announced a challenge to competitor baby food maker Gerber: a line of specially-crafted all-natural baby and toddler foods called Let’s Grow! Nineteen new Let’s Grow! products, including a toddler cereal, seven-grain nibbles and whole grain yogurt nibbles, will be debuted with a TV, print and direct mail ad campaign, the company said.

Beech-Nut’s new line will branch out to also include toddler food, company spokespersons said. This addition is part of the company’s strategy to retain parent-consumers past their children’s infancy.

Beech-Nut company officials have said that the product launch will be the biggest in company history. According to a report released by Nielsen Monitor-plus, Beech-Nut spent $4.8 million advertising its baby food line in the United States in 2007. Through June, Beech-Nut has spent $2.3 million on advertising this year, reports said.