‘Who wants dried fruit?’

While not a question that generally elicits the most enthusiastic reponse, Ocean Spray International Services, maker of the well-known cranberry cocktail, is hoping to change that with the national introduction this month of Craisins.

Craisins, dried cranberries, are being positioned as a snack item for the whole family, according to Cheryl Radisa, marketing manager for Ocean Spray. ‘They’re a fun way to enjoy dried fruit,’ says Radisa, adding that the color and taste of the product make them especially enjoyable.

‘One crazy snack’ is how the product is being touted in point-of-sale material (no tv or print advertising is planned at this point, according to Radisa).

The company’s in-store effort includes an extensive sampling program in which small pouches of Craisins will be attached to bottles of the company’s line of cranberry-blend beverages. The idea is to get the product into the hands of Canadians who might never venture into the dried-fruit section of their grocery store’s produce department.

Ocean Spray is also including an fsi, featuring a recipe for oatmeal-cranberry cookies, in many of Canada’s daily newspapers, according to Radisa.

Craisins were launched in the u.s. four years ago and recently achieved national distribution in Canada.