Title: History of the Banana – www.jimmccluskey.com
Headings: BANANARAMA
BANANARAMA
Content: Faced with the expropriation, the United Fruit Company, backed by the U.S. Government, claimed the land was really worth $75 per acre. Citing the threat of Communism the U.S. backed the coup which ousted Arbenz and led to a military dictatorship …and ended the threat of land reform and other progressive measures. Split
But times were changing for the banana companies. Worker strikes led to labor reforms. The monopoly of United Fruit Company was broken by an anti-trust suit in 1958 which forced it to sell parts of the company to competitors and Guatemalan entrepreneurs. In 1962, the United Fruit Company began marketing its bananas under the Chiquita brand name— the first attempt by a fruit or vegetable producer to create “brand loyalty.” They were trying to convince the public that Chiquita bananas were better than bananas from other companies. Result: The marketing campaign boosted the popularity of bananas, but not brand loyalty. Today imperialist politics have taken a back seat to more modern business practices.