Pop Secret Popcorn and Disney Parks and Resorts Team Up for Multi-Year Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: DMND) ("Diamond") announced today that it has entered into a long-term strategic alliance agreement with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort tied to its Pop Secret brand premium popcorn. Pop Secret popcorn is now the official popcorn of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.

Diamond Foods also plans to advertise on Disney-owned channels like ABC Family and the Disney Channel. Retail promotions, on-pack sweepstakes and digital content creation are all ways in which Pop Secret popcorn expects to work with Disney.

"We have been looking for an alliance that is in-line with our core brand values and we couldn't be more delighted to announce this relationship with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort," said Burke Raine, Vice President of Marketing, Snacks, at Diamond. "Pop Secret popcorn and Disney both have deep associations with movies and encourage lasting memories shaped by fun family activities."

As part of the relationship, Disney will begin selling freshly popped Pop Secret popcorn at popcorn carts throughout Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The Pop Secret brand will also become the title sponsor of the nightly Fantasmic! Show at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort and plans to sponsor movie nights held at many of Disney's resort hotels. 

About Pop Secret® Popcorn Since 1984, the Pop Secret® brand has been offering popcorn fans a quality product. Once popped, our premium popcorn kernels are ready to customize and capture all your favorite toppings. Pop Secret® is committed to providing popcorn lovers with a convenient and delicious snack for wherever and whenever they want it – whether settling down on the couch to watch a movie at home or enjoying a snack together! For more information about Pop Secret, please visit http://www.popsecret.com/. 

About Diamond Foods Diamond Foods is an innovative packaged food company focused on building and energizing brands including Kettle Brand® chips, Emerald® snack nuts, Pop Secret® popcorn, and Diamond of California® nuts. Diamond's products are distributed in a wide range of stores where snacks and culinary nuts are sold. For more information, visit the Company's corporate web site: http://www.diamondfoods.com. 

About Walt Disney Parks and Resorts More than 50 years ago, Walt Disney created a new kind of entertainment families could experience together, immersed in detailed atmospheres and vibrant storytelling. His vision now includes a collection of five of the world's leading family vacation destinations – Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif.; Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.; Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan; Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, France; and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, located on Lantau Island. A sixth resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, is currently under construction in Pudong New District, Shanghai. In addition, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts includes the world-class Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club; Adventures by Disney, a guided group vacation experience to some of the world's most popular destinations; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs all Disney parks, resorts, cruise ships, entertainment and attractions.

Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements that are based on Diamond current expectations and assumptions only as of the date of this press release.  These forward-looking statements, including statements about the expected benefits, aspects and duration of the new partnership as well as statements regarding new products, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements.  In particular, these forward-looking statements could be affected by a variety of factors including: Disney rights to approve specific promotions, sweepstakes, content or events; contractual disputes or disagreements; partnership termination rights, including in event of change of control; operational issues at Disney Parks; new product development efforts and compliance with the Disney Nutritional Guidelines; effectiveness of advertising, marketing and promotional programs;  delays, increased costs or challenges in implementing our business strategies; disruptions in our supply chain; competitive dynamics in the consumer foods industry and the markets for our products, including new product introductions; consumer acceptance of new products and product improvements; changes in the legal and regulatory environment; and changes in consumer preferences and demand for our products.  We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Contacts:

Investors: ICRKatie Turner (415) 230-7952

Media: Cat TaggartEdible Inc. (for Pop Secret) (415) 486-3240[email protected]

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SOURCE Diamond Foods, Inc.