Perspective and perception.
I envision these words entwined in an infinity symbol, one constantly informing the position of the other. They are the words on the edge of embarking on something new or staying in a lane of continuity. We crave what is new. We crave what is familiar. Perspective brings the temptations into view, and perception takes the wheel.
Rounding two years with the National Mango Board, Director of Marketing Lavanya Setia’s perspective growing up with mangos was that the fruit was a given. Much like my California blood bleeds for avocados, she can’t fathom having to explain her love for mangos. As her passion for a fruit that inspires and brings her home colors the pages of The Snack, see how Lavanya and her team’s voice will amplify the mango’s market presence, bringing consumer perceptions in line with the perspective of a mango-loving world.
Lavanya Setia, Director of Marketing, National Mango Board: I am originally from India, so a love for mango is culturally ingrained, and I am happy to work toward something I am passionate about. It is certainly different from my background working with Universal, a luxury pet boarding company, and other experiences. When I found this role, it felt like coming back home.
LS: When I tell my family back home that people in the U.S. don’t know how to pick or eat a mango, they can’t believe it! Personally, growing up in India, mango is seasonal, so it is not only well-known, it’s anticipated, and there is a rush to enjoy them before the window has closed. In the U.S., while there is a peak season, our growers work tirelessly to make mangos available year-round. Even in December and January 2025, we had mangos available, so while consumers still have some learning to do, we also have more time to help them.
LS: I have a five-year-old, and the frozen mango pit—which is a growing tactic among new moms—worked wonders for me when she was a teething toddler. For consumers, education on recipes suited to different conditions and seasons’ weather to inspire is critical. Once we show consumer interest and requests for mangos, then keeping them stocked becomes a sensible solution for retailers. That is what we are consistently striving to accomplish.
In the store, we have point-of-sale (POS) options for retailers in the off-season to promote mangos—a warm cider or a pie, for example!
If you finally find out how to cut a mango, but don’t know that it isn’t ripe, it will color your experience. So, we are working to differentiate and educate consumers on a ripe, ready-to-eat mango. For retailers, the important thing to note, especially in winter months, is the USDA-approved, off-the-chart nutritional value of mangos. They contain more than 20 vitamins, and I think the challenge for marketing mangos is focusing on just one.
LS: People often think of certain categories for specific needs, but mangos have so many that not one anchor has yet been agreed on for the category. Blueberries, for example, offer more than antioxidants, but one continuous message has helped them shine as a superfood for that attribute. Finding those niche areas for the powerful mango is our next big step.
We also want to be sure we are lifting up not just the category but the entire fresh industry. We are not seeking to unseat another superfood. We believe that joining together in the fruit bowl is an important part of everyone’s success. We need to band together against candy, not each other.
“In the U.S., while there is a peak season, our growers work tirelessly to make mangos available year-round.”
- Lavanya Setia, Director of Marketing, National Mango Board
LS: A culinary aspect of our program is completely focused on recipe curation and creation. Working together with nutritionists, we ensure our recipes target new diets, needs, and other specificities to accommodate any niche. Our big initiative this year is to identify key users and adopters experimenting with mangos, as well as why anyone might be averse to this wonderful fruit. Our team is eager to tackle those challenges, our customer is ever-evolving, and the potential is immeasurable.
As our conversation winds down—a dialogue of fruit and nostalgia, of the avenues between familiarity and new frontiers—I think of Lavanya’s priceless perspective on superfood. How a paradox of nutritional offerings has made the mango a challenge to compartmentalize, therefore a difficult story to perpetuate. Perhaps this wonderfruit, like many of us, just needs to lean into the oddities that make it special. If the perspective is that it is like no other, let’s make sure the perception matches the potential. As Lavanya herself promises, the mango is immeasurable. 
