Dan Kim, Red Mango, Inc. Founder, To Speak At Likeable U Awards In New York City, May 15

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May 08, 2012, 09:00 ET

DALLAS, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- How do you bring an international brand to the U.S., open more than 170 stores in a credit crisis, win loyal customers for repeat business across North America, and earn the #1 Zagat rating in today's economy? Be Likeable.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120508/DA02620)

That's what Red Mango, Inc. Founder and Chief Concept Officer Dan Kim will discuss as a featured speaker at the first annual Likeable U Awards: Creating a More Likeable World, during Internet Week (IWNY) on May 15 at the Desmond Tutu Center in New York City.

"Social Media Beyond the Buzz," the theme of the meeting, is a hot topic for Kim who credits Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more for facilitating a dialogue between Red Mango® and consumers that has resulted in an international franchising success story. With more than 500,000 Red Mango followers on social media channels, Kim will discuss the importance of pictures in building social media relationships with the Likeable U crowd.

"Social media is our direct lifeline to our consumers," Kim says, who opened the first Red Mango store in the U.S. in 2007 and continues to expand the brand across the Americas. "I want Red Mango customers to feel that they can directly contact me and have a say in our products. Images are also an important aspect of social media. Giving fans a visual allows for great feedback."

Contradicting the idea that big brands need big advertising dollars to establish themselves, Red Mango has fostered a grassroots connection with its audience through social media and brick-and-mortar locations, letting its healthy products support the slogan to "Treat Yourself Well"®.

With more than 170 locations in North America, Red Mango offers over 50 flavors of all-natural frozen yogurt, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and, uniquely delicious smoothies that are made with fresh fruit (instead of frozen fruit) and sweetened with all-natural stevia.

About Red Mango:

Red Mango, one of the fastest growing retailers of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, opened its first U.S. store in July 2007 in Los Angeles, and has since celebrated more than 170 store openings in North America. Red Mango was named the number one smoothie and frozen yogurt chain in America in Zagat's 2011 National Chain Restaurants Survey. Other awards have included the prestigious Nation's Restaurant News' "Hot Concepts!" award and the industry-recognized SupplySide's "Scientific Excellence Award," as well as best frozen yogurt honors in Dallas, Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Utah and New York by highly-regarded independent publications. Headquartered in Dallas, Red Mango serves uniquely delicious frozen yogurt that is all-natural, nonfat and lowfat, gluten-free and fortified with beneficial live and active probiotic cultures like GanedenBC30®(Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), which helps support the immune and digestive systems when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Red Mango is the first frozen yogurt retailer to earn the National Yogurt Association's Live and Active Cultures seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt. Red Mango recently expanded its menu to include satisfying meal options such as its all-natural fruit and yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies.