While the annual PMA Foodservice conference in Monterey, CA gets us excited each year for new trends and ideas for consuming and using fresh produce in unique ways, this year’s conference inspired us in an entirely different way. It was the first session of the day on Saturday morning that appeased our “marketing senses” and set the stage for the outstanding storytelling that followed on Sunday.
New York Times bestselling author and marketing professor Jonah Berger kicked off the conference by discussing “Turning Your Consumers into Advocates.” Berger urged the marketers in the room to “find the remarkability in your story,” and compel people to connect with your story enough to share it with their friends, who then share it with their friends, and so on. Finding your remarkability means understanding what your consumers care about- is it your sustainable growing practices? Added product value? A “trigger” pairing (ex. peanut butter and jelly)? A funny mascot? Whatever that thing may be, the end goal is to make your brand pop up in a person’s mind at the right place and right time.
You can read more about what to do once you’ve found your remarkability in Berger’s book Contagious, but his discussion got us thinking about produce brands who integrate their brands and share their company stories in a way that sets them apart from the competition. Remarkable brands go well beyond a logo on a booth or a polo shirt – these brands integrate their voice and personality consistently across every touch point they create. During PMA Foodservice, we experienced several outstanding examples of brands that integrated their voices and displayed their “remarkability” across the conference with their presence.
The all natural salad dressing and condiment group out of Annapolis, MD, presents a fun-loving and preppy brand voice through the three Vetter brothers who started the company using their mom’s homemade dressing recipe. Tessemae’s excels at integrating their brand voice throughout all marketing touchpoints – especially when it comes to face-to-face interactions.
For example – brothers Greg and Brian lived the brand during the 3rd Annual Tour de Fresh charity bike ride in advance of the PMA Foodservice Conference. The two won a (single) yellow jersey as the best comedy relief of the ride…. And immediately proceeded to try it on. At the same time. Then, at the tradeshow, they continued the lively promotion of their brand, enthusiastically sharing samples of new products from their booth, while decked out in very on-brand chambray shirts and boat shoes.
Royal Rose, grower of bigger | fresher | better radicchio, effectively promotes this versatile vegetable that is “revered in Italy and throughout Europe”. We had a chance to speak with company president, Ed O’Malley, at FSC about the company’s expanding marketing efforts. There’s a lot to like about the brand’s booth, digital platforms and upcoming new products; but, we were especially blown away when Ed introduced us to Roberta Boscolo. Not only does Roberta handle sales and marketing for the brand, she was also strategically selected to answer consumer phone calls due to her rich, Italian accent that, well, accentuates the brand.
This new age farm claims “there’s a difference” in their slogan and when it came to their beautiful booth at the PMA Foodservice conference, there certainly was. When we first saw Owyhee Produce on the exhibition floor, the unique barn door back-drop, shabby chic lighting and tech-savvy display immediately caught our attention. Little did we know, that was just the beginning. Greeted by smiling sales staff, our team spoke to the mastermind behind the marketing and we learned the meaning behind the name “Owyhee” and given a sneak peek into this innovative company. We were beyond blown away by what they had to offer and not at all surprised that they became the 2016 Best of Show winner!
Monterey MushroomsTwo words: Portabella Porter. We felt this creative (and delicious!) concoction was a smart way to integrate the casual and fun-loving aspect of the Monterey Mushrooms brand. And with a medley of mushrooms on display, along with a flavor intensity meter for reference, our imaginations ran wild with possible pairings! In fact, the mushroom grower provided a variety of coasters recommending ideal varietal and beer pairings that enticed foodservice buyers and mixologists looking for new and creative menu offerings. Monterey Mushrooms’ innovation and originality definitely stood out in the exhibition’s sea of fresh produce.
Frieda’s™We’ve written previously about Frieda’s impressive millennial targeted branding and storytelling, and we’re so glad that the specialty produce brand has focused on their remarkability by seamlessly integrating into every touchpoint we’ve experienced with them. This year, Frieda’s had an exciting new face in their booth to serve up and talk about their products. Chef Diane Scalia was a shining example of the Frieda’s approachable and fun-loving brand. As a former tapas chef, Chef Diane had a special love for Frieda’s unique offerings and was excited to share every single one with us, highlighting why they are special.
Chef Todd Fisher with Duda Farm Fresh Foods
We can’t get enough of Chef Todd, and he is a shining example of brand integration that extends beyond the products. We can count on Duda to bring this chef’s smiling face and delicious, on-trend recipes to the show year after year. As a result, he’s become an extension of Duda’s brand and a remarkable way to connect with customers in the booth and beyond. He proudly served a delicious and unique twist on Greek salad with celery and falafel pops during the Chef Talks luncheon that had us coming back for seconds!
We enjoyed getting a taste of the Live Gourmet® lettuce during the Chef Talks lunch on Saturday during the convention, and it appears so did many of you since their recipe featuring a lettuce wrap and multitude of Asian inspired ingredients won the competition! Hollandia made sure to talk up what makes this living lettuce so special as people sampled, a sign that they are well on their way to latching onto their “remarkability” through their storytelling.
This organization knows how to have fun with their marketing efforts, and it’s contagious! During the Chef Talks luncheon, they served up a tasty warm quinoa, mushroom and bacon salad. You never would have known the mushrooms weren’t meat! Along with their mushroom growers, The Mushroom Council continues to shine in delivering their messages surrounding mushrooms as a meat substitute and blendable item that foodservice buyers love to hear about. It’s certainly something that makes mushrooms remarkable!
Local RootsThis integrated farming solutions provider caught many eyes on the show floor, not only as a first time exhibitor, but also because their display was bright, engaging and energetic. In fact, from the moment we stepped into the booth we felt a contagious sense of energy from this passionate group, who exuded the brand itself. As a young group of entrepreneurs, their west coast roots were obvious and their story was relatable, as it is not unlike that of many tech startups from the last 20 years, yet it involves FRESH food. We look forward to seeing more of what this group has to offer and continuing to experience their remarkable storytelling at future industry events.
J. Marchini Farms Makes Salads Great Again
J. Marchini Farms hit it out of the park with their clever play on Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Our team of DMA’ers proudly sported the “Radicchio Make Salads Great Again” hats and were happy to hear about J. Marchini Farms winning the 2016 Best Marketing Slogan award! I think we can all agree on #RadicchioForPresident.
Center for Growing Talent by PMA
Dolla, dolla bills… As marketing materials! We loved the Center for Growing Talent by PMA’s creative way of showcasing their 10 for Talent campaign – a remarkable part of who this group is and what they stand for. Not only are they raising money to bring new, fresh talent into the industry, they made it easy and fun to donate at the show. With a donation kiosk, photo booth, and enthusiastic theme, The Center for Growing Talent made a splash both on the show floor and at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives reception. Looking to contribute to the campaign? You can do that here!
All in all, the annual PMA Foodservice Expo brought to light our industry’s continued focus on better understanding and practicing remarkable marketing. We look forward to being back in Monterey in July 2017, this time in the brand new conference center at the Portola!
Wondering how to find your remarkability? We have a whole team of marketers seasoned in fresh produce that are ready to help you. Comment below and we’ll connect with you!
