DEWITT, MICH. – The Michigan Asparagus season concluded one week earlier than usual with ample volume available for summer festivities. To drive sales, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (MAAB) enacted marketing strategies including retail promotions, influencer marketing and digital campaigns which further emphasized the importance of buying local and how that translates into supporting communities one spear at a time.
With barbecues, summer parties and gatherings aplenty, shoppers sought to add flavor and flair back into their recipe lineup, providing Michigan Asparagus a platform to showcase the vegetable’s nutritional value. As healthy eating has continued to prevail, incorporating 12 unique and innovative recipes resulted in more than 37,500 social media impressions.
The MAAB continued investing in its product by strengthening its social media presence by incorporating vibrant imagery, videos, and working with recipe creators. These content creators not only developed new content but took their followers on a journey to learn more about the field to table process as well as educating them about the families responsible for growing Michigan Asparagus. This year’s influencers included a college student and his dog as the “creator/talent” and a mom/recipe creator – both who target a mix of Gen-Z individuals and Millennial families. Overall analytics garnered 44,000 engagements with a total reach of more than 19,000.
The MAAB worked with eight key retailers across the Midwest making a significant investment in digital campaigns, point of sale (POS), and in-store demos to drive the locally grown/locally sourced messaging home. With the goal to increase brand awareness and tell the story about why incorporating a dynamic vegetable brings meals to life, this year’s mix of traditional and programmatic advertising reached thousands of consumers, showing people want to know where their food comes from.
“When it comes to superior quality and premium flavor, Michigan asparagus has it all”, states Jamie Clover Adams executive director of the MAAB. “By enacting new and eye-catching strategies and highlighting the vibrant yet nutritious nature of our favorite vegetable, we created a great teaser that ultimately translated into higher foot traffic and an increase in sales during key purchasing periods.”
The MAAB looks forward to next season and is preparing for new opportunities to get Michigan Asparagus on consumer’s plates. For more information, head to the website and follow the MAAB social media channels to learn more about Michigan Asparagus.
About the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (MAAB) promotes the production and consumption of Michigan asparagus. The organization is dedicated to sharing the virtues of asparagus, while also assisting with agricultural research and the development of asparagus farming. The MAAB is funded by Michigan Asparagus growers.
