Why Trust is Replacing ‘Fresh’ as the Core Produce Marketing Message in 2026
January 28, 2026 | 1 min to read
For decades, fresh produce marketing has relied on a familiar set of promises: fresh, local, sustainable, high quality. Those words still matter but in 2026, they are (unfortunately) no longer enough.
Across retail, foodservice, and commissary channels, buyers and consumers are navigating general volatility with pricing pressure, labor uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and growing skepticism toward marketing claims that feel interchangeable.
As a result, the emotional driver behind purchasing decisions is shifting.
Today, the winning produce brands are not the ones shouting freshness the loudest. They are the ones quietly building and signaling confidence. If it seems like I’ve been shouting about “trust” from the rooftops a lot lately, it’s because I have done just that. Marketers, in 2026 we must finally dig in and build that trust that today’s consumer is no longer willing to wait to have with your brand.
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