Watsonville, CA – California Giant Berry Farms launched a marketing program in March encouraging shoppers to use the traceback function for berries purchased on the company website www.calgiant.com and the campaign is resulting in success for both the company and the consumer all summer long.
Several years ago, the company invested in a food safety traceability function that allows trading partners and consumers to trace each clamshell of fresh California Giant berries back to the source. Rather than using this function simply as a responsive food safety solution the company expended it into a proactive marketing campaign that directs shoppers to flip over their clamshell after purchase and enter the 16-digit code on calgiant.com to learn more about where their specific berries were grown.
Thousands of shoppers have entered in traceback codes on the company website to trace their specific clamshell of berries purchased back to the ranch and to be entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win a cash reward each month. Once on the site they not only gain access to information on where the berries were grown, they are also able to view recipes, tips and video content featuring the farmers and their families on the ranch telling their story. “The campaign increases awareness of our item level traceability program and captures demographics of those purchasers as we tell our story straight from the farm. We connect with shoppers as they are purchasing our brand and begin building loyalty immediately with the additional information found on the traceback page. If they weren’t already a fan, they become one once they enter the contest, connect with a farmer and taste our berries”, says Cindy Jewell, VP of Marketing.
Consumers have provided very positive feedback because of the “Follow us to our Farm” program with emails and calls thanking the company for their transparency and sharing information about the berries they purchased. One of the California Giant farmers also posted a video on social media encouraging shoppers to use the traceback feature here https://youtu.be/kedjfFXtGxE. The staff at California Giant views this type of program as just the beginning of a conversation with shoppers that will lead into a long relationship.
The promotion will be offered through September and is supported by social media and videos from the farm and the store. Each time a shopper enters their code at https://www.calgiant.com/trace they are entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win a monthly cash prize of $100.
Source: California Giant Berry Farms
