Minneapolis-based marketing agency Full Tilt specialises in fresh produce and recently won a coveted Graphic Design USA award in recognition of its website work for Woot Froot, a new line of branded fresh-cut peaches and nectarines marketed by Fresh Fruit Cuts, based in Fresno, California.
In addition, two of Full Tilt's clients – including Woot Froot – have been nominated for new product awards at the United Fresh produce show, which takes place in Chicago on 10-13 June. During the event, Full Tilt will offer free marketing reviews in the event's newly created Expert Consultation Center.
Americafruit spoke to Full Tilt managing partner Melinda Goodman about the Good Design award and the United Fresh nominations.
What is Full Tilt Marketing and what's the history of the company?
Melinda Goodman: Full Tilt Marketing is a full-service strategic marketing company specialising in fresh produce. We assist clients in the fresh produce industry with all of their marketing needs from brand development and management, B2B and B2C communication, packaging design, new product development, new product launch, new business development, public relations and social media.
The company is about two years old and was founded by my partner Heidi McIntyre and myself. We had both been in the industry for over 15 years in various marketing capacities and we believed there were business synergies to bring our skill-sets together to facilitate clients looking to grow their business through strategic marketing.
Can you tell us a bit about the work you did for Woot Froot, explaining the thinking behind what emerged as an award-winning website design and what kind of objectives Fresh Fruit Cuts wanted to achieve in commissioning the work?
MG: We work seamlessly with Fresh Fruit Cuts handling all aspects of their branding. We began working with them about 18 months ago and it was during that time that we started with a strategic marketing review to identify their goals and plans for growth. We've worked with them to create a brand name, Woot Froot, craft a brand image, packaging design, product messaging and consumer outreach, as well as work with retailers and media to introduce the product. The website is one of the many tools in the marketing toolkit. The goal of the brand has always been to bold and fun, capturing the essence of not only the company culture, but also the exciting flavour of this new product.
Who are the two clients nominated for awards at United Fresh? What kind of work have you done with these two customers?
MG: One is Fresh Fruit Cuts and Woot Froot sliced peaches and nectarines, which are nominated for New Fruit Product. The other is Black Gold Farms, nominated in the New Vegetable Product category for Roasties potatoes featuring McCormick seasonings.
We have worked with Black Gold Farms to help them craft B2B messaging, build their brand awareness in the retail industry and develop a retail brand and packaging for Black Gold Farms red potatoes. Roasties is a new product that we worked with them on to develop, including facilitating a cross-merchandising relationship with McCormick for in-pack spices and on-pack co-branding. We also work with them on retail promotions and consumer engagement.
When it comes to marketing, design, corporate identities and social media management in the online era, what lessons can companies learn from the work you have done with existing clients? What do you regard as the most important things to consider when developing an online marketing strategy?
MG: Establishing a reason for your plan and understanding your brand culture and audience must be a priority in all marketing – whether it's brand development, packaging or social media. Authenticity and commitment / follow-through are critical tools to success. The same companies can use the same tools and find varying degrees of success simply based on authenticity and commitment.
You mention in your latest press release that you are offering prospective clients the chance to obtain a free marketing review at United Fresh. What different strategic elements of their marketing plan will you be taking into consideration?
MG: Our first goal is always to listen to clients and get a sense of what their goals are and what challenges they are experiencing. Once we understand their goals and timeline, we can help recommend a process of next steps. It may include new products, a brand refresh or even consistent PR messaging. When we integrate with new clients, we find it is effective to hold a one or two-day strategic planning session with key staff and management where we review trends, the competitive landscape and key strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. We then create bucket lists of what's possible before we start creating a comprehensive plan of work.
