The Organic Agriculture and Products Education Institute (Organic Institute) has launched its first national consumer education and marketing campaign called “Organic. It’s worth it.” to boost consumer trust, knowledge and purchase of organic products in the US.
“The mission of this campaign is to answer consumer questions about organic with the clear message that organic is worth it in every way from healthcare and economics to farming and the environment,” said Christine Bushway, president of the Organic Institute and executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), the sponsor of the campaign.
Designed to be of service to families with young children at home, the campaign aims to reach out to new mothers, the primary gateways to organic, according to OTA marketing director Laura Batcha, who developed the campaign with Haberman, the Minneapolis brand public relations firm, on behalf of the Organic Institute.
“Helping mothers make the connection between the personal health of their families and the health of the environment is key to this education and marketing initiative,” explained Ms Batcha. “It gives them the rationale they need to make the organic purchase.”
“Organic. It’s worth it.” is a web-based campaign that uses banner advertisements with the look and feel of to-do lists as its primary educational tool. Each banner ad informs about how organics empower consumers to “check-off ” tasks from their practical to-do lists while meeting goals on their aspirational wish lists.
“By buying organic food, for example, consumers can check off grocery shopping from their personal to-do lists and meet some of their wish list’s goals, too, like helping to keep their kids healthy and supporting the environment. It’s an empowering educational process,” explained Ms Batcha.
The campaign accommodates a variety of topics of concern to families who might be open to choosing organic. Among these are organic product’s connections to healthy kids, nutritious meals, food people trust, clean water and a healthy future. A separate banner ad takes up each of these issues.
All of the banner advertisements lead to a micro-site that enhances the mood of the banner ads by speaking to consumers about organic agriculture and products in a friendly but non-preachy way.
The ads will run from 5 March through late May on sites such as CafeMom.com, NPR.org, CNN.com, Parents.com and IdealBite.com.
A public relations campaign highlighting the benefits, worth and availability of organic products, conducted by Haberman, will accompany the banner ads and micro-site initiative.
