PLANT CITY, FL - Wish Farms welcomed the start of domestic blueberry season with a berry special treat for influencers and bloggers interested in sneaking a peek at what Wish Farms does best. This event, which included a tour of its packing operations and newest organic blueberry farm, Misty Organics, was a part of Wish Farms ongoing efforts to ramp up consumer excitement for Southeast blueberries by collaborating with social media influencers.
“Whether it’s the world of fashion, family, fitness, or food, influencers are trending across the board. Consumers listen to influencers because they are tapped into the trends,” said Wish Farms’ Director of Marketing Amber Maloney. “From a marketing perspective, we like to collaborate with these bloggers and Instagrammers because they convey our brand message in a subtle, organic way.”
According to a press release, the event kicked off at a local restaurant where the group dined on customized dishes and cocktails that featured Wish Farms’ blueberries in creative ways. Not only did the group get to taste the menu, they were also able to learn new ways to incorporate blueberries into their own recipes, network, and learn the history of Wish Farms’ farming operations. The following day, Wish Farms’ Director of Blueberry Operations and part-Owner of Misty Organics Teddy Koukoulis walked the group through the company’s innovative farming practices, led an informative Q&A session, and offered a taste test of seven blueberry varieties. The tasting also featured a yogurt parfait station to complement the berry varietals with organic granola, cinnamon, and local honey. The event concluded with a tour of Wish Farms’ blueberry packing operation.
“It was an honor to visit and learn how blueberry farming is changing the needs and palates of today's consumers,” said Isabel Reis Lessig, Founder of the Sunday Supper Movement and part of the visiting group. “We all loved spending the day in the field and processing plant learning about the different varieties of blueberries and how they go from the farm to their family tables.”
Lessig was a part of Wish Farms efforts to coordinate with the blogger community. She also helped the berry company reach a larger audience through social media for the #BerryFunny Contest, which included a new joke each week for consumers to enjoy and tag their friends in to win a grand prize.
“The partnership was a resounding success. Along with the boost from the contest, influencers flooded social media with stories, posts, and live videos. Our Facebook page achieved the milestone of over 200,000 page likes, and we increased Instagram followers by over 20 percent,” Maloney continued. “We are pleased that we are reaching our goal to engage with a large national audience of berry lovers.”
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