MONTEREY, CA - If you ever needed incentive to try out our Quiz Quix product, look no further. With the third annual Organic Produce Summit (OPS) just around the corner, AndNowUKnow teamed up with the group behind OPS to bring two $500 prizes to the trade show floor in Monterey, California, on July 11th—one for a supply-side competitor and one for a buy-side winner!
Participants must be an attendee or exhibitor to compete! The AndNowUKnow team will launch a live link of the Quiz Quix to the OPS crowd on Thursday morning and will conclude at 2 p.m. PST that same day when we will announce the two grand prize winners.
Here is a recap of our Quiz Quix platform: This product is a fun and exciting vehicle we created, full of produce industry facts, category highlights, and fun anecdotes where buy-side and supply-side friends can test their skills, compete with colleagues and customers, and find key marketing and selling points to up your produce game.
The process is simple and easy. Just click the link in our email invite, sign in via one of four, easy-to-login social media channels, and you're ready to test your produce industry knowledge. Pair speed with accuracy to win! Just FYI—logging in through your social media accounts does not give AndNowUKnow access to any of your data, just makes the process a cinch.
See you all next week at OPS and grab a pic with us for our trade show yearbook as well!
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist Farms recently announced that it has upped its organic vegetable acreage to meet growing shopper demand. Since its inception in 2015, the Ocean Mist Organic® brand has seen large-scale growth. The fourth generation, family-owned and operated organization started farming organic artichokes in 2000 and now provides 16 additional vegetables sold under the Ocean Mist Organic label.
“We have been thoughtfully expanding the Ocean Mist Organic brand over the past three years, strategically increasing production, while ensuring Ocean Mist Farms’ strict standards are being met,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing. “At Ocean Mist Farms, each individual takes personal pride and responsibility in their role to grow and deliver the very best fresh vegetables every day.”
Ocean Mist Farms noted its commitment to the company’s long-standing sustainable farming practices dates all the way back to 1924. According to a press release, the Ocean Mist R&D department is steadfast in conducting comprehensive and ongoing seed research that aligns with organic production parameters.
In addition to the increase in acreage, the company is expanding the Ocean Mist Organic team by welcoming Dan Solomon as it new Organic Production Manager. With more than 22 years of experience in the fresh produce industry, formerly with Earthbound Farm, Solomon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Ocean Mist Farms.
“I am excited to join the Ocean Mist Farms team and look forward to contributing to Ocean Mist Organic’s brand growth,” stated Solomon. “This team’s dedication to providing the best quality products and customer service to our industry is evident by their commitment to grow this organization from the inside out.”
To showcase the growth of Ocean Mist Farms’ organic production, the company is sponsoring two field tours the morning of July 11th to kick-start the Organic Produce Summit. Following the field tours, the Ocean Mist Organic team will be exhibiting at the Organic Produce Summit July 11-12 at booth #303.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Everyone wants to be relevant. It’s a constant effort, seen in our industry and well beyond, but what does the term “relevant” entail and how does one achieve this desired state of business? These are questions that Golin’s Jesse Dienstag approaches with seemingly unmatched gusto. As Executive Director and Head of Planning, Jesse has made a career out of relevance and the art of staying up-to-speed with what’s going on in the world.
“It’s not just about being cool or popular—there are actual building blocks to help you stay relevant,” Jesse enlightens me, before defining what the term “relevant” means to the industry as we know it. “It’s a two-part principle. Relevance is what attracts and what keeps people paying attention to what a brand or product has to say, and then moves them into action. So that includes people’s willingness to listen, to pay attention, and a willingness to act—that’s how you know you will be relevant.”
At a recent presentation that Jesse gave for FPFC, he dove into trends, social media listening, and social conversations around certain varieties. The key finding, Jesse tells me, is that the conversation varies vastly depending on the location the research is focused on. Geographically, trends and conversations will differ, but the techniques to find the numbers are what ties the whole process together.
“The point is, when you go out to market, are you listening, do you know your audience, and are you tailoring different messages for different people to stay relevant?” he questions.
To expand upon these questions that businesses are asking themselves, I inquire how this can be seen in the produce industry, specifically. Last year, Jesse shares, “How to cut a mango” was one of the most Googled searches pertaining to produce. As a marketer, he points out that this is when you think you have found the problem to solve. One may think that the way to drive business is to educate everyone on how to cut a mango, he suggests. However, Jesse cuts to the heart of it, “How to cut a mango” search varies enormously depending on U.S. geography and once numbers are revealed, that Google search is only really huge in a few places. Looking at Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter throughout the country reinforces the idea that Google searches and the right approach will not be the same from sea to shining sea.
“In some places, ‘How to cut a mango’ is absolutely the thing you need to do,” he recommends, “but in other places, people understand how to ripen a mango, cut a mango, and eat a mango. For them, the message is different, and you focus on the question, ‘How can I use a mango more than I am using it now?’ It’s a way of approaching marketing toward people with a different level of understanding for the product.”
The two foundational building blocks, he says, for creating relevance come down to this: attention—are you able to grab someone’s attention right off the bat? If you can’t the rest doesn’t really matter because you’re being ignored, he says—and action—once you have someone’s attention, can you get them to act?
He goes on to express that data shows there is a need to always be listening—are you aware of what they are thinking, saying, and doing? There is a need to find what is trending, especially in our fast-paced world. There is also a need to look for future-forward trends that won’t necessarily be shown in data.
What is the key to thinking future-forward, you ask? Jesse has answers.
“I think like everything else, it’s a matter of getting outside your bubble a bit. Everyone has their go-to source for keeping them informed, but whatever you have to do to get outside of that is helpful. I would give that advice to anyone at any level,” Jesse says. “If you are doing the same thing every time to tap into the world, you are probably settling. The reality is, you can pay for someone else to do that for you, or you can do it yourself. You can look around. There are so many different things to take in. There are more food influencers out there than any other category. They are free for everyone on every social media platform. It’s not about the people with the most following, it’s the about the people who have the most engaged followers—who people trust.”
With eyes peeled and ears low to the ground, industry members can create a business that is relevant in perpetuity, as the practices push produce forward in ever-inspiring new ways.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon is reportedly expanding its high-tech concept store Amazon Go. News source GeekWire first began reporting on a second location in the company’s hometown earlier this week—noting that the new store will be nearly double the size of its pilot—at 3,000 square feet of fresh-focused retail space.
Sharp-eyed Seattleites first noticed Amazon Go’s “No Lines. No Checkout. (No Seriously.)” motto through a gap in window-covering at the downtown Seattle Madison Center, and the retailer confirmed the new store location to GeekWire, noting: “We are excited to bring Amazon Go to 920 5th Avenue in Seattle. The store will open in Fall 2018.”
The news source went on to review permit filings and discovered that the new location is 70 percent larger than its predecessor—less than a mile away at the base of the Amazon Day 1 tower.
This February, Amazon confirmed plans that it would open six new Amazon Go stores over the course of 2018, and at that time, billionaire developer Rick Caruso noted that he and the retailer were in “serious talks” to bring the company’s cashierless concept to Caruso’s 600,000-square-foot Los Angeles, California, store The Grove, though Amazon refused to comment on the matter.
Could Amazon Go be bringing cashierless checkout to a market near you? AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you updates as the new concept builds steam.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY - What’s better than Christmas? Well, Christmas in July, of course! LGS Specialty is bringing the gift that keeps on giving with the expansion of its Darling Citrus product line, which will now include Darling Lemons. Clementines, oranges, minneolas, and lemons from Darling Citrus are grown in some of the best groves from around the world to bring high-quality and in-season citrus to consumers year-round.
“Darling is a stand-out brand whose product line we have nurtured throughout the years and will continue nurturing to ensure our customers are receiving the highest quality products from LGS,” President and Founder of LGS Luke Sears. “With the addition of Darling Lemons, we can continue to provide a wide range of options to our customers searching for in-season citrus.”
In order to bring its high-quality standards to its expanding produce, the company, known for being one of the first companies to bring clementines to the U.S., works closely with its global partners. LGS’s lemons will hail from Argentina, Chile, and Spain to bring peak season flavors for those looking to the citrus variety’s unique zest.
If you’re wondering how these bright beauties will come into stores, I have news for you! In addition to bulk, Darling Lemons will be available in 2 lb, 3 lb, and 5 lb bags, with the packaged goods bundled at peak freshness to offer sweet and tangy flavors to consumers, according to a press release.
To find more nutritional facts and information, check out the company’s website here. Inspiration for the company’s produce can be found on its social media channels here: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SEATTLE, WA - What’s better than Amazon’s latest onslaught of grocery discounts? An entire 36 hours dedicated to rolling out even more grocery discounts at Whole Foods Market, duh. Starting July 16th at 3 p.m. ET and running through July 17th, Amazon is kicking off its 2018 Prime Day, which will include seasonal discounts and more for members across the world.
“Prime members will enjoy a day (and a half) of our best deals, with 36 hours to shop more than one million deals worldwide,” said Jeff Wilke, Amazon CEO Worldwide Consumer Chief, in a press release. “New this year, members can shop exclusive Prime Day launches from hundreds of brands worldwide, enjoy exclusive savings at Whole Foods Market, and experience surprise entertainment events unboxed from giant Smile boxes in major cities. More than 100 million paid Prime members around the world will find our best Prime Day celebration yet.”
While Prime Day has been an annual event for some time now—though last year’s Prime Day lasted only 30 hours—this is the first day consumers can celebrate Prime Day at their local Whole Foods Market. Specifically, an additional 10 percent off hundreds of sale items and popular organic and natural products is available to consumers with the Whole Foods app.
“With Whole Foods now in the picture, we expect Prime Day promotions to extend deep into the food sector, pressuring food retailers for the first time,” said Charlie O’Shea, Moody’s lead retail analyst, according to a report by MarketWatch.
Will this year’s Prime Day disrupt the grocery sector even more than Amazon already is? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the retail scene.
LOS ANGELES, CA - If you spot something that doesn’t belong, you are likely to do a double-take. And you will probably stare if it is as fascinating and fun as a sloth on a barre.
I don’t name this scenario at random, it took place at Barre Belle studio in Los Angeles as a sweet spin to a new campaign POM Wonderful launched last month to promote the brands’ line of Antioxidant Super Teas: Some Things Are Better Together.
The digital campaign, designed to appeal to a millennial audience, is inspired by cute and fun internet memes of animals in unlikely situations and ultimately showcases that some things are better when they’re put together, according to press release. Like a cat on a Roomba, or a pug in a stroller, tea and POM Wonderful are a better-together pairing.
To kick off this refreshing millennial summer campaign, POM Tea "pushed goat yoga aside" and hosted the first-ever Sloth Barre class in June.
As a sloth enthusiast, and a watcher of reality TV, three faces I easily recognized made it to this event: Lola the Sloth, who you might remember having delighted actress Kristen Bell on The Ellen Show, a meeting that went viral; Ashley Iaconnetti of The Bachelor; and reality TV personality Ali Landry.
See for yourself in the video below.
Not only is the campaign supported by a social media push across Facebook and Instagram, but the brand is utilizing Instagram Stories and branded posts on Snapchat as ad placements for the first time, appearing as users swipe between stories.
The company noted that the multifaceted campaign includes a robust program partnering with millennial influencers to create social media content throughout the summer. Keep an eye out for things that may not seem to belong, but might just be better together!
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed an administrative complaint under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) against Northwest Produce LLC (Northwest).
According to a press release, the company, operating from Idaho, allegedly failed to make payment to 11 produce sellers in the amount of $85,054 from July 2015 through June 2017.
Northwest will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart is adding a few rare drops of girl power into its executive pool this summer, naming women to both its U.S. Chief Customer Officer and Chief Marketing Officer roles. According to an internal memo shared by CEO Greg Foran and U.S. E-Commerce CEO Marc Lore, the retail giant has chosen Janey Whiteside and Barbara Messing to fill its newly created Chief Customer Officer role and its CMO role, respectively.
“I’m so excited to be joining Walmart and its awesome, talented team,” Whiteside posted on LinkedIn. “Retail is going through immense change and it’s an incredible time in the industry. If there is anything I have learned in my more than 20 years with American Express it’s that creating an end-to-end experience for customers is paramount. This new role is a step change for Walmart and it reflects the company’s passion for keeping the customer at the center of everything it does. As (Walmart U.S. CEO) Greg Foran and (E-Commerce CEO) Marc Lore put it, ‘we know when we put customers first, we win.’”
Whiteside will begin her work with Walmart on August 1st and be based in Hoboken, NJ, site of Walmart's Jet.com unit, according to a report by AdAge. Prior to having spent the past two decades at American Express, Whiteside was most recently Executive Vice President and General Manager of Global Premium Products and Benefits after holding many other positions of increasing responsibility in marketing, business development, and other departments.
Messing will join Whiteside at Walmart as CMO in mid-August, the source continued. In her current role as CMO of TripAdvisor, Messing helped lead her team to transition the company from a media-only site into a trip-booking e-commerce player. Soon to be based at Walmart's Bentonville, AR, headquarters, Messing will lead marketing for both Walmart stores and its e-commerce operations.
In the memo, Foran and Lore noted that Whiteside will “play a critical role looking after our brand and thinking through the customer journey—from acquiring new customers to their shopping experience and resolving any issues they may have.”
How will Whiteside and Messing help to shape Walmart going forward? AndNowUKnow will keep our eyes on these powerhouse women as they continue to make moves.
HOUSTON, TX - It’s a no-brainer that athletes stand as an influential pillar for a healthy lifestyle, holding an influential role for a broad consumer base and being associated by default with fitness.
The Ricky Davis Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization established and founded by NBA star and 13-year veteran of professional athletics Ricky Davis. The celebrated athlete is using his span with several NBA teams to give back, and his latest move was to team up with Brothers Produce in Houston, Texas, to hand fresh produce and groceries out to the homeless.
“The foundation is really big on nutrition, so that’s why we hooked up with Brothers Produce to get them the fresh fruits and fresh vegetables they don’t get every day,” Davis told Fox 26 Houston in a video interview, expressing surprise and sympathy for how many people do not get the fresh produce they need.
At a time when movements like FNV, Produce for Kids, and more are looking to sway children towards picking fresh produce, Brothers Produce CEO Brent Erenwert told me he is hoping to see other produce people reach out to a demographic already won by our industry but without the means to enjoy it.
“The Ricky Davis Legacy Foundation approached me because of work Brothers Produce has done like this locally, and I would love to see more of our industry get involved,” Brent shared, calling it an eye-opening experience that made all the work to organize the event well worth it. “Much like when we were hit by Hurricane Harvey and everyone came together it would be wonderful to see us side by side, competitor or ally, friend or foe, to do something really good.”
Brent shares that the team is packing plastic bags with various produce items such as apples, bananas, berries, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, and plums before adding various toiletries like deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. A GoFundMe can be found here.
“We then use a refrigerated produce truck to drive to about four to five areas in each city, handing out these care packs as well as cold water sports hydrating beverages,” he explains. “There will be news coverage in each city, as well as NBA players helping assist with handing out and packing of the bags.”
Ways to donate or help include providing product, services, volunteering, and/or donations towards the goods.
“Every little bit helps and together as an industry, united, we can make a difference in so many people’s lives,” Brent concludes.
Brothers Produce and the Ricky Davis Legacy Foundation are continuing to make an impact through fresh produce across the nation, with upcoming grocery giveaways slated for San Francisco, Detroit, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, and New York City, based on the Big 3 basketball league tour, owned by rapper Ice Cube.
“Using several of my distribution partners, growers, and vendors in the various cities, I plan on personally traveling to as many of these areas as I can. I want to more than coordinate this, I want hands on with this project and help as many as I can,” Brent shares. “At the end of our journey I plan on creating a montage to thank all those involved and share our voyage. I hope that through this we can as an industry do more and more projects like this.”
Please contact Brent Erenwert to donate or learn how to get involved.