Fla. Strawberry Growers Prep Winter Promo

To fill the needs of growers and consumers and keep Florida strawberries top of mind year ’round, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) will embark on a targeted marketing program for the upcoming season that will emphasize outreach to consumers, foodservice, food bloggers and national and local-market media.

Florida’s fresh market season begins in late November and ends mid-March.

“We believe when consumers turn to strawberries, no matter what time of year, it benefits Florida growers,” said Sue Harrell, director of marketing for FSGA. “That’s why we want to reach out to consumers all year long. Strawberries are becoming a staple on shopping lists and we benefit from that. Our program this year will build on the fact that more and more nutritious-minded Americans are turning to strawberries year-round because of their deliciousness, health benefits and availability.”

During the 2013-2014 marketing year FSGA will expand its website, enhance its popular Strawberry Sue blog, produce consumer information videos for uploading to YouTube, and increase social media outreach through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other new media outlets. Electronic newsletters to reach up to 500 food bloggers have been approved.

A regional promotion with a popular restaurant chain is planned in 63 retail outlets, and one-on-one desk-side meetings with New York-based national magazine food editors and food bloggers will be arranged. During February, the height of the season, outreach to national and local market television outlets is on the docket.

FSGA retail is a voluntary, non-profit organization of Florida strawberry growers who support research, education and promotion; additional Information is avaiable online.