THE CHALLENGE

Positioning Wild Blueberries as a fruit ingredient with special properties has been our long-term mission on behalf of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, an international association of growers and processors.

OUR APPROACH

Working with WBANA, we developed a colorful and memorable brand identity for Wild Blueberries, aimed at the food processing industry. "The Wild Advantage" highlighted the differences between Wild Blueberries and their cultivated cousins, including their sweet taste, small size and deep color.

The emergence of the health story. In 1997, USDA research ranked Wild Blueberries – once used only by manufacturers – at the top of the list in antioxidant content. With the new wave of public interest in nutraceuticals and phytochemicals, we capitalized on the Wild Blueberry story and launched an aggressive, integrated national health and nutrition-based communications campaign for the #1 Antioxidant Fruit™.

Creating a health hero: breaking new ground for Wild Blueberries. Once considered primarily a commodity ingredient by manufacturers, Wild Blueberries have risen to worldwide prominence as a health superstar, thanks to an aggressive health and nutrition-based communications plan. Our campaign – positioning and communicating the antioxidant health benefits of Wild Blueberries – has made Wild Blueberries a household word and successfully fueled demand even as supply has steadily increased.

In 2004 expanded USDA research on antioxidants ranked Wild Blueberries higher than over 20 other fruits. We combined this news with a powerful link to the national 5 A Day The Color Way program recommending a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in the daily diet.

RESULTS

Opening a new, consumer business segment for Wild Blueberries. Wild Blueberries are now prized by consumers as a must-have, anti-aging superfood. The success of our campaign enabled Wild Blueberries to break into an entirely new retail business segment, based on their competitive advantages as a "good for you" fruit. The health message has resonated strongly with health-conscious consumers, who are driving demand for the product in the supermarket. Our communication efforts have also targeted nutrition experts and food writers, who have responded with story after story on the health benefits of Wild Blueberries. As a result, Wild Blueberries have become known internationally as the #1 Antioxidant Fruit. They have been featured in Health, Eating Well, Prevention and Martha Stewart Living and on The Today Show and Oprah, and appeared as the only fruit in TIME magazine's cover story, "The Science of Staying Healthy."

 

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