Brands, Retailers Hook Up for Health

Minneapolis -- The Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign will hit stores nationwide this month in celebration of Earth Day (April 22). Following a successful inaugural campaign last year, 41 different retailers in 43 states -- for a total of 3,962 storefronts -- signed on to be a part of the campaign.The campaign is a collaborative effort between MusicMatters, Minneapolis, The Organic Trade Association, Greenfield, MA, and Earth Day Network, Washington DC. According to MusicMatters' Michael Martin, president of the campaign, it was designed to be a Got Milk?-type campaign for the organic industry, aimed at helping "unify the organic manufacturers and retailers to increase awareness and sales of organic products," he says. "By increasing awareness, interest and education in the community, we drive traffic to the stores and increase sales," Martin says. "We've noticed that it becomes a positive upward spiral because as sales increase, manufacturers can support the education in the community, which helps drive traffic again."Education outside of the store includes an educational curriculum in 80,000 classrooms that was created with Earth Day Network, Web programs, viral e-mail, spokespeople, etc. "The support of Earth Day Network and supporting events across the country all help build the awareness level," says Martin. "That's one of the reasons there is such a dramatic increase in awareness nationally about organics, because we're able to hit on so many different pistons outside of the store and the objective of that is to make people aware so it is more top-of-mind when they walk in the stores."A total of 30 organic manufacturers have signed on to fund the campaign as either Platinum, Gold or Silver sponsors. At the Platinum level, a company receives point-of-sale pieces that are posted in front of each of its products in-store, as well as having its logo printed on posters throughout the store. Johnson Litho Graphics, Eau Claire, WI, printed the display materials. For their part, the retailers provide ad space during the two- to four-week (depending on the retailer) run of the program. Retailers also give endcap space or refrigerated and frozen display space to Platinum sponsors to display their product during the campaign. These companies also have the opportunity to bring in special displays that retailers will place during the time period.Manufacturers recognize the premium value for this campaign-related exposure. "If a company wants to create a display, it will get placement during this timeframe because the manufacturers are funding the program and retailers aren't paying anything. What they are giving us is endcap space, which some of them typically sell, and ad space in their circulars, which they typically sell," says Martin. "They're also allowing us to come in and do in-store demos without an access fee and are doing Web links with us, so this is what they're throwing into the kitty." Coupon books customized by the retailers will also be given out in-store.Pre- and post-testing of last year's campaign was conducted by The Natural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, PA. What it found was that consumer awareness went up 8% in two months and 10 million more adults were aware of organic foods after the campaign than before. What's more, 62% of respondents learned of organics from an in-store display, making P-O-P the number one vehicle in driving awareness. As Martin notes, the campaign in and of itself is unique in that competitors are working side by side to grow the category overall. "I don't know of any other category where you would see this happening, with all these companies working together on a common message."

Brands, Retailers Hook Up for Health

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