Organic Trade Association - "unprecedented marketing"

Other than paying a hefty price premium, why do "we" like organic food (and shampoo, clothes, etc)? The Organic Trade Association is about to tell us and convince the rest of us to join the party....


Organic Trade Association launches unprecedented marketing initiative From the news release:

As the longstanding voice of leadership in the $23.6 billion organic industry, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) http://www.ota.com today announced that the 1,700-member organization is launching an extraordinary consumer marketing and public relations campaign that will reach more than 25 million consumers in the year 2009 alone.

"This unparalleled effort to educate consumers about the benefits of organic comes at an historic point of change for America," explained Christine Bushway, who assumed her position as Executive Director, OTA, in September. "Never has there been as much evidence backing the benefits of organic to public and environmental health, as many organic farmers on the land, and as many educational programs preparing a new generation of organic farmers. But never in recent years has there been as high a level of consumer spending confusion and concern. The role of this campaign is to set the record straight and help consumers make the educated choice."

Bushway outlined a full range of strategic marketing and public relations initiatives that are being implemented under the direction of organic marketing veteran Laura Batcha, Marketing Director, OTA. Featured components of the plan include:

-- Generate trial and purchase of organic products through the award-winning "Go Organic for Earth Day(TM)" retailers program, a new Go Organic(TM) for Back to School sales promotion, and the successful bi-annual Taste for Life special magazine issues.

-- Build organic's cachet among consumers and get them active in the organic community by rolling out a fully integrated advertising campaign for organic, re-launching the OTA's consumer website and e-newsletter The O'Mama Report for greater mainstream appeal, and sponsoring consumer events ranging from intimate in-home consumer parties to large-scale demonstration events.

-- Spearhead major on-line presence of organic through proactive use of web 2.0 tools to correct inaccuracies and proactively communicate about organic. Tools include: "Organic on the Green: A Blog to feed the organic revolution in campus dining"; a bi-monthly Blogwatch tracking organic coverage; OTA Blog, to provide an organic perspective; and upgraded Member Forum technology.

-- Deliver powerful information tools to OTA members and increase their use, especially the highly regarded Manufacturers Market Survey, and launch the first-ever Organic Input Almanac to quantify and communicate environmental benefits of organic.

TK: This is clearly a counter punch to the economy's right uppercut to the organic industry, though there is nary a word about the recession in the news release. Can the OTA message make a difference? There is no dollar figure attached to this marketing initiative, so one has to doubt how much consumer messaging will occur in prime time. I think brand loyalty will become more important to marketers of organic produce in the economic downturn, but it is probably a tall order to ask this campaign to recruit new customers; cash-strapped, worry-laden consumers likely won't seek out organic produce for the first time no matter how unprecedented this initiative may be.