Florida’s Natural Growers, the producer of
not-from-concentrate Florida’s Natural brand
orange and grapefruit juices, has selected
Exponent as its first PR AOR. Although Florida’s
Natural products are available in 60 countries,
Exponent will focus on the brand in the US.
The agency started working with Florida’s Natural Growers last month after a competitive review that started in October. They will lead all PR efforts for the brand, including media relations, influencer engagement, and reputation management. Media engagement will focus on Florida’s Natural’s programs, product launches, and personnel announcements.
The communications work will complement the brand’s new communications strategy, brand identity, and packaging, all focused on its grower-owned cooperative.
"[Florida’s Natural] is a farmer-owned cooperative, so the [more than 1,000] farmers that are raising the oranges are the ones who own the company," said Exponent MD Tom Lindell.
The company’s CMO, Chris Groom added that being grower-owned and the fact that its product consists of 100% Florida oranges and grapefruit sets Florida’s Natural apart from competitors.
"We want to give [our grower-owners] a strong return for their citrus, and we want to build our market share," he said, on why the 83-year-old company decided to bring on a PR AOR for the first time.
He added that the organization chose Exponent due to its "extremely detailed" and brand-focused PR strategy it pitched during the review process. Groom also noted its experience with food and agricultural companies and cooperatives.
"Exponent is going to provide a great complement to our advertising work [with Merkley + Partners]," said Groom.
Merkley + Partners manages Florida’s Natural Growers’ social media accounts, but Exponent will be creating content for the channels.
Five Exponent staffers will work on the account, led by Bernice Neumann, the firm’s practice leader for food and nutrition.
For more information, please visit floridasnatural.com.
Source: prweek.comexponent-first-pr-aor#yRf16TfhgwQx6Hq5.99