Bloggers, chefs, dietitians and other personalities are valued communicators for the California avocado marketing program. They work with the California Avocado Commission consumer public relations programs, health and wellness initiatives, social media outreach, website content development and other marketing programs.
“Brand advocates are a key part of our marketing because they are trusted communicators,” said Jan DeLyser, vice-president marketing of the Commission. “These influencers build awareness of the California avocado season while disseminating brand messaging and creative ideas and recipes that encourage demand.”
For the 2021 season CAC is partnering with six popular bloggers who are creating recipes showcasing California avocados. In March, Ashley Boyd of Pink Owl kitchen promoted her recipe, Tropical Avocado Smoothie, featuring California avocados and including four fruits plus herbs. Blogger Brandi Crawford made avocado toast using planks of sweet potato as the toast and topping them with mashed California avocados and savory additions or berries. The other four bloggers are also building awareness throughout the season.
Left: registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix developed content around “meal prep" as part of the CAC marketing initiatives; right: CAC brand advocate Elizabeth Van Lierde's Creamy Enchilada Soup. Credit: California Avocado Commission.
With these partners, the Commission augments its online consumer reach, communicating that California avocados are in season. Using highly popular social media platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest to showcase the brand advocate recipes using California avocados, CAC reaches a larger target audience.
CAC’s Living Well Brand Advocates 2021 program features a holistic nutritionist and wellness educator, four registered dietitians and a recipe developer. These influencers weave in California avocado messaging and the nutrition benefits of avocados into communications that highlight nutritious California avocado recipes that they develop.
This season, each advocate is developing content around a lifestyle trend that aligns with their area of expertise. For example, registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix developed content around “meal prep”, demonstrating how her Stuffed California Avocado with Mediterranean Salmon recipe could be used for three different meals.
All the influencers create material differentiating California avocados versus avocados from other countries. In May, California-based registered Wendy Jo Peterson, author of Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies, and Instant Pot Cookbook For Dummies, weaves in information about California cuisine and avocado nutrition while she shares California avocado recipes. Content also will be shared on the brand advocates’ social media platforms with video, images, events such as Facebook Live, regional traditional media and web articles.
Chefs are the third pillar of this program. The Commission’s online cooking class with celebrity chef Brian Malarkey in March kicked off the California avocado season to influential media and retail contacts. The attendees received fresh ingredient boxes ahead of the event for two California avocado-inspired dishes and cooked on camera along with the chef. Chef Malarkey posted about the event and his recipes on Instagram to his more than 35,000 followers.
For more information:
Marji Morrow
California Avocado Commission
Tel: +1 (323) 456-6751
MMorrow@avocado.org
www.californiaavocado.com