Strawberries are a vital and loved crop throughout the United States. California produces about 90% of U.S.-grown strawberries. In an average year, California strawberry growers harvest more than 21.8 billion pounds of strawberries.

The California Strawberry Commission (CSC) represents growers, shippers and processors of fresh and frozen strawberries in California. As a $3.5 billion industry that creates 70,000 jobs, California strawberries are a crucial part of the state’s agricultural landscape. The CSC creates opportunities for success through programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, CSC delivers the good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms and communities.

California growers adhere to stringent quality standards, ensuring that only the best strawberries make it to market. The industry has become known for its high-quality standards, rigorous food safety practices and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Farming in California can have its challenges. Torrential rains, expensive land and invasive pests have made conditions difficult at times, and as such, California strawberry growers have become among the most progressive and environmentally conscious growers in the world. From improved irrigation methods to integrated pest management and the development of more disease-resistant strawberry varieties, California farmers have continually worked to improve both yield and quality.

CSC engaged Wild Hive to communicate the economic and community impact of strawberry farming in a way that resonated with civic-minded Californians and policymakers. The goal was to shift misperceptions about agricultural practices that had arisen and raise awareness of the industry’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices and growing communities.

An Integrated Solution: Telling the True Story  

Behind every California strawberry is a beautiful story. So Wild Hive developed an integrated marketing campaign — “California Strawberries: Growing a Sustainable Future” — to tell those stories in paid and earned media channels.

This campaign focused on three primary pillars of sustainability:

  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Economic Impact
  • Growing Communities

To bring these pillars to life, Wild Hive implemented a multi-faceted strategy that included the following elements. 

Environmental Stewardship: Stories of Innovation

Wild Hive highlighted innovative organic farming practices developed and implemented by much of the industry, including:

  • Releasing beneficial insects in the field as a first line of defense 
  • Using mechanical bug vacuums to suck up harmful insects, reduce pesticide use and increase food safety — a forward-thinking solution created in partnership with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Strawberry Center
  • Implementing hand weeding in the field to reduce chemical herbicide use
  • Using fish emulsion in place of chemical fertilizers

By showcasing tangible examples of organic farming practices, Wild Hive helped CSC communicate how the strawberry industry is constantly evolving and learning the most sustainable farming practices and ways to grow strawberries, and then putting them into practice.  

Economic Impact: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Wild Hive also created narratives that emphasized the industry’s significant direct and indirect economic contributions, noting that 97 cents of every farm dollar goes back into the community. Messaging around job creation and fair labor practices underscored the industry’s role in supporting local economies.

Targeted content told the stories of multi-generational farm owners — some of whom initially came to America as migrant workers — to illustrate the industry’s role as a “crop of opportunity” for the Latino community. These stories highlighted the personal side of strawberry farming and its impact on California communities and families.

Educational Initiatives: Opening Doors of Opportunity

Wild Hive also crafted stories emphasizing CSC’s commitment to worker education. More than 3,000 farmers, ranch managers and crew supervisors are trained annually through regular in-person and virtual workshops on topics like safety, workplace conditions, food safety, visa programs and healthcare offerings. These are a few tangible examples of the ways the industry invests in the professional development and personal wellbeing of its workforce.

Targeted Media Strategy

To reach key audiences, Wild Hive developed a comprehensive media strategy that included:

  • Trade publication coverage in key outlets like The Packer, And Now U Know, Perishable News and Produce Blue Book
  • Advertorials featuring industry leaders, such as a Q&A with CSC President Rick Tomlinson in The Packer
  • Strategic media buys with industry-focused outlets like Agri-Pulse West, The Packer, Produce News and Produce SmartBrief
  • Digital campaigns with publications like POLITICO and CalMatters

This multi-faceted approach ensured the right messages reached the right audiences in the right ways.  

Results: Evidence of a Growing Understanding 

Wild Hive’s campaign successfully increased awareness of California strawberries’ sustainability efforts among key audiences. Here are just a few indicators of success. 

Trade Publication Impact

The campaign garnered significant coverage in trade publications, increasing visibility within the produce industry and among key stakeholders.

Policy Maker Reach

The Agri-Pulse West Newsletter achieved high open rates of 53-68%, effectively reaching policymakers, stakeholders and regulatory agencies.

Civic-Minded Target Ads

  • An 8-week promotion in POLITICO resulted in more than 8,800 pageviews, with visitors staying on the page for an incredibly strong average of 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Notably, 76% of visitors were from California, indicating significant reach within the target audience.
  • A 10-week online campaign with Cal Matters generated more than 2.7 million impressions and increased traffic to website landing pages using the hashtag #BehindtheBerry. 
  • “Crop of Opportunity” ads were featured on the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Produce Industry SmartBrief newsletters, driving target audiences to campaign-focused CSC landing pages.

Sustainability-Focused Thought Leadership 

By positioning CSC as a thought leader in sustainable agriculture, the campaign helped establish California strawberries as pioneers in environmentally responsible farming practices.

Wild Hive Leads the Way in Food and Nutrition Marketing

Wild Hive builds a vibrant future through food, agriculture and nutrition marketing. Our specialty expertise and bench of food, agriculture and nutrition experts add both creativity and scientific rigor to develop powerful integrated solutions that deliver growth and impact. We have deep roots throughout the entire food chain.

The success of this campaign demonstrated our unique ability to tackle complex reputation management challenges in the agricultural sector. By crafting a narrative that balanced environmental stewardship, economic impact and community growth, Wild Hive helped CSC effectively communicate its commitment to sustainability to a civic-minded audience and tell an authentic, positive story.