Raspberry Marketing Pt 2

From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Bob Larson. While Washington state produces 95% of the nation’s processed red raspberries, marketing them is another story altogether.

And, Allison Beadle, CEO of Wild Hive, the marketing team for the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, says creating and developing more uses for our raspberries is a big part of that plan …

BEADLE … “We are currently working right now with a very exciting student-led ideation competition with the Illinois Institute of Technology, working with Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman and some of her colleagues there.”

Beadle says she’s happy to report they’re coming up with some great ideas, but producers also need to believe in them …

BEADLE … “In terms of grower satisfaction, the goal in the strategic plan is to maintain a rating of satisfactory or higher among 85% of growers and processors annually. So, we’ve added some questions to the grower’s survey with WSU so we’re going to be able to continue tracking that.”

And Beadle says having that information available …

BEADLE … “On the industry newsletter, we want to have a baseline readership of 25% as we continue to work with Henry and his team on the industry newsletter, making sure that we’re sending out regular updates when we have them and making sure that there’s a good content pipeline for that newsletter.”

Beadle says sending timely information out to industry members is a key part of the communications plan.