This week, we celebrated National Banana Lovers Day on August 27. We are certainly fans of bananas, as Organics Unlimited has been a longtime client of Oster and Associates! However, this week we have even more banana milestones to share: Organics Unlimited is gearing up for a month-long campaign to celebrate its 10th year of GROW!
GROW Month will take place all through September in order to raise awareness of the social responsibility program and inspire more distributors, retailers and consumers to become involved. We love supporting GROW Month every year, as Oster played a critical role in establishing GROW in 2005. GROW (Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers) was developed to assist the President and CEO Mayra Velazquez de Leon in giving back to the communities that mean a lot to her. And, from a marketing perspective, creating GROW helped differentiate Organics Unlimited from the competition. It helped Organics Unlimited develop brand recognition and credibility.
At the infancy of GROW in 2005, prospective retail and wholesale customers were hesitant to support the program that lacked a track record to show that the funds were directed to the proper programs. The Oster team was tasked with helping to increase awareness and sales of Organics Unlimited bananas in the US and Mexico markets; develop a unique logo and build brand familiarity and credibility; and introduce the GROW brand to produce buyers, merchandisers, wholesalers and retailers. We did this by developing:
- A GROW logo and website
- An advertising campaign for trade papers and magazines
- Press Kit
- Public relations outreach including a month-long awareness campaign called GROW Month that specifically targeted consumers
- In-store point-of-purchase materials and signage
Through these ongoing efforts, GROW sales have continually increased, positioning the company as a leading source for organic fruit. The first year of GROW earnings raised $61,000 in contributions for the communities near where Organic Unlimited’s produce is grown. Now, 10 years later, GROW has raised nearly $2 million in aid that goes toward student scholarships, vision care, dental care, clean water programs and more.
Building a brand takes research, strategy and time. We have loved supporting GROW for a decade, and on its 10th birthday, we are thrilled to be raising awareness of #GROWTURNS10. Here’s to 10 more years of building strong brands such as GROW!
— Hannah
