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SAN FRANCISCO — Ask before sending product, and for goodness sake, don’t start correspondence with a “Dear Blogger” greeting.
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Pamela RiemenschneiderFrom left: Amy Sherman of Cooking with Amy, Catherine Cardelucci of Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth, Kathy Patalsky of Healthy Happy Life and Jessica Goldman Fung of Sodium Girl, talk about the best ways for produce brands and groups to reach out to food bloggers at the Produce for Better Health Foundation's Board Meeting in San Francisco. Those tips and more were offered by a panel of bloggers and industry experts during a session at the Produce for Better Health Foundation Board Meeting on March 15.
More than 80% of Americans say they cook at least two dinners a week, and 90% of those home chefs go online for recipes, said panel moderator Bob Oschner, public relations director for DGWB Advertising and Communications.
Blogger influence on the way people cook continues to gain ground, he said.
“Seventy-three percent of Americans who classify themselves as cooks have been to a food blog,” Oschner said, and 52% of them have used a recipe from a food blog.
The blogger panel, which included some that offer sponsored posts, said working with the produce industry is an easy fit for many lifestyles, from weight loss, to healthful and nutritional eating.
The initial connection with bloggers can happen in a variety of ways. Cristie Mather, communications manager for the Pear Bureau Northwest, Milwaukie, Ore., said she’s been working with bloggers to promote the bureau’s message for the past several years. Mather often find them through blogger conferences and events like Blogger Food, Food Fete and the International Foodservice Editorial Conference.
“You don’t have to sponsor,” Mather said. “It’s a very social group and you meet some of the most popular bloggers. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for people to geek out on ingredients.”
The panel also suggests reading through posts to make sure the product is a good fit for the audience, and using e-mail to contact bloggers. But don’t be too persistent, said Amy Sherman of Cooking with Amy.
“A bad PR person would send us 10 e-mails and then call us to ask ‘Did you get that e-mail?’” Sherman said.
If a blogger mentions loving a certain product, that’s a good hint they’d be willing to include information about the product. Jessica Goldman Foung of Sodium Girl said she’s often mentioned brands, but is surprised at how infrequently she’s contacted.
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