Naturipe Farms will offer conventional and organic options of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries this spring and summer, says Ashley Finster, vice president of marketing.
She said the marketer is on track for a great season.
“As always, Mother Nature has had a mind of her own and has sent some cooler weather and storms towards our domestic growers,” Finster said. “However, we’re seeing increasing supplies that will last throughout the summer.”
With demand and supply rising seasonally, Naturipe is encouraging retailers to promote berries with bright, colorful signage.
“Strawberries and blueberries pair nicely, and they can easily share the shelf,” Finster said. “We suggest placing several berry varieties together to create a berry patch appearance.”
Naturipe is offering its premium Mighty Blues and Mighty Reds, jumbo versions of its classic strawberries and blueberries.
“We also will have several Sweet Selections — sweeter options of fan-favorite berries — available this summer, including our blueberries and blackberries,” Finster said.
Other marketing efforts include running promotions about in-season produce, she said.
Finster said social media is a great way to engage with customers.
“We like to tie our content in with events or holidays; for example, in March, we shared a bracket-style series of stories where followers could vote for their favorite recipes,” she said. “We’re also posting about the Berry Road Trip right now, a series of content that will highlight different Naturipe berries and our growers around the country.”
Naturipe is always reviewing packaging technology and improvements to advance the sustainability of its packaging, she said.
“We are close to completing the transition to wash away labels to optimize the recycling of packaging for the recycling infrastructure,” Finster said. “Additionally, we use high levels of post-consumer recycled content in our packaging and as well certified ocean-bound plastic.”
