The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has a message for retailers, especially those in the New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York and Greater New England metropolitan areas: Now’s the time to stock your produce shelves with Jersey Fresh blueberries.
Blueberries grown in the Garden State will be available from now into early August, said Joe Atchison III, assistant secretary/marketing and development division director.
“Jersey Fresh blueberries provide excellent marketing opportunities for retailers to take advantage of during our harvest season,” Atchison said.
Third-party market research shows that nearly three-quarters of consumers surveyed in and around New Jersey perceive Jersey Fresh blueberries to be superior to other berries, he said.
As an added bonus, stores that set up a Jersey Fresh blueberry display can tag the agriculture department at #JerseyFresh on Facebook and Instagram, and the Jersey Fresh team will share the post with 35,000 followers.
The Jersey Fresh team is going all out to call attention to blueberries.
“On the marketing and advertising side, we have begun running digital billboards with rotating messages throughout the entire blueberry harvesting season,” Atchison said.
And targeted social media postings and radio spots are scheduled to feature Jersey Fresh blueberries during the height of the harvest season.
“Crowds along the world-famous Jersey Shore will see Jersey Blues and Jersey Fresh airplane banners flying the shoreline from Sandy Hook in the north to the southern tip in Cape May,” he said.
On National Blueberry Day, July 8, the department will host a sampling of blueberries for the fourth year in a row on three Jersey Shore boardwalks in Atlantic City.
“It’s been highly successful, and we will be handing out pints of Jersey Fresh branded blueberries on a first-come, first served basis,” Atchison said.
All Jersey Fresh messaging will remind consumers about the benefits of Jersey Fresh blueberries, he added.
