Standing out in the crowd starts in the field

22 Sep Standing out in the crowd starts in the field

Chances are you’ve purchased a package of Driscoll’s strawberries, maybe without even noticing the brand. The 112-year old fruit producer is a dominant player in the grocery game, but in a category where consumers shop price rather than brand and retailers are focusing on building house brands, how do you stand out?

A recent article in the New York Times outlined Driscoll’s rebranding effort: The company wants you to know that their berries are better. Stephanie Strom’s story shares that Driscoll’s is starting a new awareness campaign, rolling out a new logo and website, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram outreach that “share the berry joy.”

But, for the horticulture and branding geeks here at Axiom, the re-brand and social campaigns are just an introduction. The real story starts literally, in the dirt. What makes Driscoll’s different is that their berries really are unique. The company grows only propriety varieties that are patented. As Strom puts it, “no other company in the world grows berries exactly like these.” And that’s the root of the story. Companies have to do the work first, then share their rich stories in the marketplace.

In the late 1950’s Driscoll’s developed a strawberry plant that produced beautiful berries throughout an extended growing season. The success of that berry sparked changes in the company’s breeding work. The team now includes horticulture scientists and microbiologists that work in the lab and in the field to help develop better berries – fruit that is sweeter, easier to grow and above all, exclusive to the company.

At Axiom, we create a brand communication strategy from a journalistic point of view. What is the brand story? Why is it interesting and how does it relate to the end user? How can we make our claims believable and newsworthy? How can we communicate that consumers need to have this product or service in their life?

Driscoll’s strategy is solid. Their cute images and joy-focused content shows that berries can add fun to our lives. They’re teaching consumers how to use berries through recipes and how-to stories. And, they’re showing shoppers that their product really is different, by highlighting not only the process, but the people behind the plants.