Project Grant 23OMDGDC0090

THE PROJECT WILL STIMULATE THE DEMAND FOR AND INCREASE THE SALES OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS BY PROMOTING THE SCIENCE-BACKED BENEFITS OF USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS AND FARMING TO CONSUMERS. ORGANIC IS AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT ADDRESSES SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT CLAIMS HOWEVER, CONSUMERS REMAIN CONFUSED ABOUT THE WHOLISTIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE USDA ORGANIC LABEL AND HOW THEY TRANSLATE TO BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET. BY PROVIDING CONSUMERS WITH MORE CREDIBLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING, ORGANIC CONSUMPTION WILL INCREASE.THE ORGANIC CENTER AND OTA WILL COLLABORATE WITH ORGANIC VOICES AND AN INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, INCLUDING TOPP REGIONAL LEADS, TO DEVELOP FRESH CREATIVE ON THE SCIENCE-BASED HUMAN HEALTH, ANIMAL WELFARE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF ORGANIC. THE CREATIVE WILL ILLUMINATE ORGANICS ABILITY TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES, SEQUESTER CARBON, AND REGENERATE SOIL HEALTH WHILE PROVIDING NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS AND PROTECTING CONSUMERS FROM SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES, CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES, ANTIBIOTICS, AND MORE. TARGETED CONTENT THAT INSPIRES CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE PINPOINTED PRODUCTS LIKE ORGANIC DAIRY, GRAIN, AND FIBER WILL BE PRIORITIZED. THE ORGANIC CENTERS PH.D. SCIENTISTS WILL COMPILE THE LATEST SCIENCE ON ORGANIC AND REVIEW ALL CREATIVE MATERIALS TO ENSURE BENEFIT CLAIMS ARE SUPPORTED BY CREDIBLE RESEARCH.THE CREATIVE CONTENT WILL BE PROMOTED THROUGH A FULL-SCALE INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN LEVERAGING THE ORGANIC CENTER AND ORGANIC VOICES EXISTING CONSUMER NETWORKS AND PAID ADVERTISING, INCLUDING BOOSTED SOCIAL MEDIA, GOOGLE ADS, RETAILER ADVERTISING, AND TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING. TARGETED EFFORTS WILL ENSURE THAT PROMOTION REACHES BEYOND THE MAINSTREAM ORGANIC MARKETS INTO REGIONS AND COMMUNITIES WHERE ORGANIC PRODUCTION IS NOT ALREADY THRIVING. THE PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO REACH 69.4 MILLION CONSUMERS IN TOTAL. BY INCREASING PULL-THROUGH DEMAND AT THE CONSUMER LEVEL, THE PROJECT WILL STIMULATE THE DEMAND FOR MIDDLE-OF-THE-SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES AND INCENTIVIZE PRIVATE MARKET DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT. THE INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL INCLUDE PARTNERS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND PINPOINTED MARKETS TO ENSURE THE CREATIVE AND PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN MEETS INDUSTRY NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS. THE CREATIVE CONTENT AND PROMOTION CAMPAIGN WILL BE EVALUATED AND REFINED EVERY YEAR THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT TO OPTIMIZE MATERIALS AND RESULTS.THE PROJECT WILL MEASURE THE PERCENT INCREASE IN SALES RESULTING FROM THE PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN BY TAKING A BASELINE MEASUREMENT OF ORGANIC SALES IN TARGETED MARKETS IN YEAR 1, A MID-CAMPAIGN MEASUREMENT YEAR 2 AND A FINAL MEASUREMENT OF CHANGE IN SALES AT THE END OF YEAR 3. THE EXPECTED OUTCOME IS A 100% INCREASE IN SALES OF PINPOINTED MARKET PRODUCTS IN THE 8 TARGETED MARKETS IDENTIFIED FOR THE RETAIL PROMOTION. FINALLY, THE PROJECT WILL CULMINATE BY SHARING OUR LEARNINGS AND SUCCESSES IN CREATING EFFECTIVE ORGANIC CONSUMER MARKETING STRATEGIES, CONTENT, AND MESSAGING WITH THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY AT LARGE TO INCREASE THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR FUTURE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS COMPREHENSIVE REPORT WILL ENCOMPASS DETAILED OUTCOMES IN RELATION TO THE PROJECT S OBJECTIVES, OFFERING A SUMMARIZED OVERVIEW OF ALL ACTIVITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS INVOLVED. ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORT WILL INCLUDE COPIES OF ALL DEVELOPED ADVERTISING CONTENT. TO ENSURE WIDE ACCESSIBILITY, PRINTED COPIES OF THIS REPORT WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO ALL ADDRESSES LISTED IN THE ORGANIC INTEGRITY DATABASE (APPROXIMATELY 27,400 ADDRESSES), WHICH INCLUDES AROUND 19,000 PRODUCERS (LIVESTOCK AND CROP SCOPES) AND 8,400 BUYERS (HANDLER SCOPES). FURTHERMORE, THIS FINAL REPORT WILL ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT ON OUR WEBSITE, SHARED WITH THE INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OTA MEMBERSHIP, OTA FARMERS ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND OTHER RELEVANT OTA COUNCILS, ENSURING THE BROADEST DISSEMINATION OF PROJECT OUTCOMES AND INSIGHTS.