Organic Trade Association Launches Unprecedented Marketing Initiative to Promote Organic

Major campaign set to expand organic consumer base.

ShareThis Email PDF Print

OTA's massive new marketing campaign will heighten awareness, enthusiasm and active support for organic products, and will help ensure that organic sales continue to grow

Greenfield, MA (PRWEB) November 17, 2008

As the longstanding voice of leadership in the $23.6 billion organic industry, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) http://www.ota.com today announced that the 1,700-member organization is launching an extraordinary consumer marketing and public relations campaign that will reach more than 25 million consumers in the year 2009 alone.

"This unparalleled effort to educate consumers about the benefits of organic comes at an historic point of change for America," explained Christine Bushway, who assumed her position as Executive Director, OTA, in September. "Never has there been as much evidence backing the benefits of organic to public and environmental health, as many organic farmers on the land, and as many educational programs preparing a new generation of organic farmers. But never in recent years has there been as high a level of consumer spending confusion and concern. The role of this campaign is to set the record straight and help consumers make the educated choice."

Bushway outlined a full range of strategic marketing and public relations initiatives that are being implemented under the direction of organic marketing veteran Laura Batcha, Marketing Director, OTA. Featured components of the plan include:

Generate trial and purchase of organic products through the award-winning "Go Organic for Earth Day™" retailers program, a new Go Organic™ for Back to School sales promotion, and the successful bi-annual Taste for Life special magazine issues.

Build organic's cachet among consumers and get them active in the organic community by rolling out a fully integrated advertising campaign for organic, re-launching the OTA's consumer website and e-newsletter The O'Mama Report for greater mainstream appeal, and sponsoring consumer events ranging from intimate in-home consumer parties to large-scale demonstration events.

Spearhead major on-line presence of organic through proactive use of web 2.0 tools to correct inaccuracies and proactively communicate about organic. Tools include: "Organic on the Green: A Blog to feed the organic revolution in campus dining"; a bi-monthly Blogwatch tracking organic coverage; OTA Blog, to provide an organic perspective; and upgraded Member Forum technology.

Deliver powerful information tools to OTA members and increase their use, especially the highly regarded Manufacturers Market Survey, and launch the first-ever Organic Input Almanac to quantify and communicate environmental benefits of organic.

"OTA's massive new marketing campaign will heighten awareness, enthusiasm and active support for organic products, and will help ensure that organic sales continue to grow," said Laura Batcha, who noted that work on these fronts is already well underway. "The organic industry is destined to reach a whole new level in the year ahead. More consumers than ever will be using organic products in their daily lives."

For more information about the Organic Trade Association, please visit http://www.ota.com.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its 1,700 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. http://www.ota.com

In late 2007, OTA founded the Organic Agriculture and Products Education Institute ("Organic Institute"), a 501(c) (3) . http://www.theorganicinstitute.com. The Organic Institute's mission is to educate about the attributes, benefits and practices of organic agriculture and products today for better environmental and personal health tomorrow. Some of the educational programs outlined above will be developed and brought to the public by the Organic Institute--alone or in partnership with OTA.

Contact
Sue McGovern
sue @ mcgov.com
781-748-7157

###