Shipp Presentation Summary

Presentation Summary

NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURE AND THE MARKETING OF ITS PRODUCTS

Carol L. Shipp
Chief of Staff, New Jersey Department of Agriculture

I am sure that nearly all of you are familiar with the end product of our Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetable promotional program. Over the last two decades, you have seen the television ads, driven past our billboards and heard our radio commercials. You have probably noticed Jersey Fresh logos in the supermarket ads in your local papers and maybe even looked for the Jersey Fresh signs when you went to the store. So rather than review the details of our program, I will try to give you an idea of the thought process that kept the program successful for two decades.

Twenty years is a long time on any calendar. It is an especially long time for an advertising campaign, even though it seems just like yesterday to those of us who were there when it began.

Despite having millions of consumers in their back yards, New Jersey fruit and vegetable farmers were having a rough time moving their products in the big supermarket chains. Without the involvement of chain stores, it was difficult to move product. An early consumer attitude survey suggested that folks would prefer to buy products grown in New Jersey if they could find them, but finding them was not easy.

The ad agency that helped us launch the Jersey Fresh program thought long and hard about our target audience. Should it be the yuppies with their ample disposable income? Should it be the health faddists who understood the value of a diet full of fresh produce? Should it be the moms who did the shopping?

These were all valid options, but given the tenor of the times, the agency recommended an unusual option; one that has served as the bedrock for all the Jersey Fresh campaigns that followed.

Target the blue-collar families, they told us. These were the families that coined the phrase "Buy American", they were the folks creating the merchandise they were urging us to buy. These were the families who would understand the importance of buying locally grown produce. Not because of freshness or nutrition or because it was an "in" things to do, but because of its value to the local economy, and because it supported hard-working farm families very similar to their own families.

In this case, foresight was just as "20/20" as hindsight. It was good advice.

Linkage with the family farm is still what makes our Jersey Fresh program click with consumers. Even more importantly, that farm family image has become a cornerstone for a variety of other public policy initiatives, from promoting tourism and courting corporate relocations to securing a stable source of funding for our farmland preservation efforts.

Each of the three Governors who have served since the inception of the Jersey Fresh program has been a staunch advocate. Time and again, these Governors heard from their counterparts in other states that they envied the Jersey Fresh program, not only for the economic good it did for our farmers, but also for the tremendous boost it gave to New Jersey's image.

Thanks to the Jersey Fresh program, residents and visitors learn that the state is more than a turnpike and endless traffic jams. New Jersey is a highly urbanized state with enough business savvy to sustain a viable agricultural industry and all the benefits that industry brings with it. New Jersey is a pretty place to take a Sunday drive. It is a good place for a company's employees to work and raise their families. It is a state that values hard-working families and appreciates the importance of productive open spaces.

As you have seen from the three Jersey Fresh commercials just shown to you, our Jersey Fresh promotional program projects an attractive picture directed at consumers of all agricultural products. It also offers very real support for the agricultural industry, here in the tri-state area and also in New England and Eastern Canada which are huge markets for our seasonal produce. This support is increasingly important as more retailers use the words "locally grown" to promote produce they offer consumers.

We conducted a survey two years ago that revealed 65 percent of food shoppers were inclined to buy Jersey Fresh produce when it was identified as such. To help improve the odds of that happening, each year our staff travel the tri-state area and beyond delivering Jersey Fresh advertising inserts, price cards, bin wrap and banners to the major chain stores so consumers can identify New Jersey produce that is just hours out of the field. If consumers cannot find Jersey Fresh produce, our radio and TV ads remind them to ask produce managers where it is.

Since the Jersey Fresh program was introduced, the target of our annual campaign has changed. Today the target group is educated married women over the age of 35, rather than blue-collar families. Although the underlying rationale is a little different, the message is still a winner. Yes, it is fresh because it was just picked hours ago. Yes, that freshness means you are getting good nutritional value for your dollar. In addition your purchase of Jersey Fresh makes a contribution to the local economy and supports hard-working farm families.

New Jersey farmers have welcomed the increased ethnic diversity of the state's population as an opportunity to grow crops entirely unknown to them five years ago, such as bitterballs, jute leaves and other Asian specialties. They have capitalized on interests in gourmet cooking with specialties such as golden beets, white potatoes with yellow, orange or purple flesh, baby white eggplant and round carrots. They have taken the opportunity to participate in farmer's markets spread across the state. Customers are looking forward to market days and interacting with the people who grow the produce they buy.

I would like to believe that the success of the Jersey Fresh program is largely due to Secretary Arthur R. Brown's original concept and the efforts of the staff of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, but that is only part of the picture. A great deal of credit is due to the talented New Jersey farmers. There are only one or two other states where farmers face as many hurdles as they do in New Jersey. Our costs of production are very high in terms of labor, energy, taxes and compliance with environmental regulations. Like most entrepreneurs, New Jersey fruit and vegetable growers seem to be endlessly creative and adaptive.

Whatever the future may hold for New Jersey's agricultural community, I feel certain that the Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetable program will be an important part of it for many years to come.

Biorgaphical Sketch

DISCLAIMER
In an effort to provide wide-ranging views and perspectives regarding the practice of and issues surrounding agriculture, the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (PSPA) seeks speakers representing a variety of perspectives. The statements and opinions they present are strictly their own and do not necessarily represent the views of PSPA.


	Presentation Summary NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURE AND THE MARKETING OF ITS PRODUCTS Carol L. Shipp Chief of Staff, New Jersey Department of Agriculture I am sure that nearly all of you are familiar with the end product of our Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetable promotional program. Over the last two decades, you have seen the television ads, driven past our billboards and heard our radio commercials. You have probably noticed Jersey Fresh logos in the supermarket ads in your local papers and maybe even looked for the Jersey Fresh signs when you went to the store. So rather than review the details of our program, I will try to give you an idea of the thought process that kept the program successful for two decades. Twenty years is a long time on any calendar. It is an especially long time for an advertising campaign, even though it seems just like yesterday to those of us who were there when it began. Despite having millions of consumers in their back yards, New Jersey fruit and vegetable farmers were having a rough time moving their products in the big supermarket chains. Without the involvement of chain stores, it was difficult to move product. An early consumer attitude survey suggested that folks would prefer to buy products grown in New Jersey if they could find them, but finding them was not easy. The ad agency that helped us launch the Jersey Fresh program thought long and hard about our target audience. Should it be the yuppies with their ample disposable income? Should it be the health faddists who understood the value of a diet full of fresh produce? Should it be the moms who did the shopping? These were all valid options, but given the tenor of the times, the agency recommended an unusual option; one that has served as the bedrock for all the Jersey Fresh campaigns that followed. Target the blue-collar families, they told us. These were the families that coined the phrase "Buy American", they were the folks creating the merchandise they were urging us to buy. These were the families who would understand the importance of buying locally grown produce. Not because of freshness or nutrition or because it was an "in" things to do, but because of its value to the local economy, and because it supported hard-working farm families very similar to their own families. In this case, foresight was just as "20/20" as hindsight. It was good advice. Linkage with the family farm is still what makes our Jersey Fresh program click with consumers. Even more importantly, that farm family image has become a cornerstone for a variety of other public policy initiatives, from promoting tourism and courting corporate relocations to securing a stable source of funding for our farmland preservation efforts. Each of the three Governors who have served since the inception of the Jersey Fresh program has been a staunch advocate. Time and again, these Governors heard from their counterparts in other states that they envied the Jersey Fresh program, not only for the economic good it did for our farmers, but also for the tremendous boost it gave to New Jersey's image. Thanks to the Jersey Fresh program, residents and visitors learn that the state is more than a turnpike and endless traffic jams. New Jersey is a highly urbanized state with enough business savvy to sustain a viable agricultural industry and all the benefits that industry brings with it. New Jersey is a pretty place to take a Sunday drive. It is a good place for a company's employees to work and raise their families. It is a state that values hard-working families and appreciates the importance of productive open spaces. As you have seen from the three Jersey Fresh commercials just shown to you, our Jersey Fresh promotional program projects an attractive picture directed at consumers of all agricultural products. It also offers very real support for the agricultural industry, here in the tri-state area and also in New England and Eastern Canada which are huge markets for our seasonal produce. This support is increasingly important as more retailers use the words "locally grown" to promote produce they offer consumers. We conducted a survey two years ago that revealed 65 percent of food shoppers were inclined to buy Jersey Fresh produce when it was identified as such. To help improve the odds of that happening, each year our staff travel the tri-state area and beyond delivering Jersey Fresh advertising inserts, price cards, bin wrap and banners to the major chain stores so consumers can identify New Jersey produce that is just hours out of the field. If consumers cannot find Jersey Fresh produce, our radio and TV ads remind them to ask produce managers where it is. Since the Jersey Fresh program was introduced, the target of our annual campaign has changed. Today the target group is educated married women over the age of 35, rather than blue-collar families. Although the underlying rationale is a little different, the message is still a winner. Yes, it is fresh because it was just picked hours ago. Yes, that freshness means you are getting good nutritional value for your dollar. In addition your purchase of Jersey Fresh makes a contribution to the local economy and supports hard-working farm families. New Jersey farmers have welcomed the increased ethnic diversity of the state's population as an opportunity to grow crops entirely unknown to them five years ago, such as bitterballs, jute leaves and other Asian specialties. They have capitalized on interests in gourmet cooking with specialties such as golden beets, white potatoes with yellow, orange or purple flesh, baby white eggplant and round carrots. They have taken the opportunity to participate in farmer's markets spread across the state. Customers are looking forward to market days and interacting with the people who grow the produce they buy. I would like to believe that the success of the Jersey Fresh program is largely due to Secretary Arthur R. Brown's original concept and the efforts of the staff of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, but that is only part of the picture. A great deal of credit is due to the talented New Jersey farmers. There are only one or two other states where farmers face as many hurdles as they do in New Jersey. Our costs of production are very high in terms of labor, energy, taxes and compliance with environmental regulations. Like most entrepreneurs, New Jersey fruit and vegetable growers seem to be endlessly creative and adaptive. Whatever the future may hold for New Jersey's agricultural community, I feel certain that the Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetable program will be an important part of it for many years to come. Biorgaphical Sketch DISCLAIMER In an effort to provide wide-ranging views and perspectives regarding the practice of and issues surrounding agriculture, the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (PSPA) seeks speakers representing a variety of perspectives. The statements and opinions they present are strictly their own and do not necessarily represent the views of PSPA.
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