Northwest cherries: global marketing powered by influencers and health

The Northwest Cherries promotional campaign for 2024 was a success, so much so that organizers plan to reuse many of the same strategies for 2025.

Among the elements returning to the spotlight is the image of a smiling red-haired woman — chosen by a graphic designer — who captured the public's attention.

"We’ll continue with the redhead," said Karley Lange, Northwest Cherries’ internal promotions director. Although the visual and color palette will remain the same, the 2024 slogan, "Ooh La La" — inspired by the Paris Olympics — will not be reused.

Innovative strategies and collaborations

The image of the red-haired woman was just one of the many key points discussed during the 82nd annual Cherry Institute, held in Yakima, Washington, under the guidance of the Washington State Fruit Commission.

Other emerging strategies include collaborating with a Korean-American mom influencer, expanding health-focused messages to new families, and launching colorful promotions on Bangkok’s commuter trains, fully wrapped in cherry-themed designs.

The challenging 2023 season, marked by a compressed harvest and overlap with California producers, highlighted the importance of marketing campaigns, according to B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherries.

Sales and forecasts for 2024

Figure 1: Karley Lange, national promotions director for Northwest Cherries, shares an analysis of an online campaign with Kroger during the 82nd annual Cherry Institute held in January in Yakima, Washington In the Northwest, the season started early, allowing producers to capitalize on the initial push and maintain high sales through the week of July 4th, the peak period.

With an average production of 20 million boxes on the horizon, the industry requires detailed promotional strategies and targeted retail advertising.

"We can’t face a season without retailer advertising support," Thurlby emphasized. "With over 2,000 products in the produce section, we have to stand out among the other 1,999."

Digital results and partnerships

On the digital front, collaborations with key retailers like Kroger have delivered impressive results. During a seven-week online advertising campaign, cherries were sold for a total of $3 million (about €2.75 million), reaching nearly 200,000 families, including 605 new ones.

In two specific weeks, sales exceeded the ad spend by 63 times, a result that far surpassed Kroger’s benchmark of 24 times.

Walmart and Sam’s Club also reported increased sales and a rise in new customers.

Local and international successes

Another successful local initiative was the collaboration with Sugarpine Drive-In restaurant in Troutdale, Oregon, which launched a "Cherries Jubilee" dessert, even mentioned by the New York Times and reviewed by @TheKoreanMama, a Korean influencer from Portland.

The campaign's success extended beyond national borders. Keith Hu, director of international operations for Northwest Cherries, brought the redhead’s image to foreign markets, with pink trucks distributing cherries at supermarkets in Seoul and cherry-themed trains in Bangkok, seen by 2.85 million commuters daily.

Exports in 2024 reached 5.8 million boxes — about 30% of the harvest — with a total FOB value of $284 million (about €261 million), exceeding the previous year.

Canada and China remained the top international markets, followed by Taiwan, South Korea, and Mexico. With cherry quality improving and global demand continuing to rise, Northwest Cherries is preparing to replicate — and enhance — its winning strategies for 2025.

Source: GoodFruit.com

Images: GoodFruit.com

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