New OTA Campaign to Expand Organic Consumer Base

GREENFIELD, Mass.—The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is launching a consumer marketing and public relations campaign aimed at reaching more than 25 million consumers in 2009.

“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 OTA Marketing Director Laura Batcha, who noted that work on these fronts is 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.”

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 biannual 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, relaunching the OTA’s consumer Web site 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 online 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 bimonthly 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.