SALINAS, CA– Organic Alliance, Inc., a global grower and marketer of fresh, organic and Fair Trade fruits and vegetables, announced it is launching its Make Life Sweet™ multimedia program to promote its Fair Trade certified produce at the point of sale. It is believed to be the industry's first program linking shoppers directly to the actual workers, and grower community, of the particular piece of produce being purchased.
Make Life Sweet is a new, and ongoing, Organic Alliance program that centers on social media and QR code consumer-focused multimedia, to support the sale and brand value of its Fair Trade fruits and vegetables for the benefit of consumers and grocer/retailers alike.
Having certified several of its Mexico-based growers for Fair Trade produce, the Company last month announced it had launched its Fair Trade Initiative which, going forward, is encompassed under its Make Life Sweet banner. Earlier this month, Organic Alliance announced its first shipments of Fair Trade produce to the U.S., as part of its fall harvest, that included the first-ever Fair Trade certified Heirloom Tomatoes sold in the U.S. along with Fair Trade bell peppers.
Commenting on Make Life Sweet, Chris White, Organic Alliance Chief Development Officer, said, "With U.S. Fair Trade fresh produce sales growing 40 percent in 2011, Organic Alliance is well positioned to support our retail clients in expanding this category with new Fair Trade products for their shelves. By showcasing the Fair Trade value proposition — the heart of what Fair Trade is all about — our QR codes will allow shoppers to instantly and clearly see the positive social impact they produce, and is ahead of the QR trend in grocery to offer retailers a first of its kind capability."
Parker Booth, Organic Alliance Chief Executive Officer, said, "I am proud to announce that our Make Life Sweet program is believed to be the first of its kind, anywhere in the Fair Trade realm, to connect the shopper direct to their actual product grower and see the measurable social impact in that community. Organic Alliance is uniquely positioned to lead the industry in this regard, as we have close, on-the-ground collaborative relationships with our growers."
Make Life Sweet™
The Make Life Sweet™ program includes multi-media promotion that communicates to consumers, at the point of sale, the positive social impact they generate with each Fair Trade purchase. The program also integrates the Company's newly launched Facebook page.
Utilizing QR code technology, shoppers can use their mobile device to scan a code, stickered on each individual Organic Alliance Fair Trade produce item, to view an animation that illustrates how their Fair Trade purchase is funding social investment in the Latin American agricultural community in which that item was grown. Beginning in January, those QR codes will be enhanced to link shoppers to audio/video clips of the actual workers who grew that vegetable, and the social projects being built, in those grower communities. This will create a direct relationship between shoppers and those workers.
QR code scanning is quickly catching on in the U.S. as the percentage of adults that scan grew from one percent to five percent in 2011. As a result, U.S. supermarkets are taking a strong interest in this rising trend as 17.8 percent of QR scans happen at the grocery store to obtain product information and discounts.
Retailers are excited to grow their Fair Trade offerings with Make Life Sweet to communicate the value, and appeal, of Fair Trade to shoppers. Industry research has consistently proven shoppers will pay premium prices if they know their purchase is ensuring fair wages, good working conditions and reinvestment directly back into the grower communities.
The first Fair Trade project that it will execute using Fair Trade funds will be to build a middle school in Mexico. It will serve these rural agricultural communities where access to school past the eighth grade is limited. The Company will announce more details on this important project in the weeks ahead.
About Organic Alliance
Organic Alliance, Inc. is a global grower and marketer of organic, Fair Trade and conventional fresh food products. By establishing collaborative relationships with key growers, Organic Alliance has built a vertically integrated supply chain through an alliance of growers that enables it to support its customers with an increasing variety of certified sustainable products, sensible pricing, steady supply and inspiring multi-media stories from our many producing communities. For more info, see: www.organicallianceinc.com or visit our Facebook page.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by our management. Actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements could differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including future economic, competitive, regulatory, and market conditions, future business decisions, changes in the supply and demand of the products we sell, our relationships with our existing suppliers, our success in finding additional supply sources, our ability to attract and retain customers, and the risks and other factors discussed in our Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011 or in the other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in such forward-looking statements, they should not be regarded as a representation that our objectives or plans will be achieved, and they should not be relied upon by investors when making an investment decision. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "may," "forecasts, "foresees," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Similarly, statements in this release that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals are forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made except as required by law.
Source: Organic Alliance