Amidst the uncertainty and obstacles faced in 2020, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) and its members worked together to achieve new milestones worth celebrating. The Have A Plant® Movement continues to motivate Americans to enjoy more fruits and vegetables – whether fresh, frozen, dried, canned or 100% juice – while also recognizing the tireless work of farmers and growers who bring produce to Americans’ tables across the nation.
Led by PBH, Have A Plant® is an impactful and transformational Movement that aims to shift fruit and vegetable behaviors through emotion-based messaging, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z, to improve consumption. In fact, with many turning online for inspiration amid COVID-19, the Have A Plant® Movement is booming, reaching millions of consumers with nearly 500 million social media impressions throughout 2020.
“It has been almost two years since we launched the Have A Plant® Movement in April 2019, and the results are astonishing – it’s an award-winning platform that has received accolades across the country, from trade media recognition to prestigious national awards. Despite the challenges of 2020, PBH’s Have A Plant® Movement has been critical in helping to unify the produce industry and consumers during this extraordinary time,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, PBH President and CEO. “More importantly, through the support of our members and powerful network of influencers, PBH has been able to effectively and credibly communicate the powerful benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, instilling a sense of hope and purpose during these uncertain times.”
2020 Have A Plant® Movement highlights by the numbers include:
- Recipient of six prestigious industry awards: 2020 Silver Anvil Awards, Golden Arc Relations Council Awards, 2020 In2Sabre Awards, PRSA NY 2020 Big Apple Awards, PRSA Chicago 2020 Skyline Awards and Minnesota PRSA 2020 Classics Awards
- 500 million social media impressions from 9,000 media mentions with 75+ million impressions during National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM) alone!
- 26 million impressions from Have A Plant® Tweet Chats
- 1 million impressions generated in just two days from the Have A Plant® Nation virtual influencer event
Beyond the numbers, impressive highlights of the 2020 Have A Plant® Movement include:
- Dedicated COVID-19 webpage to address consumers craving solutions with Q&A on produce food safety, including influencer COVID-19 content
- WOW moments of major inspiration such as:
- Powerful Produce For Immune Support series
- Food Rooted In A Better MoodTM digital and social campaign
- Three Cheers for the Produce Industry series
- New social engagement resources to offer plant-packed fun for consumers
- National Fruits & Veggies Month/National Fruits & Veggies Month Toolkit For Plant-Passionate Advocates
- Strategic partnerships showcasing thought-leadership:
- Have A Plant® Ambassador-generated content and videos
- Collaborations with like-minded groups including the FMI Foundation for National Family Meals Month, Egg Nutrition Center, National Dairy Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff
And the plant-packed party doesn’t end in 2020! In fact, the 2021 Have A Plant® Movement is poised to be even bigger and better with digital ecosystem enhancements, new social media features, innovative NEW offerings, an expanded Have A Plant® Ambassador Network, and a variety of novel offerings for PBH members to maximize marketing ROI and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. PBH is also planning the release of its 2020 State of the Plate: America’s Fruit & Vegetable Consumption Trends research, which will reveal the latest fruit and vegetable consumption trends in America, in addition to custom consumer behavioral studies that identify and elevate new fruit and vegetable consumption behaviors as a national priority.
“Since its inception in 2019, the Have A Plant® Movement has been absolutely rockin’ it for fruits and veggies, and 2020 was no exception,” says Katie Calligaro, PBH Marketing & Communications Director. “We are incredibly excited for all that PBH has in store for our members and community of followers in 2021 and we will continue to build on our past successes to illustrate how fruits and veggies can support happier, healthier lives.”
As PBH looks ahead for 2021, the organization hopes to positively inspire consumer cravings and shift fruit and vegetable consumption through four points of influence: retail (point-of-sale); culinary/foodservice (point-of-service/flavor); lifestyle and nutrition digital and social communications (point-of-inspiration); and media (point-of-awareness). And you better believe that PBH’s signature plant-packed content will accompany it all – because who doesn’t love a fruit and veggie-filled extravaganza?
To take advantage of PBH’s digital ecosystem and many enhanced retail and marketing offerings in 2021, download the newly released 2021 Member Engagement Prospectus here, and join us at the intersection of produce and passion!
For more information about how to partner with PBH, how to become a member or simply how to make a charitable donation that can help advance fruit and vegetable consumption in America, contact Sharese Roper, Member Engagement Director at PBH.
About the Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day.
Since 1991, PBH has invested decades into developing trended insights on attitudes toward all forms of fruit and vegetable consumption, in addition to campaigns and partnerships with government, food industry stakeholders, health professionals and other thought leaders to collaborate, facilitate and advocate for increased intake. Campaigns included first, the 5-A-Day program, and then, the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. While five fruits and vegetables each day is great advice, and more will always matter, PBH’s new behavior-based call-to-action is Have A Plant®. Rooted in behavioral science, PBH’s transformative Have A Plant® Movement is an invitation that will inspire people with compelling reasons to believe in the powerful role fruits and vegetables can play to create happy, healthy and active lives.
Be sure to join the Have A Plant® Movement and get new recipes, snack hacks, meal ideas and other tips from chefs, registered dietitians, as well as food and wellness experts by visiting www.fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; on Twitter @fruits_veggies; on Instagram @fruitsandveggies; on Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and on LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation. And remember to #haveaplant.
PBH is also responsible for the Lead The Change Movement — a multi-sector, multi-year initiative designed to maximize the power of PBH’s unique thought leadership position, widespread influencer network, credible scientific and market research, and, most importantly, its innovative members and partners, to lead a call-to-action for addressing the global fruit and vegetable consumption crisis. The initiative includes research, thought leadership and communication platforms to ensure the Movement speaks with One Purpose, One Voice and One Call-to-Action. For more information about the Lead The Change Movement visit: www.fruitsandveggies.org/leadthechange.
