Vidalia, Ga. – The Vidalia® Onion Committee (VOC) teamed up with iconic summer brands such as Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage Links, Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices, National Mango Board, Avocados from Mexico, National Watermelon Promotion Board and Stemilt Cherries for the Flavors of Summer campaign throughout the 2013 season. The campaign included downloadable coupons, a consumer recipe contest, tips from experts on outdoor cooking and entertaining and more. The Sweet Vidalia® Flavors of Summer program ended in August and the results are in.
“We are thrilled with the positive reception from Flavors of Summer,” says Susan Waters, executive director of the VOC. “The campaign was a wonderful way to promote Vidalia onions as a classic, summertime ingredient while boosting sales for both Vidalia and our retail partners.”
This year’s partnership provided multiple cross-promotional marketing opportunities through a fully integrated campaign and a variety of channels. Some highlights from the program’s achievements include:
Campaign website
o 86,000 unique visitors from May to August 2013
o 36,997 digital coupons printed
o 9,841 referrals from participating food bloggers
Social media events – three Twitter parties
o Trended in the top five on Twitter
o More than 7.7 million impressions
o 2,939 individuals contributed
o 10,132 tweets
“Virtual Picnic” food blogger event
o 13 food bloggers
o 54 blog posts with 43 recipe posts using the sponsor’s products
o 39,454 combined total of Facebook shares
o 3,056 entries in the give-a-ways
Flavors of Summer also hosted a national retailer contest where supermarket produce managers submitted photos of their creative and original Vidalia onion store display. The first-place winner, Lenn Harnish of Harvey’s Supermarket in Valdosta, Ga., won an iPad mini. Runner-up Matt Faulkner of Harvey’s Supermarket in Lakeland, Ga. won a deluxe grilling accessories kit including Cuisinart 14-Piece Grill Set, Cuisinart Simply Grilling Nonstick Grilling Basket and “The Barbecue! Bible” by Steven Raichlen.
Consumers were able to get in on the competition with the Flavors of Summer recipe contest. The best in show winner, Crystal Pye of Ruston, L.A., won in the decorating and entertaining category for her baby shower event. She was awarded with $1000 and a $5000 Sears gift card. Derick Thurman of Charlotte, N.C. won the salads, sides and desserts category with his garlicky Vidalia and tomato cheese tart recipe. The marinades, sauces and salsas category winner was Pamela Paula of Springhill, FL with her fire-roasted salsa recipe. Kristine Snyder of Kihei, H.I. won the grilling category for her grilled sausage and sweet onion gyros. They each won $1000 as their prize.
About Vidalia® Onions
Vidalia® onions are the pioneer of sweet onions and Georgia’s official state vegetable. Grown only in the mild climate and unique soil surrounding Vidalia, Ga., they’re loved by chefs and home cooks throughout the world. Vidalia® onions are hand planted and hand harvested each year, with sweet, juicy bulbs available seasonally from late April to late August. Vidalia® onions, with their mild, sweet taste, are versatile and can be used in a variety of amazing recipes. These Georgia sweeties are also a low-fat, low-cholesterol and sodium-free way to get a healthy dose of Vitamin C! For more information, visit VidaliaOnion.org.
About the Vidalia® Onion Committee
Because Vidalia® onions are sweetly unique, farmers united to seek legal protection for their crop and its name. Federal Marketing Order No. 955 was established in 1989, to stipulate where the crop can be grown and help with research and promotion of Vidalia® onions. The Vidalia® Onion Committee administers FMO No. 955 and authorizes production research, marketing research and development and marketing promotion programs. This federal program along with Georgia state laws that protect the Vidalia® trademark have provided a legal framework for the industry. So, you can try to grow a sweet onion elsewhere, but you cannot call it a “Vidalia®,” unless it is from Georgia! For more information, visit VidaliaOnion.org.
About Sweet Vidalia® Flavors of Summer
The Sweet Vidalia® Flavors of Summer highlights and brings together iconic summer brands to provide the ultimate outdoor summer dining experience. The Vidalia® Onion Committee is partnering with Johnsonville® Mild Italian Sausage Links, Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices, National Mango Board, Avocados from Mexico, National Watermelon Promotion Board and Stemilt Cherries for this campaign. The “Sweet Vidalia Flavors of Summer” theme was featured on thousands of retail store displays and Vidalia onion packages nationwide. Flavors-of-Summer.com
Disclaimer
The VOC provides links to outside entities on VidaliaOnion.org and Flavors-of-Summer.com. If you click on the links to these pages, you will be leaving the VOC websites. The VOC, its employers, officers and members have no control over these outside sites and are, therefore, not responsible or legally liable for their content. The provision of these links does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information at those destinations, constitute endorsement of the entities to whose sites the links are included or endorse any of the opinions expressed on any of these external websites.
These websites operate under the auspices and at the direction of their respective owners. If you have a question or comment about any of these sites, please contact them directly.
Source: Vidalia® Onion Committee