The California Strawberry Commission’s is focusing on integrating many of its marketing efforts for 2014 around two themes, according to Carolyn O’Donnell, communications director. One is “365 days of California strawberries” and the other is “your life becomes better just by adding California strawberries.”

The Produce News talked to O’Donnell Jan. 24, one day after the commission’s budget and activity plans for the 2014 fiscal year had been adopted in board meetings.

Programs were approved at the meetings for production research, grower education and public policy as well as marketing.

The marketing messages for the 2014 season will emphasize the fact that “365 days a year we have farmers in California growing strawberries for the rest of the nation,” O’Donnell said.

The idea that life is better with strawberries would probably resonate with many people for many reasons, but the commission’s main message in that regard has to do with the nutritional and health benefits of California strawberries. “Just adding strawberries” makes meals more nutritious and helps improve health, she said.

“We will be focusing around the farmer and the nutrition of strawberries, and we will be doing that throughout the year,” she said.

Social media will be extensively used as a means to get those messages to consumers. “Every month we will be using a blogger ambassador to help carry our messages and develop new recipes and other use ideas,” O’Donnell said.

“We will have four major PR pushes around very specific things,” she said. “One will be in March for National Nutrition Month.”

Another is in May, which besides being National Strawberry Month is the month in which the commission presents its scholarship awards to the children of field workers in California. “That is a very big deal for us,” she said. “We are now up to over 200 students that have been receiving scholarships every year. Last year, we awarded $220,000.”

Another major public relations push will be made during the summer season, focusing on summer flavors and summer entertaining, O’Donnell said. “Then the last one will be in November for National Diabetes Month.”

With regard to trade promotion activities, the commission’s major focus will be on the foodservice sector. The commission does not plan to do “anything extra or out-of-the-ordinary in terms of retail this year.” Rather, “we are putting more efforts into foodservice,” placing emphasis on “some really key areas where we see the potential for growth.”

In that effort, the commission will be working directly with major restaurant chains, rather than hosting ideation events with chefs from various restaurants participating. “We have done those types of activities in the past. We are just going to try a little bit different approach this year,” she said. “We will be ramping up some of our foodservice activities, working with menu developers and chefs to look at ways they can incorporate strawberries into their menus.