The Hawks Point Golf Club in Vidalia, GA, looked like a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean” Feb. 8 as almost 300 costumed Vidalia onion growers and their families packed the Vidalia Onion Committee’s annual awards banquet and prepared to launch the 2014 season and the annual marketing campaign.

This year’s gala was themed “Protecting Our Treasure” and brought out an array of costumes and interactive events with a pirate motif that would have been equally at home an hour away on the coast of Savannah, GA.Bo Herndon knows onions — and also knows he will be flashing the ‘V is for Vidalia’ sign frequently in 2014.

Dry Branch Farms of Collins, GA, was named Grower of the Year, while Barbara Braddy of Braddy Farms in Mt. Vernon, GA, received the first ever Vidalia Ambassador Award.

The Grower of the Year recognizes overall achievement and success as a producer with an emphasis on quality production and compliance with the Vidalia marketing order. Candidates must be registered Vidalia onion growers, cannot be currently serving on the committee, submit reports and payments in a timely manner, have no or few complaints to the committee office, conform to all standards set forth in the order, and enhance and support brand recognition.

Dry Branch Farms is a fourth-generation family farm, owned and operated by Wallace and David Jarriel.  The Jarriels started growing, packing and shipping their first sweet onions in April 1990. In 1995 they built a new packinghouse with controlled atmosphere rooms and were recognized as “Conservationist of the Year” for Tattnall County, GA. Dry Branch Farms continues to grow and expand its facility and now farms between 350-400 acres of onions.

The inaugural Vidalia Ambassador Award was established to recognize dedication and diligence to the Vidalia Onion Industry. Braddy, a retired schoolteacher and now office manager at Braddy Farms, oversees all sweet onion sales and has been an active VOC board member for many years. Established in 1966, Braddy Farms produces Vidalia onions, cotton, corn, soybeans and pecans on 5,000 acres.

Said Vidalia Onion Committee Chairman Kevin Hendrix, “I was honored to present the Grower of the Year Award to Dry Branch Farms, which recognizes excellence in quality, production and service to the Vidalia Onion Committee. And Barbara Braddy has contributed so much time and effort to our industry, the Ambassador Award was well deserved as it recognizes her passion, dedication and ongoing service.”

The unveiling of the VOC’s annual marketing campaign has become an anticipated event over the past few years, as the committee’s marketing efforts have blazed a trail that has run from Hollywood to Nashville raising the profile of the world’s most famous onion. The new campaign — “V is for Vidalia” — kicks off April 21 and focuses on promoting the versatility and benefits of Vidalia onions to consumers.

“Our goal is to reach a younger consumer demographic,” explained VOC Executive Director Susan Waters. “This fun, energetic campaign, combined with increased digital and social media activities, is the first step in reaching the Millennial generation consumers and starting to establish their long-term loyalty for the Vidalia onion brand.”  

The initial campaign push comes April 25-26 with VOC hosting a field tour for food bloggers to coincide with the 37th annual Vidalia Onion Festival. Bloggers will not only get a behind-the-scenes look at the Vidalia onion industry but also participate in select festival events.   

“We are excited to invite food bloggers from around the country to tour the Vidalia onion fields and packaging facilities at the beginning of our season,” said Hendrix. “Our goal is to educate them on the entire experience from farm to fork and let them become more familiar with how and where Vidalia onions are grown.”

Other components of the 2014 “V” campaign include on-pack brand messaging; digital coupons; social media outreach; point-of-sale materials; national food blogger contest; and varied advertising and public relations activities.

As part of the promotion, the VOC will be including a digital coupon on its Facebook page and will be giving away weekly prizes on Facebook during the months of May and June.  

“In 2012, our digital coupon on Facebook had over 35,000 downloads with a 23 percent redemption rate so we expect to get another great response,” said Waters.  

The VOC is also in the process of updating its website to develop a newly expanded section focusing on providing retailers with key marketing and merchandising resources. Starting April 1, retailers will be able to access a current crop report, highlights from a new onion category research study, downloadable campaign graphics and merchandising tips, as well as storage and handling information.  

Retailers can also request POS materials from their Vidalia onion supplier, which will feature the colorful “V is for Vidalia” theme for full-bin and half-bin displays as well as self-adhesive, tear-off recipe pads.