A Culture of Innovation: Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone to Achieve Goals
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. -Steve Jobs
Spring is upon us! As work continues in the orchards and growers assess the progress of the trees after bloom, Blue Diamond wants grower-owners to know our thoughts are with them. It was, yet again, another challenging bloom as almond growers did their best to protect orchards from overnight freezing conditions, rain, wind and hail. It is too early to estimate what the impact will be on the 2018 crop, but rest assured the cooperative will continue to do what we can to ensure family farms are sustainable during these uncertain times. I am confident the almond market will remain strong as reports show that global consumption is increasing and shipments are growing consistently.
To keep up with these demands, Blue Diamond is thinking big and putting innovation at the forefront. In late February, we launched a new snack nut campaign, Crave Victoriously, to inspire consumers to embrace their snack cravings. The campaign comes at a time when snacking has become more prevalent for Americans and we want consumers to know that Blue Diamond Almonds has the tastes they crave in a superfood. The new television commercial aired on TV and online in early March and the campaign can also be seen in point of sale displays throughout retail stores in the U.S.
We also celebrated cravings through flavor discovery with a new branded snack nut line of Blue Diamond Crafted Gourmet Almonds. This new product line is the latest example of Blue Diamond’s dedication to offer consumers your high-quality almonds in four unique flavors that complement gourmet foods like cheese and olives. This is an exciting new genre for Blue Diamond as we find new and better ways to deliver the benefits of almonds to the world.
This innovative approach to our marketing and products allows us to continue leading the way around the globe. In Spain, we are growing and strengthening our brand with an innovative new line of yogurt products. Closer to home, the Blue Diamond team is using an innovative marketing campaign to help highlight and communicate to consumers the benefits of our almondmilk. Almond Breeze is targeting specific consumer groups by creating ambassadors for the brand. These ambassadors include key registered dietitian influencers who bring a scientific background to understanding food and nutrition. The ambassadors visited our headquarters in Sacramento and toured an almond orchard to learn more about Blue Diamond’s products and processes. I would like to once again thank grower-owner Mike Doherty and his family for hosting the ambassadors at their orchard.
The impact of Blue Diamond’s marketing is being recognized by more than just customers and consumers, but also fellow industry organizations. At the National Council of Farmers Cooperative’s Annual Meeting, I was pleased to see Blue Diamond Growers acknowledged for their work over the last year. From our membership newsletter and website to advertising, marketing and social media campaigns, the cooperative is demonstrating its ability to be a leader in the industry.
Blue Diamond’s culture of innovation takes us out of our comfort zone and challenges us to look at what we are doing in different ways. I look forward to how the Blue Diamond team and our grower-owners will work together to achieve our shared goals and positively transform the almond market with value-added products.