Kentucky Department of Agriculture:
Kick off Kentucky Proud — on a shoestring…
Situation: As Kentucky worked to diversify away from
tobacco the promotion of alternative crops became
more vital than ever. That’s why in 2002 the Kentucky
Department of Agriculture turned to this agency to
launch a unified marketing and advertising campaign
for Kentucky’s unbranded farm products. It was no small
challenge; the task was to develop, produce and conduct
a statewide multi-media campaign that included TV, print,
and point of purchase all on a limited budget of $150,000.
Fresh Idea: Freshness proved to be the number one
motivation in food-buying decisions. So we developed
a strategy equating fresh with locally grown, built on the
slogan “Taste Kentucky Fresh. Nothing Else is Close”. We
begged and cajoled local newspapers and media across
the sate to give us two for one value.
The Payoff: Consumer demand prompted retailers like
WalMart and Kroger to actively seek local suppliers to
fulfill demand. To this day our work and tagline remain the
recognized brand for Kentucky products.
Terry Garmon, KDA Marketing Director: “The agency’s
work was breakthrough and memorable and garnered
attention and from adjacent agricultural states. The media
placement and negotiated value added exposure helped
stretch the state dollars beyond what we could have
imagined. It was one of the most effective and efficient
marketing campaigns in the history of the department.”
