case study

Boulder County Farmers Markets – PR

Boulder County Farmers Markets adapts to COVID-19 and a new normal

Challenge

Every small business and nonprofit has been impacted by COVID-19 and Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM) is no different. When the pandemic first hit, the future of in-person markets seemed grim for the indefinite future, and BCFM wasn’t sure how they were going to survive.

Results

In 2020, ROOT secured 94 pieces of coverage in just seven months, resulting in online readership of 143 million. National placements include “How to Safely Shop at Farmers Markets During Pandemic” on FoodNetwork.com, and “Everything You Need to Know About Local Farmers Markets and CSAs During the Coronavirus” in The Kitchn.

ROOT secured op-eds on meaningful, powerful topics such as “Pick up the phone to support farmers and ranchers” ahead of Election Season in Boulder Weekly and “What Happens If There are No More Farmers Markets in Colorado?” in 5280 ahead of National Farmers Market Week.

Solution

ROOT Marketing & PR stepped in to help with PR in late March, keeping the media and therefore the public up-to-date on developments at the BCFM, including the introduction of delivery, curbside pickup and related legislative changes. Once the “emergency PR” was done, we moved into thought leadership work, positioning the BCFM as experts in local community agriculture, and assisting them in creating op-eds that would grant BCFM a deeper level of earned media.

In Their Own Words:

“A highlight of my week is getting the coverage reports from Kuvy and Emily. As an organization advocating for local food systems, it can be difficult to compete for attention on the basis of “what and where”. Because of ROOT, we’ve been able to get in front of multiple audiences to help them understand the difference our “why” makes. This year alone, we’ve had 93 pieces of coverage and, after 33 years, the impact of our story is growing.”

Brian Coppom, Executive Director, Boulder County Farmers Markets

Challenge

Every small business and nonprofit has been impacted by COVID-19 and Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM) is no different. When the pandemic first hit, the future of in-person markets seemed grim for the indefinite future, and BCFM wasn’t sure how they were going to survive.

Solution

ROOT Marketing & PR stepped in to help with PR in late March, keeping the media and therefore the public up-to-date on developments at the BCFM, including the introduction of delivery, curbside pickup and related legislative changes. Once the “emergency PR” was done, we moved into thought leadership work, positioning the BCFM as experts in local community agriculture, and assisting them in creating op-eds that would grant BCFM a deeper level of earned media.

Results

In 2020, ROOT secured 94 pieces of coverage in just seven months, resulting in online readership of 143 million. National placements include “How to Safely Shop at Farmers Markets During Pandemic” on FoodNetwork.com, and “Everything You Need to Know About Local Farmers Markets and CSAs During the Coronavirus” in The Kitchn.

ROOT secured op-eds on meaningful, powerful topics such as “Pick up the phone to support farmers and ranchers” ahead of Election Season in Boulder Weekly and “What Happens If There are No More Farmers Markets in Colorado?” in 5280 ahead of National Farmers Market Week.

In Their Own Words:

“A highlight of my week is getting the coverage reports from Kuvy and Emily. As an organization advocating for local food systems, it can be difficult to compete for attention on the basis of “what and where”. Because of ROOT, we’ve been able to get in front of multiple audiences to help them understand the difference our “why” makes. This year alone, we’ve had 93 pieces of coverage and, after 33 years, the impact of our story is growing.”

Brian Coppom, Executive Director, Boulder County Farmers Markets

a few media hits

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