New Campaign: Farmer Jack “We’re Thinking Fresh”

Challenge
Detroit-based Farmer Jack Food Market, an operating unit of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, is one of the leading supermarket chains in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, with more than 100 stores throughout the region. Facing extremely difficult competition from other supermarket chains and retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and chain drug stores, Farmer Jack repositioned itself in 2003 with its “We’re Thinking Fresh” campaign. All stores in the chain closed for an unprecedented 37 hours to install new signage, new uniforms, new pricing and new attitudes. The “We’re Thinking Fresh” campaign was also reflected in a creative television and print campaign that set itself apart from traditional grocery store advertising with clever visuals and catchy slogans.

	Mike Carter, president of Farmer Jack Food Markets, announces details of Farmer Jack's new "We're Thinking Fresh" campaign to media.

Because previous store executives had been largely unavailable to reporters in Farmer Jack’s key markets of Detroit, Toledo and Lansing, many industry reporters had developed a negative stance toward the company. This stance was reflected a series of controversial and negative articles in the Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business about the perceived demise of the company. One of the challenges for Franco was to improve these relationships in the context of the new campaign.

An additional challenge Franco faced was managing the media when news leaks began to develop about the “We’re Thinking Fresh” campaign. Farmer Jack wanted to keep the details of the new campaign as secret as possible until the stores reopened to the public. However, when store managers were informed of the changes, the details of the campaign “made” their way to reporters despite strict confidentiality agreements. Every day until the stores reopened and the news conference was held, Franco, in conjunction with Farmer Jack executives, issued statements to the media (sometimes twice a day) keeping them up to date with whatever information was appropriate to publicize.

Strategy
Franco developed a detailed media-relations plan to communicate the changes inherent in the “We’re Thinking Fresh” campaign to the media and the public. Prior to the store closings, Franco sent reporters and editors miniature shopping baskets containing fruit-shaped squeeze toys, a stop watch as a reminder of the countdown to the reopening of the stores and a news release announcing a news conference for the day that the stores opened again for business.

Instead of holding the news conference at corporate headquarters or a store, it was held at the Mary Thompson Farm in Southfield, Mich., as a way to symbolize the company’s new emphasis on freshness. The farm hosted community plots tended by senior gardeners who grew produce that was shared with area food banks. Farmer Jack made a donation to the Southfield Senior Gardeners program and used the venue as a location to announce the details of the “We’re Thinking Fresh” campaign.

Mike Carter, president of Farmer Jack, conducted the news conference and answered media questions. Reporters received baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables and were invited to tour a revamped Farmer Jack store. Two nearby stores were opened to the media for photography and videotaping immediately after the news conference.

Results

• Editorial opinion on Farmer Jack became more favorable and the reporters on the Farmer Jack beat were very appreciative of the access they were given to Farmer Jack information and its president.
• We created a positive “buzz” during the period of the store closings with speculation on the changes that the stores were undergoing.
• Word on the street became “something’s happening at Farmer Jack,” instead of “nothing’s happening at Farmer Jack.”
• The public relations effort produced more than 100 stories on Detroit, Lansing and Toledo television news shows and coverage in 16 regional print publications.
• The major radio news stations in southeast Michigan also covered the story extensively.
• The great majority of coverage was positive for Farmer Jack and incorporated all the key messages of the campaign. Most importantly, feedback from customers was positive and was reflected in the stories.

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