In a new campaign California-based berry multinational Driscoll's is targeting the country's top 10 berry-consuming cities, which account for more than a quarter of national sales volume.

In a release, the company said Boston, Hartford-New Haven and Minneapolis-St. Paul were the top three berry-adoring markets in the U.S., while the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) also emerged as the country's raspberry consumption capital.

Driscoll's said families in the area enjoy 132% more fresh raspberries per household than the national average annually.

The results come from syndicated category data reported by The Nielsen Company, based upon the highest weekly store sales of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Consumers within these top 10 berry-loving markets, including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Buffalo/Rochester, Denver, and New York City among others, consume nearly 400 million pounds of fresh berries, or more than 25% of national consumption.

With national retail sales for all fresh berries continuing to grow at 7.6% and leading all produce category sales over the past five years, Americans continue to discover the berry joy.

In celebration, Driscoll’s is launching #BerryTogether, a nationwide campaign to engage berry lovers across these top 10 markets.

The Driscoll’s #BerryTogether campaign features an integrated approach of combining live, in-person experiences with digital extensions that inspire bringing people together. Highlights include:

• #BerryTogether live experience in Twin Cities:

The campaign kicks off in the raspberry-devout Twin Cities highlighted by a 3D experiential art installation that requires people to come together to receive a berry reward. The concept of the installation supports the notion that berries are better when shared together. Footage capturing authentic interactions with the 3D installation can be viewed on Driscolls.com/berrytogether.

• #BerryTogether social campaign:

To encourage communal berry moments nationwide, Driscoll’s is hosting a national #BerryTogether sweepstakes showcasing photos of favorite berry moments with family and friends. To enter, simply share photos of favorite every day berry occasions on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #BerryTogether for a chance to win a family vacation to California to create more delicious memories. Berry lovers everywhere can view entries and photos through the ongoing hashtag #BerryTogether on social media.

"Our new #BerryTogether communication strategy is an exciting opportunity to further establish brand differentiation in the largely commodity-driven agriculture industry," said Driscoll's director of marketing Frances Dillard.

"These national berry consumer insights provide a platform to create a movement with our brand advocates centered around the fun and emotional satisfaction of eating and sharing berries."

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