California Giant Berry Farms has seen positive results from a marketing program encouraging consumers to use a traceback function for berries. 

Several years ago the company invested in a food safety traceability function that allows trading partners and consumers to trace each clamshell of fresh berries back to the source.

But in March this year, California Giant Berry made the function about more than just a responsive food safety solution, converting it into a proactive marketing campaign that directs shoppers to flip over the clamshell and enter a 16-digit code on Calgiant.com to learn more about where their specific berries were grown.

Since then the group says thousands of shoppers have entered in the traceback codes to be entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win a cash reward each month.

Once on the site they not only gain access to information on where the berries were grown, but they are also
able to view recipes, tips and video content featuring the farmers and their families on the ranch telling their story.

"The campaign increases awareness of our item level traceability program and captures demographics of those 
purchasers as we tell our story straight from the farm," VP of marketing Cindy Jewell said in a release.

"We connect with shoppers as they are purchasing our brand and begin building loyalty immediately with the additional information found on the traceback page. If they weren’t already a fan, they become one once they enter the contest, connect with a farmer and taste our berries."

She said consumers had provided very positive feedback because of the “Follow us to our Farm” program with emails and calls thanking the company for its transparency and sharing information about the berries.

One of the California Giant farmers also posted the following video on social media encouraging shoppers to use the traceback feature:

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