Whole Foods Creates More Buzz

Whole Foods Market broadened its annual "Share the Buzz" cause campaign from raising awareness of the loss of honeybees to drawing attention to threats facing a variety of animal pollinators.Stanchion signs in stores employed the same image of empty produce displays symbolizing the loss of fruits and vegetables reliant on pollinators that Whole Foods first used during the 2013 campaign. This year, a store in Berkeley, CA, did the same thing to its salad bar, leaving only about 40% of its original offerings. Pictures of the result were distributed in an April 15 media release.The retailer concurrently released a series of four YouTube videos showing what guacamole, apple pie, marinara sauce and smoothies would be like without pollinators. (See below.)The aforementioned signs dispensed flyers providing information on the importance of hawk moths, fireflies, monarch butterflies, bumble bees and hummingbirds while directing consumers a promotional webpage (wfm.com/pollinators). Checkout signs supported.The page hosts a series of five animated informational videos narrated by actor Jaden Smith (see below) encouraging consumers to help pollinators by eating organic (since the insects are vulnerable to pesticides), planting wildflowers and reducing light pollution. Whole Foods also spotlighted General Mills' Cascadian Farm as well as Blue Diamond Growers' Almond Breeze and Blue Diamond on the webpage, citing the brands' efforts to protect pollinators by funding research.The alternative grocer used the campaign to introduce private label 365 Every Day "pollinator friendly" almonds and almond butter, sourced from an orchard in Le Grande, CA, that works with The Xerces Society — a nonprofit dedicated to protecting invertebrates — to produce a welcoming environment for pollinators year round. Whole Foods donated 50 cents to The Xerces Society for every jar of the limited edition almond butter sold from April 15-28 and gave the nonprofit all of the proceeds from the sale of $1 packets of sunflower seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds.Stores also hosted a "Party for the Pollinators" on April 18 where shoppers could plant seeds and sample pollinator-friendly products. Cascadian Farms and Blue Diamond donated $1 to The Xerces Society for each qualifying product sold that day.Facebook and Twitter updates, ads in emails, and posts in the retailer's "Whole Story" blog rounded out the campaign.

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