Commission Partners with Bristol Farms on Successful Consumer Influencer Event
On April 5, the California Avocado Commission and premium retailer Bristol Farms hosted 15 local consumer influencers on an immersive California avocado experience. CAC Senior Marketing Manager Lori Small and Bristol Farms representative Lanee Alatorre welcomed invited guests to the event and shared what makes California avocados and Bristol Farms special. Then the group visited a grove in Carpinteria to learn from California avocado grower Rick Shade. The influencers asked questions, captured photos and videos in the grove and experienced how to pick an avocado.
After the grove tour the group enjoyed a delicious California avocado-centric lunch prepared by Bristol Farms in their Santa Barbara store. Attendees captured photos and videos of attractive California avocado displays and signage in the produce department, including a beautiful chalk art floor sign and other signs hand drawn by a Bristol Farms’ employee. The influencers were very appreciative of the event, as was Bristol Farms. Each influencer then created a California avocado recipe and social media posts promoting the fact that locally grown and sustainably farmed California avocados are now in season and available at Bristol Farms.
KSBY-TV In Santa Barbara Features California Avocados
On April 7, Santa Barbara television station KSBY aired a segment about locally grown California avocados that was filmed in a Carpinteria avocado grove with grower Rick Shade. Shade discussed California avocado season and the forecast for this year’s robust crop. He highlighted the heritage of the California avocado industry and encouraged consumers to purchase the sustainably farmed fruit while it is in season and available at local stores. The California Avocado Commission arranged the grove tour with reporter Juliet Lamar, who also interviewed CAC Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane. Splane noted that California avocado growers have planted about three million new trees in the past decade.
Season Launch Trade Press Release Garners Wide Coverage
On March 31, the California Avocado Commission issued a trade press release announcing that its consumer advertising campaign supporting the 2025 California avocado season had launched. The press release was widely picked up, including stories running in these publications/newsletters:
- AndNowUKnow.com
- FreshFruitPortal.com
- Fresh Plaza
- Fruitnet.com
- Morning Ag Clips
- The Produce News
- The Produce Reporter
California avocados were additionally promoted through coverage in The Packer, which ran an article on March 21 covering the California avocado season launch, and Produce Business, which included California avocados in its Cinco de Mayo planning guide.
Trade Communications Reaching Retailers on Multiple Fronts
The California Avocado Commission's retail communications program is well underway. This year's retail trade advertising campaign launched in March with print ads featured in The Packer and The Produce News as part of their California avocado issues.
In addition to print, digital ads have been running in daily newsletters and across publication websites, helping expand the program's reach and visibility. The retail section of the CaliforniaAvocado.com website also has been refreshed, now offering updated resources and a more user-friendly interface to better support retail partners.
Finally,a newly developed retail newsletter will be distributed to retail contacts, delivering timely California avocado updates and valuable tools directly to industry partners. The team looks forward to continued engagement throughout the season.
