Oct 2, 2020

USHBC/NABC shows new brand and logo, presents awards

At the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council/North American Blueberry Council (NABC/USHBC) Virtual Conference & Expo held Sept. 28-Oct. 1 the organizations revealed a new brand identity that communicates each council’s individual role in a cohesive way.

The team aligned on what’s become referred to as “the kaleidoscope berry” treatment, with the brand line of “Inspiring Possibilities.”

To ensure we bring a balanced perspective to our constituents, we fuse visionary thinking with pragmatic solutions. We seek to inspire our growers, industry partners and consumers while striving to expand our knowledge base. And we embrace change with curiosity, constantly evolving with a new global economy, exploring new opportunities for blueberries and  positioning the industry successfully for the future.

With a full brand identity guidebook, including fonts, colors, patterns, photography and tone of voice guidance for copywriting, the new brand will play a critical role in clarifying and differentiating the roles of both councils moving forward. Blueberries: Inspiring Possibilities unifies all touchpoints and messaging across all USHBC and NABC programs.

 For marketing and promotions, the Grab a Boost of Blue brand mark was also revealed – a new consumer call to action, consistent with the organizational branding, and motivating to consumers. Boost of Blue will be used in advertising, at point of sale, in social media channels and even on packaging to remind the consumer of the healthy boost of deliciousness they get from a handful of blueberries. The Grab a Boost of Blue brand platform was tested with consumers:

• 96% liked the design and call to action – identifying with this message as relevant to them.
• In pre- and post-purchase intent measures, exposure to the logo and message increased consumers’ purchase intent for both fresh and frozen blueberries.

Stay tuned for more resources to be updated on the website soon.

Congratulations to the 20th USHBC Anniversary Award Winners!

The blueberry industry is truly a group of innovative thinkers and doers – from the field all the way to the consumer, and every link in between. On Wednesday at the NABC/USHBC Virtual Conference & Expo, USHBC presented 11 awards to individuals who have gone above and beyond in their respective fields, nominated by their peers and fellow stakeholders in the industry.

The winners are:

• Grower Innovation, Production: Rod Cook, Ag-View Consulting
• Grower Innovation, Sustainability: Tom Avinelis, Agriculture Capital
• Grower Innovation, Good Practices: Mike Makara, former chair, British Columbia Blueberry Council
• Grower Innovation, Community Involvement/Outreach: Lorrie Merker, MBG Marketing
• Marketing and Promotions for Consumers and Health Professionals: Kirk McCreary, former chair of the USHBC Promotion Committee and former MBG Marketing CEO
• Food Manufacturing/Advances in Blueberry Products: Joe Meduri, Meduri World Delights
• Frozen: John Shelford, Naturipe Farms
• Export/Global Community Relations: Bryan Sakuma, Sakuma Brothers Holding Company
• Merchandising/Retail: Darrell Piliego, Publix Super Markets
• Foodservice: Andrew Hunter, Chef Andrew Culinary Development
• Genetic Research and Breeding with Nursery Propagation: David Brazelton, Fall Creek Nursery