Aug 26, 2020

Neil Ferguson takes on new role at Pear Bureau Northwest

Pear Bureau Northwest announced Aug. 26  Neil Ferguson has been promoted to creative marketing manager.

Ferguson started at Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) in 2017 as the organization’s communications specialist and has been continually taking on new responsibilities in social media, digital advertising, media communications and website development, driving innovative new promotional tactics and spearheading a range of creative content. Prior to joining the produce industry, Ferguson worked as a marketer, social media manager and journalist.

“As a newcomer to the produce industry when I started at PBNW, the last three years have been an exciting learning experience. Using my unique background as a creative marketer and content creator helps our organization amplify the story of pears, capturing the attention of consumers. I am proud to promote pears on behalf of Northwest growers and am eager to expand my role to execute highly creative and innovative programs,” said Ferguson.

Over the last several months, PBNW has rapidly shifted to more digital promotion activities as the retail landscape changed and most in-store activities have been put on hold. The organization has moved to digital platforms and developed creative ways to reach consumers with omnichannel efforts. Ferguson has played a large role in evaluating, developing and executing these efforts.

Kathy Stephenson, PBNW Marketing Communications Director, said, “Neil has played a critical role in developing the presence of USA Pears online since joining our team. With shoppers’ growing dependence on mobile, digital platforms, his expertise creating compelling content and placing it effectively in front of shoppers helps us keep pears top of mind. Neil brings a true passion for our grower community, leading to an honest desire to finds new ways to share the pear story every day.”

Ferguson earned a BA from the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he enjoys live music, cycling and exploring diverse food scenes.

Pear Bureau Northwest is a non-profit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon, home to 87% of the U.S. commercial fresh pear crop.

The bureau represents over 800 grower families and partners with outlets throughout the world in an effort to increase overall success with the pear category. The organization provides marketing and merchandising expertise that is customized specifically for each retail organization, using its pear consumer research findings as well as individual store analysis using an in-house data system that measures pear category performance nationwide and third-party research to show retailers how they perform versus their competition.

Retailers who are interested in partnering with Pear Bureau Northwest should contact them at [email protected] or 1 (800) 547-4610, as well as visit the retail trade site Trade.USAPears.org or consumer site, USAPears.org