Fairtrade Fortnight cuts through with a simple message
Launched in 1997 by the Fairtrade Foundation, Fairtrade Fortnight is at the heart of the brand’s mission to promote fair pay for farmers in the Third World and it explains to Gorkana how it is using a simple message to make the most of a mix of channels to stand-out in an overcrowded market.
The campaign, which launched today (29 February) and ends 12 March, will release two 90 second films via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter telling the stories of Fairtrade farmers and how they are able to provide food for their families throughout the year.
In addition, Instagram will be the launch platform for a 15 second film aimed at a younger demographic. This video will make the connection between typical daily breakfasts and the farmers that make those breakfasts possible. Both films will be featured on a microsite telling the story of food poverty through animated HTML pages.
Martine Parry, media and PR manager for mainstream consumer audiences at Fairtrade Foundation, said: “This year we will steer toward harder hitting content that tells the story of food poverty to provoke consumers into thinking more about how dependent they are on the farmers that provide our food.”
“Provocative” content is also set to be delivered throughout social channels in the form of infographics and statistics. In addition, ‘breakfast inspiration’ posts – showing the different ways people can have a Fairtrade breakfast – and user generated posts in response to the campaign will be shared around the country.
Fairtrade Fortnight, which is backed by a range of brands including Waitrose, Aldi and Cadbury, will also feature new collaborations with TV presenter Laura Jackson and TV and radio presenter Alice Levine. They both are hosting the Big Fairtrade Breakfast, which was held in London today.
Parry said: “Press stunts will bring our call to action to life, producers visiting the UK will tour Fairtrade towns, villages, schools and churches and our celebrity ambassadors will help us communicate our message in a way that is accessible for a consumer audience.”
Fighting consumer fatigue with a single message
Campaigns aimed at influencing how consumers purchase their food, where they go and what they buy are becoming increasingly frequent. Adding to the clout are government campaigns, such as Campaign4life’s latest ‘sugar smart’ initiative, which have created debate around how products in the UK should be labelled and what consumers need to watch out for.
Parry told Gorkana that to help the Fairtrade Foundation stand out, this year’s campaign will focus on a simple message across a variety of platforms. She said: “What is special about our messaging this year is that we are going out with a single, consistent call to action that will work for everyone.
“This year’s campaign is very integrated across all channels and has a single call to action around food security, whereas last year we focused on why Fairtrade matters and also on the crisis facing sugar cane farmers in the developing world.
