SANTA ANA, CA - Equitable Food Initiative Communication Summit; which took place July 24-25 in Santa Ana, California; was an opportunity like none other to plant success within our messages that will blossom into a return that can be felt within our businesses. The invite-only event reached out to EFI Certified grower/shippers and those who are looking into becoming certified, and it offered resources on how to communicate brand messaging more effectively.

On the tails of the event, I found out the inside scoop on what sets this gathering—which hosted 30 industry professionals from 14 companies this year—apart from other industry happenings.

“In light of the speed of communication in today’s marketplace and new media channels, we felt that educating our growers with advanced media training that facilitates their ability to effectively tell their stories—not just during crisis, but even when there is no issue—is critical,” LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing Communications, shares. “Consumers are looking to make meaningful connections with the individuals who grow their food and gain a sense of transparency that has been unavailable to them in the past. We feel this event was another important tool we can offer our members to advance their organizational success.”

Speakers at the event were the following, covering a variety of issues:

Heather Shavey with Costco Wholesale

Topics explored were priority of labor standards and Costco’s commitment to and support of EFI and the Ethical Charter, as well as the company’s continued efforts to make workforce development and safety a priority.

Melinda Goodman with Full Tilt Marketing

This section dove into Values Driven Marketing to Drive Retailer and Consumer Engagement, which meant discussing the new era of the social justice movement, keyboard warriors, and the importance of storytelling to establish transparent connections

Theresa Thorne with Thorne Communications and Dave Murray with Andrew & Williamson

During their talks, crisis plan development was talked about in conjunction with managing and messaging a crisis. This included preparedness protocols based on previous crisis experience

Carmine & Vanessa Gallo

This talk shared the importance of telling branding stories, sharpening persuasive edge, and hosting mock interviews. While participants attended, they engaged in hands-on activities—such as creating a logline; developing a message map; and being in an interview training on camera to evaluate messaging checklist, authentic body language, and more.

Those who attended the two-day event walked away with a better understanding of communications, thanks to Carmine Gallo’s expertise. Known as the Communications Guru, he is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Harvard instructor, and renowned communications advisor.

With that, I look forward to seeing the fruits of the conference’s labor, as new and innovative messaging makes ripples through the industry and draws attention to the tremendous efforts put forth every day.

For more fresh produce happenings, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.

Equitable Food Initiative