SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Digital branding has taken on a life of its own over the past year as more and more companies vy for a slice of the e-commerce market. Lucky for Side Delights^®, this fresh potato brand portfolio had already begun to build out its digital footprint before it became a cornerstone of supply-side strategy. As we delve deeper into this online space in the fresh produce industry, I had the chance to chat with Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network, to get an inside look at Side Delights’ digital brand strategy.

“Side Delights began building our digital brand a couple years ago by updating our product lines and transitioning our promotional sell sheets developed for retail and foodservice buyers into a digital e-book,” she told me. “This transition was accompanied by updates to creative materials, statistics, and programming. It was a great upgrade to how we sell and share our product and promotion information. This first step was received well by our customers. However, at that time, the pandemic was inconceivable, and we were going digital to reinforce our position as a cutting-edge, innovative supplier, not out of necessity.”

Over the past year, Side Delights concentrated its efforts on establishing its social media presence with an ownable brand voice and creative expression. The company took a grassroots approach that connected farmers to its potatoes, leading with the Grown Where It Matters quality message and Time for What Matters consumer messaging. On Facebook over the past 10 months, the company has grown its followers by 12.5 times, with significant growth reflected on Instagram as well. Side Delights also established its own YouTube channel along with eight new “how to” videos around tips and tricks for potatoes.

“We are now announcing our digital product line kits for our retailers’ e-commerce platforms,” Kathleen continued, noting how this digital strategy has been made available to buyers as well. “Omni-channel has become omni-present, so we want to ensure our products, whether they are in our Side Delights packaging or a retailer’s private label, are represented to the consumer in the best light possible. Our e-commerce kits include, among other things, beauty shots of our products and customized social media posts. We believe that every brand and every product should communicate what it is and what makes it special both in-store and online. The quality of the communication makes a difference, and we are ready to help retailers with this task.”

Having entered uncharted territory with this strategy, Side Delights had to get creative in finding solutions that would bolster its digital brand presence. The brand utilizes signature recipes with links to its YouTube and FAQ pages, as well as clearly calls out nutritional information and functional benefits. On top of this, Side Delights is taking a more abstract approach by appealing to consumers through total brand transparency.

“You gotta talk about what you are doing!” Kathleen proclaimed. “The Fresh Solutions Network of farmers are excellent farmers with amazing stories to tell. Being honest and proud about who we are and how we farm was a great starting point. Check out our recently launched site for more examples of how we provide brand transparency.”

Be sure to take notes on how Side Delights is growing its share of the fresh produce market through digital branding. For more exciting strategies across the industry, keep an eye out for reports from ANUK.

Side Delights® Fresh Solutions Network