Photo courtesy of Fresh Express.
Marketers have advised produce companies to “meet consumers where they are.” That usually means social media, and then it’s to attract the large millennial generation and Gen Z, which is growing in its spending power.
Fresh Express, BB #:115030 one of the nation’s largest value-added salad brands, is taking it one step further in attracting Gen X. While smaller, it has considerable buying power, and it isn’t shrinking in power and numbers like Baby Boomers.
Many Gen X families still have children at home and often older ones who eat a lot. Fresh Express introduced one of its new spokespeople at the IFPA Global Produce Show, and judging by the crowds at its booth, it was a major success.
Actress, cookbook author, and mom Tiffani Thiessen already has a massive following on social media and has posted about healthy eating and now will be promoting Fresh Express salads this fall through next year.
Thiessen is most famous for her work in 1990s hit TV shows Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills 90210, and she also developed a cult following with the USA Network drama, White Collar, which ran from 2009-14 and remains available on various video platforms.
At the Global Show on October 17, Thiessen granted an exclusive interview with Blue Book.
She said Fresh Express’ “Express Yourself” campaign for its salads is a natural fit for her as she’s grown her stature in the nutrition community and is also as a working mother of two.
“These salads allow you to be creative with them and not take too long to prepare a meal,” she said. “Not many people have two hours to prepare a meal, and this is a way to get healthy dinners quickly. We often add protein, and we will even put them on top of a pizza.”
Thiessen said she has huge social media followings on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. She says her audience is generally aged 35 to 55 and evenly split among women and men.
“People see me as relatable and something nostalgic and trustworthy and now a parent who loves healthy food and is family oriented,” she said.
Despite her Hollywood career, Thiessen said she’s always had a connection to farming. She said growing up in Long Beach, CA, her family had a garden, and she has one today and also raises chickens.
She said she’s aware of the importance of agriculture in California and even that Salinas is called the Salad Bowl of the World. “I’d love to visit some farms working with Fresh Express,” Thiessen said.
In addition to her working with the salad brand on social media, she said she shot some commercials for Fresh Express, which will begin airing soon although the details haven’t been released.
Those of us in Gen X often complain that we’re the forgotten generation in marketing, and this partnership says Fresh Express is serious about a connection through one of our icons.
