Cracking the Code: Leveraging Broadcast Media for Big Results

Nichols Farms Lands Major Broadcast Coverage and Expands Brand Recognition in Specialty Markets

THE CLIENT

Since 1961, Nichols Farms has tilled the fertile soil of the San Joaquin Valley in California to supply the highest quality almonds and pistachios to families across the nation. The Nichols are caretakers of the land and committed to sustainable agriculture- integrating water recycling, composting, and other resourceful practices into their farming- while generating onsite solar energy to power their operations. The farm’s organic pistachios have emerged as their singular product with a complete line of dry-roasted flavored varieties, including hot honey, habanero lime, maple butter, and rosemary garlic. Today, four generations of the Nichols Family work together to grow, process, package, and market pistachios to retailers across the nation.

The Nichols Family

Nichols Farms engaged Sustainable PR in February of 2024 to expand their brand awareness in the United States in the better-for-you, organic, natural, and whole foods product markets.

THE CHALLENGE

The pistachio market is dominated by Wonderful Pistachios holding more than 80% of the market share. When Nichols Farms decided to launch the Nichols Farms brand after decades of white labeling their product line, they knew they would need to differentiate themselves by highlighting their unique attributes – generational leadership, sustainable business practices, and organics. Nichols Farms sought to leverage these attributes to attract health-conscious consumers who value quality and transparency, to cut through the noise in the CPG space and carve out their niche market segment.

THE SOLUTION

Sustainable PR identified broadcast media as a powerful platform to showcase the brand’s unique story and products. By leveraging the following strategies, Sustainable PR successfully secured placements on national and local television shows:

Compelling Narrative: Sustainable PR developed a compelling brand story that highlighted Nichols Farms’ commitment to sustainability through their water conservation programs, renewable energy integration, and organic growing practices, as well as their generational farming traditions which emphasize holistic sustainability practices which place their workers’ needs and high-quality production practices at the forefront of their operations. This narrative resonated with audiences and established trust and confidence in the brand.
Strategic Outreach: Sustainable PR targeted specific shows and producers that aligned with the brand’s values and audience demographics. Personalized outreach efforts, including customized emails, follow-up phone calls, and custom designed sample packages were used to build relationships with producers who oversaw product placements on key television programs.
Leveraging Seasonality: Sustainable PR timed our media outreach to coincide with relevant holidays and seasonal events, including back-to-school season and the farm’s harvest. This lent a degree of timeliness and increased the likelihood of securing placements and ensured that the story was relevant and impactful.
Curated Nichols Farms Sample Packages were sent to prominent producers and reporters as well as social media influencers
Creating Engaging Visuals: Sustainable PR curated high-quality product images and videos that showcased the pistachios in the best possible light. These visuals paired with product samples helped to capture the attention of producers and increased the likelihood of product placements.
Amplifying the Message: Once the placements were secured, Sustainable PR advised Nichols Farms’ marketing executives on how best to repurpose the media clips, photos, and behind-the-scenes content on the company’s social platforms. This helped to extend the reach of the broadcast features.

THE RESULTS

By effectively leveraging broadcast media, Nichols Farms demonstrated the power of storytelling, strategic outreach, and visual appeal. A strong brand narrative, coupled with timely and visually stunning content, resonated with audiences and generated significant coverage which elicited other media opportunities.