By Greg Hazley
The fledgling U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, formed late last year by large food suppliers to burnish the image of U.S. agriculture, has brought in Ketchum, social media unit Zocalo Group, and Omnicom sister firm maslansky luntz + partners after a national search.
The alliance includes members like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Ketchum was tapped to develop a strategic communications plan for the group of agricultural organizations formed in December. Forrest Roberts, CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, chaired the new group's communications advisory committee and said the decision to hire Ketchum came after a nationwide review of agencies with agricultural experience.
Roberts said Ketchum will work with the group to create an integrated campaign “to address the critical communications issues surrounding U.S. agricultural production practices and its role in providing a safe and plentiful global good supply.”
Association management firm Drake & Company was hired in December to manage the group.
A campaign is slated to kick off in July.
Ketchum's global food and nutrition partner Linda Eatherton said the agency will work to get people to “re-think” the role of American agriculture in feeding the country.
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