Alfalfa´s Market, a chain of gourmet, health-oriented grocery stores, hired Environmental Communications Associates to create a marketing and advertising campaign that would distinguish their organic health food stores from other grocery chains. Addressing the corporation´s tremendous concern for environmental issues, especially those surrounding the food industry, ECA developed an issue-related marketing strategy. Our objective was to relate specific environmental concerns to the consumers´ own emerging values and ethics, and thereby creating a mutual philosophy as a buying criteria. ECA provided strategy development, campaign production (radio and print ads), direct mailings, scientific support materials, and campaign administration. The resulting program exemplified the effectiveness of issue-related marketing and became a nationally recognized, award-winning campaign.
Since the campaign´s inception, the company has become one of the largest grocery retail chains in the country, with over 50 stores nationwide after a merger with WildOats food stores. Sales within individual product categories increased from 50–400 percent during the campaign. Public awareness of environmental issues increased significantly, along with the store´s credibility as a result of this campaign. Additionally, Alfalfa´s became an acknowledged action–oriented leader on environmental and health issues both within the community and the industry.