Regenerative Organic Certified® unveils First National Branding Campaign

(An example of how Dr. Bronner's, a ROC brand, is partnering with the certification to promote the campaign)

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When you look at what has been accomplished by the Regenerative Organic Certified® label (ROC) since its formation in 2017, it is nothing short of spectacular.

— 18.4M certified acres
— 2,040 certified products on the market
— 237 brands licensed
— 496 different kinds of crops
— 315 certified farms and ranches
— 63,331 smallholder farms
— The first certification to be featured on the homepage of Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly initiative.

Yet, despite the tremendous progress, the reality is that a large percentage of the marketplace is still unfamiliar with ROC and what it represents.

In an attempt to reverse this, the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which oversees the ROC label, has just released the certification’s very first national branding campaign called “Heal the Earth, Nourish your Life™” — all with the goal of educating retailers, consumers and producers on the healing power of regenerative organic agriculture.

“Those of us involved in this movement know that we have no choice but to get big quickly and reach as many people as possible, from the farmer to the consumer,” said Elizabeth Whitlow, ROA’s founding executive director.

The ROC brands choosing to be part of the campaign, known as Allies of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, will help execute digital campaigns, key visuals, thought leadership articles and shopper marketing.

ADDRESSING TWO KEY AREAS

With this campaign, there are two specific challenges that ROC is facing.

1) Communicating what ROC means

Based on The Hartman Group’s Beyond Organic 2024 report — and many previous grocery shopping reports — consumers convincingly believe that “natural” is a more important characteristic than “organic.”

So, given that we are more than two decades into the USDA’s National Organic Program, and consumers still do not fully understand or appreciate the meaning of organic, explaining the term Regenerative Organic Certified® is unquestionably a formidable task.

Nevertheless, it must be tackled, and this is precisely what the marketing campaign is attempting to do.

Even if a consumer cannot fully articulate what ROC means, the campaign’s slogan “Heal the Earth, Nourish your Life™” communicates that ROC is beneficial for both the planet and an individual’s personal health, the latter of which will likely have greater influence when making a purchasing decision.

And if the full marketing collateral is used, such as below, it does give the detailed explanation of ROC and its three pillars — “It goes beyond no synthetic pesticides, no toxic additives, and non-GMO ingredients by championing biodiversity and healthier soils, protecting animal welfare and ensuring worker well-being.”

So, based on the digital touchpoint and how much information consumers want to absorb, the marketing hierarchy will meet them where they are.

2) Distinguishing itself from “regenerative” alone

There is tremendous confusion in the marketplace about “regenerative” — as there is no widely accepted definition of what this term means — and many people speculate that it is taking market share away from “organic.”

Not surprisingly, the major chemical companies have eagerly embraced the term, and the State of California just defined “regenerative” without any prohibition of toxic chemicals.

So, with ROC’s campaign, spelling out the full “Regenerative Organic Certified®” name is important from a branding perspective, in that “regenerative” is attached to “organic,” communicating the importance of these two terms being together and that one needs to go with the other.

THE ROLE OF THE BRANDS

What differentiates this organic branding campaign from previous ones is the expected long-term participation of ROC brands.

Aside from the fact that it is in their financial interest to promote this campaign, ROC brands fervently believe in both the mission of the certification and that regenerative organic agriculture is key to saving the planet. Having been at numerous ROC events and interacted with these companies over the years, the passion, commitment and devotion to the ROC cause is incredibly genuine and deep.

So, when you combine this spirit with the social media and marketing reach of the participating ROC companies, the campaign is comprised of critical elements for success and should have real staying power.

And the brand-building of the Regenerative Organic Certified® label will only have a positive impact on organic, in general.

With gratitude, Max Goldberg, Founder