Stonyfield Yogurt

If you are reading this, then you've already bought into the concept of blogging. Bloggers have become an influential force in our culture, and brands are catching on to their power. One of my colleagues at work discovered an interesting initiative from a yogurt brand that obviously "gets it".

What's your experience, Alyssa? Jim.

These days the typical PR campaign includes a cool event, a group of editors and a handful of press materials. But as budgets continue to be cut, PR events, launches and deliverables are changing with the times. . Brands are reaching out to different targets and seeking an alternate direction while still promoting within a budget.

One of the most notable changes in the campaign arena is the attendees. As magazines and newspapers continue to struggle every day, and with social media on the rise, bloggers are becoming a new and valuable friend in the world of PR. Blogs and social media sites get news out fast, with clean delivery and execution, and they offer brands the ability to generate great placements that can be posted, clipped and showcased to the client all within minutes.

Many people are becoming fans of social media: moms, college students, and corporate America. I know I religiously start my mornings sipping on a cup of coffee while perusing my favorite blogs and that’s when I stumbled across one of the coolest PR campaigns I have seen in a while.

Ready, set… Introducing… Stonyfield Barnstorming Tour. Stonyfield is known for their amazing and delicious organic yogurt, but what you probably didn’t know is that they invited a group of select bloggers to escape reality this past weekend in Vermont and New Hampshire. Bloggers experienced an exclusive behind the scenes look at what the Stonyfield brand encompasses while learning about their commitment to organic farming and why it is so important to the production process. Stonyfield has always been dedicated to social responsibility and you are seeing a lot more companies participating in this type of commitment and sharing their initiatives with their consumers.

Stonyfield set up trips to several organic farms where bloggers were able to learn about organic farming and how it is incorporated into the Stonyfield brand. They shared intimate dinners with the farmers and got “down and dirty” on the farms.

As the four day weekend continued, bloggers constantly posted summaries and Tweeted about their barnstorming adventure. From a PR/marketing point of view, this was a stroke of genius, as the bloggers’ audiences were able to experience their journeys as well. The barnstorming tour culminated with a trip to the Stonyfield plant –where all the magic happens– where they experienced the production process from top to bottom. This type of event is always a plus for the media, because bloggers can share their experiences and their readers are able to relive them through their blogs.

Kudos to Stonyfield on a job well done, you have definitely raised the bar in blogger outreach and are making strides in the world of social media. I loved this campaign and your commitment to organic farming is commendable. This organic yogurt lover along with our agency applauds you!

Check out more about Stonyfield’s Barnstorming Tour at: http://carrotsncake.com/tag/stonyfield-blogger-barnstorming-tour

Alyssa Ciambriello - yogurt fanatic and AAE at Lippe Taylor Brand Communications