In 2022, the American Peanut Council tasked its Canadian marketing arm, the Peanut Bureau of Canada, to focus considerable attention on reaching Gen Z and millennial consumers. During a 12-month campaign, funds from the Foreign Agricultural Service’s Market Access Program were used to increase awareness of APC’s marketing messages on social media and digital channels to increase peanut and peanut product consumption. 

In Canada, Gen Z and millennial consumers are emerging as primary household shoppers. Their priorities include environmental and health issues, both of which present natural opportunities to reinforce the sustainability and nutrition narratives of peanuts and peanut butter. With consumer demand for quality ingredients, more natural products and plant-based protein, peanuts and peanut butter are well-positioned to continue a growth trajectory among younger demographics who are actively seeking out healthy foods at a reasonable cost that don’t harm the environment.  

To maintain and increase usage and consumption levels, PBC leveraged consumer market research that showed high social and digital media usage among Gen Z and millennial audiences, specifically on the TikTok (43%ⁱ) and Spotify platforms (29%ⁱⁱ). The campaign strategy demonstrated that peanut products are the best and simplest way to show love to your body, family and the planet through the value, quality and taste U.S. peanuts have over other origins.  

Tactics to support the strategy included creating a PBC-owned TikTok channel and engaging content (in-house and through strategic content creator partnerships). Content was launched organically and through paid social media campaigns to reach audiences on channels they know and actively consume. Messaging highlighted the exceptional qualities of peanut products (versatility, nutrition, sustainability), to encourage audiences to include peanut products in their daily grocery shopping, snacking baking and cooking.  

Social media results were impressive with more than 15 million impressions across all platforms (a 37% jump from the preceding year), nearly 2 million impressions on Spotify (a 945 increase from 2021), and nearly 1.5 million total views across all platforms when partnering with content creators (a 583% increase from 2021).

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