Natural Food Communications Specialty, Ketchum Cultivate, Debuts

SAN FRANCISCO, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global public relations leader Ketchum today announced the formation of Ketchum Cultivate, a new community of specialists within its industry-leading Global Food & Beverage Practice. Cultivate is dedicated to helping purpose-driven brands with a natural, organic and sustainable focus achieve business success. Designed to support both emerging brands as well as mainstream food companies looking to evolve their products and sustainable practices, Cultivate aligns with growing consumer demand in the natural foods sector – a sector predicted to be a $226 billion industry in the U.S. by 2018.[1]

The offering formalizes Ketchum's previous experience in this space amid a significant shift taking place in the food landscape, evidenced by high consumer interest in organic, locally sourced and sustainable products and businesses. Ketchum's recently released Food 2020 report highlighted that the majority of Food eVangelists, a small but globally powerful group who want to impact the way food is raised, packaged and sold, prefer foods with simple ingredients, that have few or no preservatives, and are hormone-free and organic.

Ketchum Cultivate is led by San Francisco-based senior vice president Amy Kull, a food marketing veteran raised in Northern California, one of the epicenters of the farm-to-table movement. The Cultivate community is comprised of experts in culinary marketing, sustainability, nutrition and health, branding, issues and crisis, and content development, located throughout North America.

"With interest in food production and preparation methods reaching a tipping point, there is tremendous opportunity for our experts to use their talents to help the natural foods sector to effectively tell its stories to consumers," said Kull.  

Ketchum has extensive experience working with clients in the natural foods sector, ranging from free-range egg producers to artisan ice creams, and from sustainable wineries to organic frozen foods.

"The entire landscape of food and agriculture has transformed over recent years. Ketchum's Global Food & Beverage Practice has evolved to serve diverse businesses, brands and enterprises," said Linda Eatherton, partner and managing director of the Global Food and Beverage Practice. "It's the right time for us to formally share how we are evolving our practice to best serve this changing industry."

About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented four PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visit www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

[1] Source: Mintel. (March 2015). Report on Organic Food and Beverage Shoppers – U.S.

SOURCE Ketchum

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