USApple Association
Objective:
The U.S. Apple Association, one of Mekanic’s longest-term retainer clients, needed a comprehensive approach to enhance its brand visibility and engagement across multiple channels. Mekanic was tasked with addressing challenges in reporting, event promotion, and digital innovation to better serve the association’s members, which included farmers, marketers, and government officials.
Strategy:
Mekanic recognized the need for a multifaceted approach to meet the diverse needs of the U.S. Apple Association’s stakeholders. We aimed to create a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints—social media, events, digital tools, and reporting—while ensuring the content remained relevant, timely, and engaging. The strategy focused on refining the association’s visual identity, enhancing communication tools, and integrating technology to support data-driven decision-making.
Services Rendered
Digital Strategy
Creative Service
Naming
Event Visual Design
Event Marketing
Social Media Strategy
Retainer Partner
Annual Report Evolution
Tactics:
While our previous Annual Report efforts were award-winning, we identified a gap in providing up-to-the-minute value to the association’s members. This led to the creation of “Core Quarterly,” a digital, quarterly report that offers timely insights into the industry’s efforts, ensuring stakeholders stay informed throughout the year rather than just at the end.
Event Promotion
Tactics:
For the U.S. Apple Association’s flagship event, Outlook, held annually in Chicago, we developed fresh visual concepts and storytelling techniques. One highlight was a creative campaign where two apples were placed in a 70’s sitcom setting, adding a playful, literal twist to engage and excite the audience about the event.
Newton Digital Tool
Tactics:
To meet the dynamic data needs of the apple industry, we developed Newton, a digital tool that streamlines the dissemination of crucial information. This tool has become invaluable for farmers planning their growing seasons, marketers analyzing consumer trends, and government officials monitoring agricultural outputs. Newton enhances decision-making capabilities across the industry, enabling stakeholders to respond quickly to changing conditions.
Social Media Strategy
Tactics:
We implemented an algorithm-specific content strategy to align with the latest changes across social platforms. By introducing dynamic motion graphics and upgrading video content, we significantly expanded reach and engagement on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. This refresh resulted in substantial growth in monthly views, audience engagement, and several viral posts that reached 10-20x more people than before.
Outcome:
The U.S. Apple Association has experienced significant benefits from our holistic approach. “The Core Quarterly” has been widely embraced, providing timely value to members. The creative event campaigns have elevated the brand’s presence and excitement around key events. Newton has revolutionized how industry stakeholders access and use data, and the refreshed social media strategy has dramatically increased engagement and reach, solidifying the association’s leadership in the agricultural sector.