Brown·Miller Communications, Inc.

Almost on a daily basis, foods are either condemned or championed for their perceived health benefits. However, many of these health crazes are just that — passing fads. And yet a medical correlation between commodities and their preventive health benefits can dramatically sway public opinion and, ultimately, consumption. To capitalize on a largely ignored body of research documenting the health benefits of processed tomatoes, Brown·Miller Communications developed a communications strategy to promote these findings among consumers and the trade. Through a series of high-level press and trade meetings, we helped the nation’s leading researchers showcase their findings, detailing the positive correlation between tomato consumption and reduced risk for colon cancer. In support of these intensive educational meetings, an aggressive public relations campaign, aimed at facilitating the media's ability to accurately and completely tell the complex story, was executed. This multi-tiered public relations effort effectively created an international awareness of the health benefits of processed tomatoes. The extensive media coverage directly resulted in a spike in consumption. Most importantly, the success of the campaign stimulated the processor community to fund a sustained health promotion program that has championed the phytochemical properties of processed tomatoes and solidified their natural benefits in the minds of consumers.