By Madison Berry, Agricultural Development Specialist
In 2023, Fredrikson Farm was ready to expand their market reach.
They were already becoming known for their cheese, thanks in part to a feature in an episode of The Lost Kitchen on the Magnolia Network. Based in China, Maine, Dianna and Ed Fredrikson milk over 70 Saanen goats on their small farm. Along with four employees, they make fresh, vibrant chevre in flavors like Cranberry Orange and Honey Blueberry.
They had the goats, the cheese, great branding, and the beginnings of a national audience – but they knew there was more to consistently building a steady customer base. With the help of a Value-Added Producer Grant through the USDA, Fredrikson Farm had carved a niche in the regional market. Updated visuals and an “our milk, our goats, our cheese” tag line had helped doubled their sales, but Dianna knew it wasn’t quite enough.
“We have done a great job making a quality product with a package that tells our story, but a poor job on media presence of the consumer to search us out,” she said. She worried that good placement without consumer awareness might not result in the sales they were looking for.
That’s where the NE-DBIC Dairy Marketing & Branding Services Grant came in.
Through the grant, Fredrikson Farm received $49,600 to reach beyond the store shelves and build a relationship with their customers through social media and ads. Working with Ethos & Vont Marketing and MTB Photography & Media, they started by building a target audience that would guide their ad strategies. They focused on the modern, busy family – both the parent doing the shopping and the kids doing the eating – who wanted to feel good about their purchasing decisions.
As Diana put it, they wanted the customers to, “feel a sense of pride knowing that they are able to buy quality products, supporting a small dairy that cares enough about their cheese to do things the right way.”
Once the audience was in line, the farm worked with their contractors to develop imagery, build a story, and create content for online ads and social media. The goal was to use ad campaigns to bring awareness to the brand, increase sales through two major regional grocery stores, and to increase social media engagement and website traffic.
The ads went live on Instagram, Facebook, and Instacart – and were a smash hit.
The ad campaign led to a 24% increase in sales for the year and brought in a huge number of new-to-brand sales. “Story” ads on Instagram drew in 60% of their clicks and ads showed a strong return on grocery delivery platforms.
Fredrikson Farm also saw an increase in customer engagements across all social media platforms and beyond. “Now we are receiving weekly emails from customers who have seen, bought and tasted our product,” said Diana. “They write just to tell us how much they enjoy our cheese.”
The world of e-commerce and online marketing is tough, but they used the expertise of their vendors build their understanding.
“This has been a learning experience for both of us, which we feel has been the biggest success,” said Dianna. Her biggest takeaway?
“Marketing a good product does not have to be complicated. You need to have a strong belief in your product and be able to educate your consumers about what makes your product different from the competition.”
The experience has long-tail effects, too. The increased reach led to gaining new accounts with Colby College, boosting their institutional presence in the region. Building on the momentum of the first ads, Fredrikson Farm is working on future campaigns—including a YouTube channel with on-farm consumer education videos—with MTB Photography and Media to keep their presence fresh and exciting.
“We are so excited for the education we’ve gained during this grant process and the relationship we’ve developed with our agency,” said Dianna. “Having a strong social media partner to keep the pulse on this ever-changing industry has proven invaluable to us.”
The skills they gained through the Dairy Marketing & Branding Services grant will continue to serve the Fredrikson’s for years to come – which is good news for chevre lovers, too! Visit fredriksonfarm.com to discover their cheese for yourself.
