With consumers’ concern for health immunity on the rise, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s convergence with peak cold and flu season, the Mushroom Council has launched the Feed Your Immune System campaign.
Based at FeedYourImmuneSystem.com, the initiative educates consumers about micronutrients found in select foods, including mushrooms, that play a key role in supporting immune systems, according to a news release. The site outlines how people can get the recommended daily allowances of these nutrients.
“We are invested in the importance of the Feed Your Immune System program because it’s about more than mushrooms and the micronutrients found within them,” council president and CEO Bart Minor said in the release. “We hope this campaign will inform consumers on how they can easily Have a Plant — as the Produce for Better Health Foundation advises — to make an impact at a time when people are looking to make choices that support their wellness.”
The campaign includes:
- A three-month social media program featuring “Immunity 101” information, strategies for including mushrooms and other foods in diets and shopping tips;
- Collaborations with dozens of influencers to expand the program’s reach through new recipes, videos, social shares and blog posts;
- Partnerships with registered dietitians Emily Weeks and Chelsey Amer to develop and share new recipes pairing mushrooms with other foods;
- Partnering with the Produce for Better Health Foundation on a retail signage campaign;
- Co-hosting a “Have A Plant Cook Along” with PBH;
- Paid search ads for consumers seeking information; and
- A media outreach program.
The council will continue to make immunity a key message and concern throughout 2021, Minor said in the release.
“We truly feel we are doing this in service for consumers at a time when this information has never been more critical,” he said.