From Stevia Plant to Packet, a Very Sweet Story

In 2008, stevia had virtually no consumer awareness. Cargill came to RF|Binder to launch the stevia sweetener category in the U.S. RF|Binder worked to develop core messages, conduct stakeholder outreach and build contingency plans to successfully open the U.S. market for stevia – educating thought leaders and consumers on the ingredient and launching the Truvia brand.

Strategy

Our strategy was to introduce the first plant-based natural sweetener by showing the journey from plant to product.

RF|Binder kicked-off the campaign with a “First Taste Moment” at a greenhouse that featured thousands of stevia plants in Rockefeller Center in July 2008, which created a powerful context for telling the Truvia and stevia story. In the past 16 years, we have reshaped the category – making Truvia the market leader and driving its relevance through changing market dynamics and consumer habits.

Year over year, we have adapted our programming to support retail sales and consumer adoption. From events to media relationship building to influencer ambassadors, our programming has continued to support positive brand love.

What We Did

RF|Binder unveiled peer-reviewed science and safety research via webinar, followed by a series of briefings to key influencers and dietitians nationwide. We produced multiple videos educating consumers and media about the product, and launched a full integrated marketing campaign to support retail distribution of the product post-launch.

Organic and paid influencer relations and engagement
Consumer media relations
Sustainability communications
Celebrity and chef activations
Healthcare professional advocacy
Strategic partnerships
Events and consumer activations
Crisis training and planning

Impact

Our work took Truvia from product launch to market leader. In its first year, Truvia gained a 7.9% market share – and surpassed Equal year over year. Today, Truvia is America’s #1 stevia sweetener.
We built a positive landscape among regulatory organizations around the world – the FDA, EFSA and Health Canada.
In terms of ROI, our influencer program ranks as one of the most efficient marketing tactics, based on a Nielsen Marketing Mix analysis and the benchmark for influencer engagement and brand love.
Our influencer content and brand ambassadors have surpassed industry benchmarks for impressions, engagement and clickthrough rate across blogs, newsletters and social media platforms.