October holds some significant national dates for school nutrition. While the School Nutrition Association celebrates National School Lunch Week from October 14-18, the entire month is celebrated by the National Farm to School Network. For program operators, a question that is worth asking is, “Do either of these things matter?”
Both organizations put together resources for marketing, classroom education, public recognition, and PR. These dates can be a fantastic way to bring more attention to your school meal program and why it matters.
But like any effort, having a strategic purpose in mind and aligning your messages to serve that strategy is critical. You can:
Drive a clear, consistent, and compelling message with actionable steps your customers can take, or…
You can post and share a lot of disconnected things and hope that your customers will be able to make sense of it all.
This approach doesn’t apply just to these nationally marked weeks or months. It applies to every bit of how you communicate with your audiences. So before you start communicating, ask yourself a few key questions:
Are you actually doing the work?
If you are touting Farm to School Month but you aren’t doing much in the way of Farm to School, it’s worth considering how aggressive you want to be with your messaging about the month. Students, parents/families, and school and nutrition staff will be able to pick out shallow claims, and overselling what you’re doing can backfire.
You don’t need to oversell or undersell what you’re doing
A recent article from American University’s Kogod School of Business shows that aligning with a cause or movement can be “compelling and engaging” for the intended audience, but only if the alignment is genuine.
“Consumers want an authentic connection between the company’s purpose and the issue it supports. ‘This can enhance corporate reputation and boost sales,’ says Professor Ron Hill. ‘It can create a ‘halo effect’ that draws people to the organization—and increases support for the cause.’”
That “authentic connection” is important in the messaging. If you are just starting to establish or build a Farm to School program, be honest about it. Acknowledge that you are in the early stages and are building to something more substantial. Ask for support in your efforts so that the community has a sense of working with you, not merely as passive observers.
Movements happen because people cast visions and invite others to join in on working toward that vision. Cast your vision, establish tangible steps, and invite others to join in the work.
CAN YOU point to specific examples?
Once you’ve considered the first step, you need to be able to show tangible ways that you are fulfilling the vision. What local farmers or producers do you work with? How many lbs. of local food are you serving each month or year? How do your meals add up against similar meals from the restaurants that compete for students’ attention?
Asserting that your meals are healthy and tasty without specific examples does nothing to create an image that your audience can consume and take with them each day. Don't just tell your customers something, show them.
For example:
For National School Lunch Week, highlight the nutritional advantages your meals offer versus similar meals from those other restaurants. Call out key findings like other restaurants food having 4x the sodium of school lunches. Remember: this is about creating healthy eating habits and empowering young people - you’re operating with a higher purpose, and that should matter.
Wouldn’t it be great if students, parents/families, and your own school staff knew you offered meals with 8x less fat and 3x less sodium than what kids get elsewhere?
For Farm to School Month, showcase specific ways that you’re supporting students with local foods. Call attention to the amount of local and state-wide food you’ve served. Make the connection that this not only provides nutritious meals for students but re-invests money into local economies. Now you’re talking about great food and supporting local businesses.
Providing specific numbers and examples can help audiences put program features into context.
Be specific, and don’t be afraid to repeat the message throughout the week, or month, or even the entire school year. These are advantages for you - don’t assume they will land in peoples’ minds after telling the story once.
Do you have a call to action?
Just as having specific examples of what you are doing to fulfill your vision, providing specific actions that students, families, and staff can take makes engaging easier and more effective. The actions should be simple, direct, and easy to understand. Some examples:
Eat more school meals: When your students eat breakfast and lunch with us we can invest in more local foods. Support Farm to School by dining with us regularly.
Share our information: Don’t let outdated and inaccurate stereotypes about school food be the story. Share this information with your friends and social networks.
Host a school food information gathering: Our team is happy to meet with student groups, PTA chapters, and others to share our story and hear from you. Contact us to plan a gathering.
There’s a reason that every website, TV commercial, or email has a call to action in it: if you don't ask, your chances of seeing any impact decrease significantly. Make sure your call to action includes the action you want and the result of taking that action.
National days, weeks, and months can be a fantastic opportunity to bring attention to the work that you and your team are doing. It’s rare that a common message can be promoted across thousands of school districts and communities at the same time.
So make the most of whatever resources you have and the attention that is created. Be honest. Be specific. And invite people to take part in the work you are doing. The more people are involved the better the reach of your message, and the greater impact you’ll be able to make for your school meal program.
