Cranberry Marketing Committee

What Cranberry Marketing Committee does

The Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) was a non-profit U.S. industry marketing organization that promoted American-grown cranberries on behalf of more than 1,100 family cranberry farmers operating across approximately 38,795 acres in five states (Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington). Its core activity was demand-generation rather than product manufacturing or sales: CMC operated a consumer-facing digital platform, executed retail dietitian partnerships with chains including Big Y, Redner's Markets, and Weis Markets, drove foodservice and K-12 school nutrition programs, and maintained an aggregated research repository of more than 500 peer-reviewed health and nutrition articles used to support the "America's Original Superfruit" positioning.

CMC's international arm extended U.S. cranberry promotion into export markets, and in September 2024 (immediately preceding its termination) appointed River Global as its in-country trade representative in Brazil and SS Associates as its representative in India, with these efforts co-funded through the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, which allocated $1.3 billion to expand U.S. agricultural exports in non-traditional markets. The committee operated without a commercial revenue model—funding flowed from grower assessments and federal cost-share programs rather than product sales—and it was formally terminated in July 2024, with the Cranberry Institute (founded 1951) assuming responsibility for ongoing international cranberry promotion.

Name

Cranberry Marketing Committee

Legal name

Cranberry Marketing Committee

Website

https://uscranberries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cranberry Marketing Committee was a non-profit U.S. industry marketing organization that promoted American-grown cranberries on behalf of 1,100+ family farmers across five states through digital content, retail dietitian partnerships, foodservice programs, and international export market development before its July 2024 termination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Marketing and Commodity Promotion

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural marketing
• Cranberry promotion
• Produce industry marketing
• Foodservice promotion
• Commodity board promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

East Wareham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Cranberry Marketing Committee conducted generic promotion of U.S.-grown cranberries on behalf of small family farmers, delivering consumer education (recipes, health information, cultivation details), retail grocery promotional programs (in-store displays, cross-department campaigns), K-12 foodservice resources (school lunch toolkit, USDA compliance support), and international market development (India, Brazil). The US Cranberries website serves as the central platform aggregating recipe content, foodservice toolkits, retail materials, and industry news for diverse audiences.

Product overview

Cranberry Marketing Committee operates US Cranberries as a single unified marketing and consumer education website rather than a multi-product platform. The site aggregates all cranberry-related content including a recipe database (nearly 500 recipes across 17 categories), foodservice toolkit with school lunch program resources, retail promotion materials, industry news, and health benefit information. The product portfolio is content-driven, serving consumers, foodservice professionals, retailers, and international markets rather than offering distinct software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• US Cranberries Website and Marketing Platform A comprehensive marketing and consumer education platform promoting U.S.-grown cranberries on behalf of over 1,100 family farmers. It serves as a unified destination for nearly 500 cranberry recipes across 17 categories, K-12 foodservice resources for the National School Lunch Program, retail promotional materials for grocery chains, and international market development content. The site supports consumers, retailers, foodservice operators, and trade members in markets including the U.S., India, and Brazil.

Quantifiable outcome

• 267% lift in fresh cranberry sales movement during promotional period at Big Y
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SS AssociatescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024In-market representative partner executing promotional activities in India, including engaging trade members, consumers, and health professionals. Supported by USDA FAS Regional Agricultural Promotion Program funding. Activities focus on health benefits, culinary versatility, and unique flavor of U.S. cranberries for Indian consumers.
• River GlobalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024In-market representative partner executing promotional activities in Brazil, including engaging trade members, consumers, and health professionals. Supported by USDA FAS Regional Agricultural Promotion Program funding. Activities focus on incorporating cranberries into Brazilian diets and cuisines.
• Redner's Warehouse MarketsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Regional supermarket chain; partnered for Friendsgiving promotional campaign (Nov 8 - Jan 9); resulted in 11% increase in fresh cranberry sales, 22% increase in cranberry sauce sales, 64% increase in dried cranberry sales, and 14% increase in cranberry juice cocktail sales.
• Big Y FoodsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Major retail chain in New England; pilot program for produce and floral department cross-promotion featuring fresh cranberry floral arrangement recipes; achieved 267% lift in fresh cranberry sales movement during 2017 promotional period.
• Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level industry association representing Wisconsin cranberry growers; provides cranberry marsh tours and recipe resources; Wisconsin produces 61% of U.S. cranberries.
• Cape Cod Cranberry Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level industry association representing Massachusetts cranberry growers; provides cranberry bog tours and recipe resources; Massachusetts produces 26% of U.S. cranberries.
• Weis MarketsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional supermarket chain; partnered for summer BBQ promotion campaign with retail dietitians; achieved 85% average sales increase during promotional period.
• USDA Food and Nutrition ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency overseeing National School Lunch Program; dried cranberries included on USDA Foods Available List for School and Institutions, enabling schools to use federal entitlement dollars for cranberry purchases.
• Cranberry InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization founded in 1951 to further success of cranberry growers through health, agricultural, and environmental stewardship research. Following CMC termination in July 2024, CI assumed international promotion role. Works with growers, processors, and marketers to advance industry through science-based information.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Federal marketing order program for highbush blueberries. Highly comparable as a berry-industry generic promotion organization with overlapping consumer, retail, foodservice, and international trade programs.
• Almond Board of California: Federal marketing order / check-off program for California almonds. Strong analog in structure, funding model, and scope of generic marketing, nutrition research, and international trade promotion.
• Florida Department of Citrus: State agency conducting generic marketing, research, and international promotion for Florida citrus. Comparable as a fruit-industry generic marketing organization with similar communications and trade development functions.
• Ocean Spray Cranberries: The dominant U.S. cranberry cooperative, marketing processed cranberry products (juice, sauce, dried) globally. Directly comparable as the principal commercial vehicle for U.S. cranberry sales and brand-building that the CMC's generic promotion efforts support.
• National Mango Board: National promotion board for fresh mangoes, funded through grower assessments. Comparable as a generic commodity marketing organization executing consumer education, retail, and foodservice demand creation.
• Washington State Fruit Commission (Washington Apple Commission): State commodity commission promoting Washington apples domestically and internationally. Comparable as a fruit-specific marketing organization with international trade promotion and nutrition research functions.
• Cranberry Institute: Non-profit founded in 1951 to advance cranberry grower interests through research, agricultural, and environmental stewardship programs. Directly comparable as the entity that assumed the CMC's international promotion role in July 2024.
• California Strawberry Commission: State-level agricultural marketing commission for California strawberries. Highly comparable as a state/industry check-off program that conducts generic promotion, research, and trade development for a specific fruit crop.
• Wild Blueberry Association of North America: Generic promotion organization for wild blueberries, analogous in mission and structure to the CMC. Operates a similar marketing, research, and international export promotion model for North American berry growers.
• National Honey Board: Federal research and promotion program for honey, funded through assessments on producers and importers. Comparable structure and mission: generic consumer education, nutrition research, and retail/foodservice promotion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uscranberries
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClM0INjZ2UDjKjFMdwUZURg
• Facebookfacebook.com/USCranberriesIN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cranberry-marketing-committee
• Instagraminstagram.com/uscranberries
• Pinterestpinterest.com/uscranberries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cranberry Marketing Committee