Harrisonburg Farmers Market February Campaign
This campaign was developed in response to a specific strategic challenge: to create a game-based digital advertising campaign for the Harrisonburg Farmers Market. The goal was to promote the month of February to an assigned audience in the Harrisonburg area through interactive content marketing on at least two social media platforms.
The Assigned Audience:
Young adults and college students who live in the Harrisonburg area.
The Assigned Goal:
To boost digital engagement and market participation—specifically in February—by tapping into current seasonal trends. The objective is to make the market a convenient, "authentic" destination that fits into the busy lives of students and young professionals.
The Execution:
The campaign runs throughout the month of February and operates in three distinct phases across Instagram, Facebook, and in-person activations.
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Phase 1: Interactive Digital Quiz (The Hook)
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Launch an interactive "Vendor Quiz" on Instagram Stories and Facebook.
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The quiz uses a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style (e.g., "First...", "If you chose...") to lead users to one of four specific vendor outcomes: Hickory Hill Farm, Mill Song Bakery, Mary Jo's Flowers, or OASIS Fine Art & Craft .
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Goal: Capture attention and provide a personalized result to share.
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Phase 2: Weekly "Market Match" Profiles (The Connection)
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Post weekly "dating profiles" for the vendors on social media.
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These profiles use dating app tropes, featuring "My Ideal Partner," "Love Language," and "3 Words that describe me" to humanize the vendors (e.g., Mill Song Bakery's love language is "A fresh loaf of bread").
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Goal: Deepen the connection and remind users to visit their specific match.
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Phase 3: On-Site Activation (The Conversion)
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Users visit the physical market to meet their "match".
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By showing their quiz result to the matched vendor, they receive a token.
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They place this token in a raffle jar to enter a contest for a gift card, closing the loop between digital engagement and physical attendance.
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The Challenge:
While young adults desire high-quality food, they face significant time and cost barriers to healthy eating, often leading them to consume fast food instead. Additionally, a major barrier to attendance is simply forgetting the market exists, especially in the winter season.
The Insight:
Digital engagement is necessary to bridge this gap. By tapping into seasonal culture—specifically Valentine's Day—there is a unique opportunity to reframe the market not just as a grocery trip, but as a "date" with the community. Forgetting is a common barrier to attendance, suggesting that regular digital reminders and engaging social media posts can effectively boost participation.
The Solution:
To solve the problem of forgetfulness and drive traffic, the "Market Match" campaign utilizes the idea of turning local shopping into a personalized, playful Valentine's experience.
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Concept: Instead of a traditional ad, the campaign gamifies the experience using a dating-style format. Users find their "soulmate" vendor, making the discovery process fun and interactive.
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Core Message: "Love can be found at the Harrisonburg Farmer's Market!"
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Strategy: Combine gamification (quizzes) with storytelling (vendor profiles) to create a connection that goes beyond just buying food—it’s about finding your "perfect match" within the community.
Understanding the Audience
Age: 24
Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
Ani is a 24-year-old graduate student and law intern who struggles to find time for meal preparation due to her demanding schedule. Dissatisfied with the limited selection at local grocery stores, she seeks a dependable source for fresh, locally grown food that aligns with her preferences. Like many young adults, Ani faces time barriers to healthy eating but is motivated by the desire for high-quality produce and the experience of supporting local farmers.
Meet Ani!
The Strategy
The Strategic Pivot
The core strategy pivots from functional promotion (buying groceries) to emotional gamification (finding a connection). Research indicated that while the target audience values local goods, the main barrier is simply "forgetting" to go. Standard reminders are easily ignored. Therefore, the strategy pivoted to gamification, making the "reminder" an interactive activity rather than a passive notification. By using a "dating" framework ("Market Match"), the campaign transforms the mundane task of grocery shopping into a personalized "Valentine's experience". This approach utilizes storytelling to humanize the vendors, making the user feel invested in meeting their specific "match" in person.
Visual Strategy
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Flat Vector Illustrations: The campaign uses friendly, flat illustrations of diverse people, fruits, and vegetables to create an inclusive and modern look.
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Photography: Real photos of the vendors are framed within the graphic templates to ground the "gamified" elements in reality.
Media Channels
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Instagram: Targets young adults (21-27) with the interactive "Market Match" quiz and user-generated content challenges.
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Facebook: Connects with the older demographic through detailed vendor storytelling and operational updates.
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In-Person: Drives conversion with physical quiz handouts and a token-based raffle for market attendees.
Final Creative
Click through to see the entire campaign!
Creative Team: Anna Gabe, Lexy Farinelli, Mackenzie Cunnane