Are you making the most of Fairtrade Fortnight 2018?
We’ve written previously about why sourcing your coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit from Fairtrade suppliers makes a huge difference in the communities where the raw ingredients are grown. But did you know that you’re right in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight 2018? And if you do, are you celebrating it with current and would-be customers?
Choosing Fairtrade foods directly tackles exploitation of impoverished communities, putting a fair price on goods and ensuring that farmers can take proper care of their farms, rather than just surviving harvest to harvest. All over the UK, communities, universities, schools and all sorts of public, private and third sector organisations are doing their bit to raise awareness.
The easy part for you, as the owner of food and beverage business, is that you already have all the ingredients you need to boost Fairtrade’s profile, and the platform to do it from.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 runs from 26th February to 11th March, so there’s still the finale weekend to do your bit. Take your Fairtrade coffee, bananas and other produce out on the street – offer free tastings, explain why Fairtrade matters, and help convert people to a more ethical way of drinking and eating.
And while for those who weren’t aware, it’s a little late to be organising press releases, fundraising days, full-scale tasting events and social gatherings, it’s not too late to share the love on your social media channels. Make sure you tag your images of Fairtrade foods and perfectly poured lattes with the right hashtags: #FairtradeFortnight2018 #FairtradeFortnight #Fairtrade #Fairtradecoffee, and any others which are relevant and trending.
Marketing your coffee shop during Fairtrade Fortnight
The Fairtrade Foundation has even made it easy for you with a bank of digital assets. Follow this link to download web banners and images designed specifically for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. There are even high-resolution images suitable for printing up your own posters. Got a screen hooked up to the internet in your café? You can stream the official Fairtrade presentation to clue your customers up on the good they’re doing when they buy the right products – from you and from the supermarket.
Promoting the benefits of Fairtrade and ethical buying could boost your local profile and increase custom – which is good for the sustainability of your business as well as the sustainability of the coffee industry around the world.
You’ve still got four days to help spread the word – and before the week is out, make a note in your diary for next year: Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 begins on 25 February. Don’t leave it to the last minute though; to really make your mark, start planning as soon as the hangover’s worn off from New Year’s Eve. And remember, suggestions, information and hugely useful and shareable marketing and awareness resources will be available from the Fairtrade Foundation.