6PR #smashastrawb

How a simple hashtag idea helped save the Australian Strawberry industry.

In late 2018, the $500 million Australian strawberry industry was rocked by individuals planting sewing needles in strawberries. Overnight, the strawberry industry became unsustainable. Everyone wanted to help our Aussie farmers, but every few hours brought forth a new scare. Along with Gareth Parker from 6PR, we decided it was time to fight back.

Creating a social movement.

We smashed out a radio and social PR campaign, asking Aussies to post their favourite strawberry recipes and bakes with the hashtag ‘#smashastrawb”. The story exploded faster than we ever could’ve predicted. Finally, there was an answer to the crisis that people could rally around.

Results that count.

National and international press immediately credited the grassroots campaign with a rebound in strawberry prices, and ran our hashtag in headlines and broadcast media, continuing the growth.

The results did nothing short of saving the Australian strawberry industry (with wholesale farm gate value up to $148 million for 2018/19, an 8% fall that was significantly less than the 50% drop at the height of the crisis), and captured the imagination of the country during one of the most significant food crises in our history.

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