A fresh start for a now-internationally recognized government website for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture

In 1984, The New Jersey Department of Agriculture established Jersey Fresh. Originally it was an advertising and promotional campaign designed to provide a quality grading program for produce. The initial launch was via a radio advertising campaign as well as billboards and print ads. It helped farmers inform consumers about access and availability of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey. The initiative has become a benchmark for other states about their state-grown agriculture and marketing programs as awareness has increased over the years. New Jersey now grows over a hundred varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herb and is a top ten producer of blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, cranberries, and tomatoes.

The Jersey Fresh campaign is arguably one of the most successful State branding programs in America with a study showing there was a 30-to-1 ROI for the program.

The problem

The State and its Agency-of-Record sought Key Medium’s expertise in creating successful digital experiences and to radically rethink the new website.

The original State-developed website was a nightmare to maintain on the backend and had numerous technical issues. It was difficult to keep current and redevelop and redesign periodically (as companies and government agencies should be able to do with their websites). 

The website was not user-friendly on the front-end, making it difficult for consumers to find where the fresh, locally-grown product was available in the Garden State, which was the purpose of the initiative overall. 

The government website needed a redesign to be the go-to resource for those wishing to support local farmers. 

The solution

Our joint team of experts created a fully-realized online experience, inspiring residents to take pride in their local farms and support their local economy. The new platform showcased the products available, events in the local area, and more with an easy-to-navigate design.

Key Medium teamed up directly with the Marketing Division to create a database-driven, user-friendly, sustainable platform that current and future employees understand and know how to update, understand results, and maintain in the future.

The results

Key Medium transformed Jersey Fresh by achieving the following:

• Created a three-time award-winning user-friendly digital experience
• Reached over 100,000 sessions to date
• Established links between consumers and over 1,000 local farms
• Worked with the State IT department to ensure the SEO value on the .gov subdomain was transferred to FindJerseyFresh.com
• Developed a robust, easy-to-maintain WordPress platform
• Enabled and trained staff to update the website when needed, keeping content fresh
• Delivered a 4-hour training session on using the new platform and implementing updates
• Increased traffic, engagement, and social buzz
• Attracted new consumers
• Reached over 10,0000 consumers within the first month alone
• Created an interactive brand platform and digital experience

Awards

Key Medium won the following awards.

• International recognition and honors by The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts
• A robust platform honored by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts in the
  • Websites – green/eco-friendly
  • Websites – user experience
  • Websites – government categories since launching in May 2018

If your website needs an update and brand refresh, contact Key Medium today.