USHBC’s Kevin Hamilton Named 2025 Produce Marketer of the Year
FOLSOM, Calif., Oct. 20, 2025 – Kevin Hamilton, vice president of global marketing and communications for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), was named the 2025 Produce Marketer of the Year by The Packer in recognition of his leadership on the Blueberries GO BIG marketing campaign.
The Produce Marketer of the Year Award honors individuals and teams that have successfully advanced the interests of the fresh produce sector through effective marketing. Hamilton accepted the award on behalf of the entire USHBC team.
“A savvy and experienced marketer, Kevin Hamilton is doing exactly what the fresh produce industry needs to move the needle on consumption — think like a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) leader,” said Jennifer Strailey, editorial director, fresh produce for Farm Journal.
Hamilton, who joined USHBC in 2023, is an accomplished global marketing leader with a 20-year track record of building, transforming and elevating some of the world’s most recognizable food and beverage brands. As vice president of global marketing and communications for the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), Hamilton drives worldwide demand and affinity for blueberries through breakthrough strategy, creative excellence and data-driven innovation.
His leadership spans category marketing, brand communications, digital engagement, media strategy and global market development — all focused on inspiring the world to choose blueberries more often.
“I’m honored and humbled to receive this award from my colleagues in the ag industry. Promoting blueberries is a collective effort, and this award is a direct reflection of our team’s hard work, creativity and shared passion,” Hamilton said.
Launched last July, Blueberries GO BIG is an innovative data-driven creative platform that illustrates the many benefits of blueberries, including health as a foundational message, while also highlighting attributes like great taste and easy-to-eat benefits that are important to consumers.
In addition to two commercials – A Better Way and Next Level Snacks – the campaign includes programmatic display, online video (OLV), audio, connected TV (CTV), paid social, paid search and more. A TikTok TopView campaign last summer reached millions of users by showcasing a thumb-stopping behind-the-scenes look at one of the big stunts from the ads. USHBC has also partnered with social media influencers to demonstrate how blueberries “go big” for content creators in their own ways.
“GO BIG helps us tell a story that connects to our consumer more emotionally and highlights the collective set of benefits of snacking on our fruit morning, noon and night,” Hamilton said. “Looking forward, USHBC will expand our powerful message through retail channels, into other countries, and with innovative activations that generate a new kind of buzz for blueberries.”
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About the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
Established in 2000, The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is a federal agriculture research and promotion program with independent oversight from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). USHBC represents blueberry growers and packers in North and South America who market their blueberries in the United States and overseas, and works to promote the growth and well-being of the entire blueberry industry. USHBC was established by blueberry growers and currently has 2,500 growers, packers, exporters and importers. USHBC is committed to providing blueberries that are grown, harvested, packed and shipped in clean, safe environments. Learn more at ushbc.blueberry.org and blueberry.org