Frances Dillard Reveals Driscoll's Secret Recipe for Building a $4B Berry Empire

In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, Jenny Rooney speaks with Frances Dillard, who reveals how Driscoll's rose to become the No. 2 food brand in retail. Frances shares her journey from marketing Barbie at Mattel to her 14-year tenure at Driscoll's, and being consistently drawn to beloved brands where women drive purchasing decisions. She explains how Driscoll's defies commodity status through proprietary berry development and an obsession with flavor that rivals wine companies in its sophistication. As a 100-year-old family-owned business focused exclusively on berries, they've maintained impressive growth by doubling in size every five years while staying true to their core values. "Our motto here is follow the berries. So we try to do our best to put our dollars and our resources where berries will be available," she says on the podcast. She discusses their "One Family, One Earth" campaign addressing sustainability and transparency, which naturally attracts Gen Z talent and consumers demanding to know where their food comes from. Frances Dillard has been vp of marketing at Driscoll's for 14 years. Previously, she held positions at Mattel, The Learning Company, and PlayFirst, focusing on beloved brands with women as the primary purchase drivers. Unlocking the Creator Economy with Awin Did you know influencer marketing drives twice as many sales as display advertising, with a 37% higher retention rate? Awin helps brands harness this potential with tailored influencer management solutions that drive measurable results. Whether you're looking to grow your creator roster, foster long-term relationships, or track full-funnel performance, Awin’s expertise and platform integrations make it easy to scale campaigns and optimize impact. 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Key takeaways: [06:48] The Science Behind Berry Marketing — Frances emphasizes that Driscoll's is far from a commodity business, revealing the extensive science and proprietary development behind their berries: "What most folks don't know is that all our seedlings and all our berries are proprietary IP to just Driscoll's. So we have a research and development organization that focuses solely on flavor, then we take those proprietary seedlings, and then we make baby plants out of them." This focus on flavor as the primary purchase driver has allowed Driscoll's to stand out in the produce category. [10:07] The Unique Challenges of Fresh Produce Marketing — One of the biggest distinctions from packaged goods marketing is the unpredictability of working with a living product. Frances explains: "One of the largest challenges that we have...is that we're not widgets and the amount of variance that we have in forecasting that we are actually working with a live product. And there are factors that we cannot control from mother nature, climate change, rain." This requires a high degree of agility in marketing strategy, with the motto "follow the berries" guiding resource allocation. [12:18] Recognition as a Top Food Brand — Frances shares Driscoll's impressive achievement: "Last year, we won the Fast Company award for innovation. … We are actually the No. 2 food brand in retail, and that is against some large iconic brands. And I think we're the only fresh produce company in the top 25." This recognition demonstrates how their focus on flavor, quality, and purpose has elevated them beyond just the berry category. [17:21] Authentic Connection with Gen Z — Frances discusses how Driscoll's authentically attracts talent and connects with younger consumers: "They truly want to know where their food comes from, and they truly want to know what they put in their body and who is growing their food. So I have been so impressed and inspired by the younger generation on my team that they come in and they ask more questions, and in some way, they equally hold us accountable as an organization." [20:54] Purpose-Driven Marketing — The newest Driscoll campaign demonstrates their commitment to sustainability and transparency: "Our newest campaign that we've just launched is called One Family, One Earth, and that is focused on the needs of Gen Z wanting to know who grows their berries and what is our social responsibility to the communities that grow our berries and shedding a little bit more light on water conservation, our grower story."

Marketing Vanguard

Frances Dillard Reveals Driscoll's Secret Recipe for Building a $4 Billion Berry Empire

Insights into the fresh produce category with Driscoll's vp of marketing

Jenny Rooney

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