LONDON BASED AGENCY, LOTUS, SELECTED TO MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE UK

Specialist PR and marketing agency, LOTUS, has been appointed by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as its social media agency following a competitive tender process.

Working with the FAS team in London, LOTUS will manage the organisation’s Twitter account and launch an Instagram channel. The accounts will provide information and updates about U.S. food and agricultural products, targeting a U.K. audience. The social accounts are part of a broader strategy to improve trust in U.S. products and provide factual responses to common public misconceptions.

The Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is a U.S. government agency charged with the promotion of trade of U.S. origin food, beverages, agricultural goods, fish and forestry products. U.S. exports of agricultural and related products to the U.K. totalled $2.8 billion in 2019, including forest products, wine & beer, tree nuts, and fresh vegetables.

Sarah Johnson, founder of LOTUS said: “We are delighted to be working with the FAS team in London, we have built a strong working relationship over the eight years that we’ve managed the Alaska Seafood brand in Northern Europe.

“U.K. consumers have some misconceptions about U.S. food & drink. We aim to address these misconceptions by portraying an accurate picture of U.S. agriculture as well as bringing to life the people and the pride behind the products. We will also showcase the wide variety of US products available in the UK as well as different takes on US cuisine. The FAS social media channels will become a factual, trusted source for all things related to U.S. agriculture.