Purple Carrots

Did you know that historically, the orange carrot was just one of many varieties available?  In fact, there was no single color of carrots – they came in several different hues: Orange, white, yellow, red.

And yes, even purple.

But then something changed.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Dutch growers developed the orange carrot that we know today by selective breeding to make it less bitter than the yellow variety.  It was then adopted as the Royal Vegetable in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family.

Today, the orange carrot remains the most popular – and readily accessible variety in the United States.  However, they are not the only ones around.

And that, my friends, is where the agriculture lesson ends and the parallel begins.

In today’s marketing world, the orange carrot is what a majority of businesses gravitate toward.  It is the tried-and-true execution.  The television spot.  The print ad.  The radio spot.  These are the orange carrots.

And these are part of a healthy diet.  But that doesn’t mean they are the only choice.

The purple, white, yellow and red carrots offer a variety of alternatives to the traditional that is the orange carrot.  At times, they may be good on their own.  In other cases, it could be a mix of the varieties that offers the best nutritional value.

But it’s up to those of us who are charged with advising and guiding clients to make sure that they know these options are available.  We must take a leadership role in this regard, educate our clients, and when appropriate, include these different colors and flavors into the mix.

Something to stew on for a while.

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