--- title: 2026 Strategy Call — Citrus America type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-12-19-citrus-america-2026-strategy-call-110081553.md tags: - meeting - citrus-america - strategy - website - content-strategy - seo - ai-search - grocery-retail - messaging - hubspot - anniversary - positioning layer: 2 client_source: Citrus America industry_context: food-beverage transferable: false --- # 2026 Strategy Call — Citrus America ## Overview Year-end strategy session with Brian and Miriam Framson (Citrus America) and the AAG team to define 2026 marketing priorities. The conversation covered a strategic pivot toward grocery retail, a planned website rebuild, content and SEO improvements, and a 15-year anniversary campaign launching in January 2026. **Date:** Late December 2025 (ingested 2026-04-05) **Attendees:** Brian Framson, Miriam Framson, Mark Hope, Ben San Fratello, Paul Buniel, Melissa Cusumano --- ## Key Decisions ### 1. Strategic Pivot to Grocery Retail - **70%+ of effort** will shift to grocery retail, leveraging a direct sales model driven by Miriam, Jacob, and Brian. - Food service remains secondary, with focus narrowed to **schools** and **contract catering** (Aramark, Sodexo, Compass) where Citrus America's hygiene and safety advantages are strongest. - The **rep model is under review**; several reps are being terminated. Focus will be on a small number of high-performing reps. - 2025 was a slow year; two underperforming sales team members (Sandy and Jay) were cut. The leaner, more aggressive direct model is already showing results. ### 2. Website Rebuild (Jan/Feb 2026) - The current site is visually strong but **not built to convert leads**. - A focused rebuild will happen in January–February, within the existing budget (no additional spend requested), with AAG dedicating ~75% of time/resources to it during those months. - Work will begin on a **staging environment**. - The rebuild shifts emphasis from equipment to **solving retailer problems**: traffic, differentiation, and fear of failed innovation. ### 3. Messaging Framework The new messaging centers on the grocery retailer's core problem: being **"stuck in the middle"** between discounters (Walmart, Aldi) and premium stores (Whole Foods), losing market share and customer trips. Citrus America's answer: - **Destination programs** — help retailers differentiate through unique perimeter offerings (fresh juice, dry aging, charcuterie, grab-and-go) - **Program partner, not equipment vendor** — Citrus America builds sustainable programs; competitors sell equipment and disappear - **Reliability** — "Our toy works when you take it out of the box." Retailers have been burned by failed innovations; Citrus America's equipment and support deliver as promised - **Affordable luxury** — fresh, high-quality experiences that drive customer trips across all demographics, not just premium stores > *"You need to differentiate yourself. We can help you differentiate by driving innovation on the perimeter — which gets you more traffic and more profits."* — Brian Framson ### 4. Website Structure: The "Juicing Journey" - The site will guide visitors based on where they are in their journey (new to juicing, unhappy with current setup, etc.) without asking direct questions. - Segment-specific landing pages for grocery retail vs. food service are under consideration. ### 5. Content Strategy: Blogs & Success Stories - **AI-optimized formatting:** H2/H3 headings should be written as questions to improve visibility in AI-driven search (how, why, what). The old keyword-stuffing model is insufficient. - **Internal linking:** Blog posts should link directly to relevant success stories to drive traffic to those pages (currently near zero organic traffic). - **Stronger CTAs:** Homepage and product pages need prominent "See our success stories" calls to action. - **Video testimonials:** Short, authentic customer videos (iPhone quality acceptable) are a high-priority tactic for social proof. Virtual store floor tours are also an option. ### 6. Operational Changes - **Monthly review meeting** moves from the first Thursday to the **second Thursday** of each month, giving AAG a full week after month-end to prepare analytics. - **Newsletter** continues monthly as-is; additional event-specific emails will be sent around trade shows. - **HubSpot** implementation to be finalized in early 2026. ### 7. 15-Year Anniversary Campaign - January 2026 marks Citrus America's **15th anniversary** — a key brand moment. - Core message: *"15 years of helping our customers earn healthy profits."* - Tactics: - Special anniversary logo for emails and social media - January press release - Long-form interview with Brian highlighting company history and customer focus --- ## Action Items | Owner | Action | |-------|--------| | **Miriam** | Share 2026 event calendar (including geofencing targets) with AAG | | **Miriam** | Send NGA white paper to AAG as messaging reference | | **AAG** | Update monthly review meeting to second Thursday | | **AAG** | Create 15-year anniversary logo | | **AAG** | Develop website rebuild plan on staging environment using new messaging framework | | **Brian** | Increase blog post output to support SEO and content strategy | --- ## Strategic Context ### Why Grocery, Why Now Specialty and mid-market grocery stores are under pressure from both ends: discounters (Walmart, Aldi) on price, and premium stores (Whole Foods, Fresh Market) on experience. Traditional chains like Kroger and Albertsons are "stuck in the middle" — not cheap enough, not premium enough. This is Citrus America's opening. The pitch: *We help you become a destination. We help you differentiate. And unlike the other guys, we don't burn you.* Citrus America's customer base already spans rural stores, Hispanic-market grocers, and mid-tier chains — not just high-end retailers. The "affordable luxury" framing (fresh juice as an accessible treat) resonates across demographics. ### Why the Website Needs to Change The current site leads with equipment. The new site needs to lead with the retailer's problem and Citrus America's role as a program partner. The equipment is the *how*, not the *what*. --- ## Related - [[clients/current/citrus-america/_index]] - [[clients/current/citrus-america/messaging-framework]]