After moving from Fort Valley, Georgia, to Nashville in 2010, Stephen Rose found himself longing for the juicy Georgia peaches of his childhood. After two fruitless summers searching for quality peaches in Tennessee, he and his wife decided to bring the peaches to the people.
In 2012, they launched The Peach Truck, partnering with a peach farm in Stephen’s hometown. Every summer, they load up a truck and tour Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, selling fresh peaches directly to customers.
“It’s a logistical nightmare what we do, but it’s worth it,” says Stephen.
Have a Natural and Authentic Marketing Strategy
The Peach Truck only has a product to sell for about 12 weeks each year, and even that window depends on unpredictable factors like weather. Despite the short season, Stephen keeps in touch with customers throughout the year with occasional email updates.
These off-season emails, often focused on crop conditions or seasonal challenges, help keep customers engaged and invested. Sent a few times a year, they achieve strong open rates between 37% and 46%.
Stephen relies on instinct to guide his email schedule. “We don’t want our customers to forget about us, but we also don’t want them to be bothered,” he says. As the season approaches in mid-May, he builds momentum with a countdown and begins sending weekly emails with tour schedules. The launch of peach season is meant to feel as exciting as opening day in baseball.
“Our marketing strategy is authenticity,” he says. “But I also think getting stuck on strategy can get in the way of an authentic voice. Everything we do is in the moment because it’s dependent on seasonality.”
Learn How to Talk to Your Audience
The Peach Truck’s brand appeals to a wide audience—from grandmothers to design-conscious Instagram followers. Their visual identity plays a central role. The Instagram feed resembles a nostalgic photo album, with warm-toned images of peaches, families, recipes, and landscapes. That same visual care is reflected in their email campaigns, each of which features one strong image to support the message.
Stephen writes his email campaigns like personal letters. He wants customers to feel the company genuinely cares. With tools like Mailchimp’s segmentation features, The Peach Truck can send messages tailored by geolocation or signup source. Whether customers subscribed in person at a tour stop or through a website pop-up, their experience is personalized.
Those who purchase a 25-pound box of peaches at tour stops receive canning tips, freezing guides, and recipes. Online customers might receive exclusive offers or promotions.
Focus on Your Core Values
Looking ahead, Stephen is interested in exploring marketing automation, including abandoned cart recovery through Shopify. But no matter what tactics they adopt, one value remains central.
“All our decisions are centered around whether they will help us keep the promise of fresh peaches straight off the tree. We won’t sacrifice that for anything.”
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