Mushroom Council Debuts New Campaign Platform: “It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.” 

Mushroom Council Debuts New Campaign Platform: “It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.” 

Campaign Features New Consumer Marketing Strategy and Increased Ad Spend to Cultivate the Next Generation of Frequent Mushroom Shopper 

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. (September 30, 2025) – The Mushroom Council today announces a bold new marketing platform and tagline, “It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.,” aimed at attracting the next generation of mushroom shoppers and driving long-term category growth. 

Developed with direct input from a marketing task force made up of mushroom industry leaders, the platform addresses a new target audience of emerging consumers: current light and medium mushroom shoppers whose profiles skew younger to Millennial and Gen Z. The goal is to move these consumers up the purchase-frequency ladder toward heavy mushroom shoppers. 

The strategy behind the campaign reflects fresh mushroom industry alignment and an elevated investment in consumer marketing. Following an assessment increase that took effect October 1, 2025, the Mushroom Council and its grower and handler members will deploy more consumer ad dollars than ever before across digital, social, and streaming channels to drive trial, repeat purchase, and long-term category growth. 

“The task force brought real-world retail and marketing leadership together to define where the category grows fastest,” said Amy Wood, President, Mushroom Council. “Targeting Millennial and Gen Z light and medium shoppers gives us the best opportunity to build long-term loyalty and lift overall category demand.” 

Cristie Mather, Vice President of Marketing, Mushroom Council noted that “‘It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.’ grew from a simple insight: younger shoppers don’t want gimmicks. They want flavorful, convenient, and functional foods that fit their fast-paced, purpose-driven lives. This campaign platform is designed to be bold, authentic, and attention-grabbing with a tagline that lands perfectly in short-form video, influencer voices, and recipe-driven content.” Mather added, “By spotlighting delicious taste, everyday convenience, and the functional benefits mushrooms deliver, the platform speaks the language of busy Millennials and Gen Z. It invites trial and makes it easy to see mushrooms as a go-to ingredient for more of their meals.” 

 Key elements of the new campaign approach: 

• New Target Audience Focus: Prioritize light and medium mushroom shoppers, predominantly Millennial and Gen Z, to increase purchase frequency and lifetime value. 

• Creative Content and Channels: Produce culturally relevant creative content that raises awareness of mushroom benefits, optimized for streaming and social channels. 

• Influencer Partnerships: Engage high-profile influencers and creators, including an Emmy-winning celebrity, to capture attention, inspire trial and build mushroom habits across meals and occasions. 

• Increased Marketing Investment: Leverage the recent assessment increase to expand paid media and promotional support in ways that attract this busy target audience’s attention. 

More than a dozen mushroom companies will be attending and exhibiting at the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show. Attendees can visit the Mushroom Council in the Grand Plaza outside the Anaheim Convention Center (Booth GP8) to get a first look at the “It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.” platform, explore what’s ahead for 2026, and see how the Council is ready to support at retail. Plus, attendees will have a chance to test their cognitive performance with a memory game where each day’s high scorer will win a coveted prize package. 

“The IFPA Global show is a prime opportunity to see how the exciting new campaign platform will capture attention and drive shopper demand,” added Wood. “We encourage mushroom retailers to stop by the Grand Plaza to get a first look and discuss custom retail activations.” 

About the Mushroom Council 

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers and importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information, visit mushroomcouncil.com.  

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