A Beyond the Brief Marketing Conversation with Karen White, Vice President of Marketing, Bolthouse Fresh Foods.

Q: Karen, your path to marketing leadership is anything but traditional. How did you get from pre-law and a JD to leading marketing for one of the most innovative fresh food brands in North America?

Karen: My career has taken a few different roads, but there’s always been a clear throughline: helping ideas, people, and brands show up in more meaningful ways. I started in pre-law at UC Berkeley, spent time studying law at Santa Clara University, then pivoted into business with an MBA from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and executive CMO education at Northwestern’s Kellogg School. What stayed consistent was the desire to advocate for ideas, for people, and for categories that deserve more love, like fresh produce. Marketing became the place where strategy, creativity, and storytelling all came together in a way that felt both intellectually rigorous and deeply human.

Q: Bolthouse Fresh Foods has gone through a significant evolution in the last few years. How do you explain that journey to someone just discovering the brand?

Karen: The Bolthouse story spans more than a century, beginning with carrot farming in Michigan in 1915 and later expanding to California’s Central Valley in the 1970s. Over the years, the business grew beyond fresh carrots into a CPG offering under the Bolthouse Farms name, then experienced private equity ownership, and operated for a period as part of Campbell Soup Company.
Today, Bolthouse Fresh Foods™ and Bolthouse Farms operate as distinct, standalone companies, both owned by Butterfly Equity Group. Bolthouse Fresh Foods™ is singularly focused on the fresh carrot category, leading across snacking, cooking, and ingredient occasions for both retail and foodservice. Our mission is clear: to elevate carrots through quality, versatility, and modern relevance, helping shape how fresh produce shows up in everyday life.

Q: In 2024, you launched a major rebrand of the Bolthouse Fresh™ brand that has generated a lot of attention. What was the primary focus of this rebrand?

Karen: Fresh carrots will always be relevant, and the rebrand gave us a moment to step back and take a clear look at where the category has been and where it’s headed. It allowed us to reflect on our history, assess how people eat today, and consider how carrots can show up even more clearly in everyday life. We wanted to reimagine the carrot category, starting with the consumer, making carrots intuitive, inspiring, and shoppable, while reinforcing their role across meals and snacking occasions. The Bolthouse Fresh brand and our “Modern Roots” platform honor 110 years of farming while showing up in a bold, contemporary way that brings new energy to produce and reinforces that carrots belong at the center of modern eating.

Q: The packaging system for Bolthouse Fresh has been called “category-disrupting.” What were the key design and strategy decisions behind it?

Karen: We designed the packaging to bring excitement back to the produce section, starting with what matters most to consumers. Grounded in consumer research, the system is designed to clearly communicate how carrots fit into everyday use, from snacking to cooking and entertaining. Usage occasions lead the design, supported by a color system that helps distinguish different cuts and formats and makes the set easy to navigate at shelf. The carrot embedded in the logo is a nod to our heritage and a clear signal of what’s inside, while QR codes extend the experience beyond the bag, connecting shoppers to recipes, seasonal inspiration, and evolving campaign content. Together, it creates a packaging system that feels intuitive, engaging, and relevant, helping shoppers quickly understand how carrots fit into their lives and bringing fresh energy to the produce aisle.

Q: What were some of the early indicators that the rebrand was working?

Karen: First, we saw excitement and pride from retailers and our own teams, which matters when you’re asking partners to rethink a legacy set. That momentum translated into driving growth with our premium offerings post-rebrand, reinforcing that thoughtful design, clear segmentation, and occasion-based storytelling were delivering the intended impact. Being named a Top 10 Most Innovative Company in North America for 2025 by Fast Company was tremendous validation, not just for marketing, but for the cross-functional work it took to deliver innovation across packaging, products, and digital engagement.

Q: You’ve talked before about “different buyers in the produce section.” How does that insight shape your portfolio strategy?

Karen: We don’t think about carrots as a single product or a single use. Carrots are special because they naturally fit into so many moments throughout the day, and the rebrand gave us the opportunity to design with that versatility in mind. From breakfast moments like morning smoothies or muffins, to lunchboxes and afternoon snacks, and all the way through dinner at the table, we wanted the packaging to clearly signal how carrots fit into both snacking and meals. Our approach starts with the core role carrots play in everyday meals, then expands to support a wide range of occasions, from quick, on-the-go moments to cooking and entertaining. Through clear cues, different cuts, organic options, and flexible formats, the packaging helps make it easier for people, especially younger generations who are seeking organic offerings, to include carrots in more moments across the day

Q: Speaking of playful formats, Bolthouse Fresh has launched some distinctive products. Which innovations best capture where you’re taking the brand?

Karen: Carrot Shakers are a great example of how we think about meeting people where they are. They have been in schools for nearly a decade, pairing fresh carrots with dry seasoning in flavors like ranch and chili lime, and more recently, our new dill flavor. The packaging is intentionally designed with an easy-open seal that releases the seasoning, allowing you to shake it directly onto the carrots. The result is a fun, flavorful snack experience that feels familiar, similar to a potato chip, while still enjoying a fresh carrot. It is a simple, approachable way to make carrots feel more accessible and enjoyable. I am also excited about our Carrot Side Dish Sizzlers, which pair crinkle cut carrots with chef-inspired sauces to help carrots show up as a true centerpiece on the plate, as well as our limited-time Reindeer Snack for the holidays.

Q: You previewed a number of items at the Global Produce & Floral Show in October 2025. What was the focus of your presence at that event?

Karen: This was our second year showcasing as the standalone Bolthouse Fresh Foods brand, building on the momentum of our brand launch last year and the pride in how the brand continues to evolve. We shared a range of product previews, including Organic Rainbow Carrot Side Dish Sizzlers, Carrot Fries positioned as a fresh alternative to frozen sweet potato fries, and a new merchandise tray design to introduce Carrot Fries into both produce snack sections and convenience stores. Our goal is to continue demonstrating leadership in helping drive the carrot category forward, showing how carrots can show up in new, relevant ways across retail, schools, and foodservice.

Q: Carrot fries feel like a breakthrough format. How are you positioning that launch?

Karen: Carrot Fries are launching in March 2026 and are designed to feel familiar from the very first glance. From the offering to the packaging, every element was thoughtfully developed to tap into flavor profiles and visual cues consumers already recognize, while delivering a better-for-you alternative to frozen sweet potato fries. We leaned into fast-food-inspired cues and bold, craveable visuals to instantly signal comfort and familiarity at shelf.

The line launches with three flavors, Sea Salt, Ranch, and Spicy Chipotle, paired with easy air fryer or oven preparation that makes cooking simple and consistent at home. For retailers, it offers a differentiated, fresh, vegetable-forward option, introducing a new way to think about fresh in a space traditionally owned by frozen.

Q: Bolthouse Fresh Foods has been recognized for its innovation, but the company is also deeply rooted in agriculture and sustainability. How do you balance those narratives?

Karen: For us, we’re farmers at heart, with a passion for innovation. Headquartered in Bakersfield, CA, we grow carrots across multiple regions in the U.S., with many of our team members bringing generations of farming experience to the work. Our agriculture and operations teams are critical to our innovation, involved in every stage of commercialization, from planning and harvesting to using every carrot we grow. These teams are involved early, helping guide decisions and ensuring new ideas are grounded in what the crop can deliver at its best. When we bring new products to market, we build on that foundation, minimizing waste and expanding carrots into new uses and channels that reflect how people eat today.

Q: Looking ahead to the coming year, what are you most excited to add to your marketing approach, and what will you be doing less of?

Karen: We’re really focused on elevating our storytelling to reflect the full carrot journey, from how carrots are grown to how they show up at home on the plate. Our digital presence plays a key role in bringing that story to life and helping us stay connected with consumers wherever they choose to shop.
As more consumers shop for groceries online, it’s important to us that our products show up with the same care, clarity, and personality people experience in store. We see digital as a natural extension of how we connect with consumers, carrying that same storytelling and inspiration into online spaces so every interaction feels familiar, approachable, and true to who we are

Q: As you build momentum in 2026, what’s the one thing you’re most excited about?

Karen: I’m most excited about continuing to bring fresh nutrition into the home in new, more meaningful ways, while staying grounded in how and where our food is grown. If we can keep expanding the ways carrots show up in people’s lives, from lunchboxes and school cafeterias to restaurant menus and weeknight dinners, then we’re doing more than introducing new offerings. We’re helping make fresh food easier, more joyful, and more naturally part of everyday living.

Q: Where’s the best place for people to reach out and connect with you?

Karen: For the latest news on Bolthouse Fresh Foods, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolthouse-fresh-foods. Also, I’m happy to connect with anyone interested in reaching out – just search for Karen White.