• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 6, 2013

To celebrate its 125th anniversary, McCormick & Company has launched a year-long, global social-sharing campaign that links participation to donations to United Way Worldwide.

The "Flavor of Together" campaign asks people around the world to share their "flavor stories" -- including memories, recipes and family traditions -- via a dedicated site (FlavorofTogether.com), an app on the brand's Facebook page (currently showing more than 1.16 million "likes"), Twitter and Pinterest.

The objective is to engage consumers in conversations about the roles that food and flavor play in bringing people together and drive recipe sharing, in the process encouraging use of McCormick's huge range of spices in creative ways.

Tagline: "For 125 years, McCormick and Company has made the flavors that bring people together."

For each story shared -- participants can also opt to upload images or add links to images or videos -- McCormick will donate $1 to the United Way to help feed those in need. The goal is 1.25 million stories shared, or up to $1.25 million in donations. (A meter on the site displays the updated number of stories shared to date.)

To launch the program, McCormick held an anniversary event in New York City featuring chefs Claire Robinson of the Food Network; Kelsey Nixon of the Cooking Channel; Donatella Arpaia of Iron Chef America; Suvir Saran, chairman at the Culinary Institute of America; and Alex Stupak, one of Food & Wine's best new chefs of 2013.  

In addition to consumer-posted flavor stories, the Flavor of Together site is featuring flavor stories from the chefs, and posting new videos on a monthly basis.  

During the event, the brand unveiled the 125th anniversary edition of its annual Flavor Forecast report. 

For 2014, McCormick's top trends include chilies of all varieties; modern interpretations of Indian food; "clever, compact cooking" in urban kitchens; and Mexican and Brazilian flavors and cuisines. Top flavor trends include aji amarillo (a hot, Peruvian yellow chile); Kashmiri masala (a blend of spices from northern India); tea (for rubs, broths and marinades); chamoy sauce (a Mexican condiment); and cassava flavor (a gluten-free alternative to a Brazilian staple, also known as manioc or tapioca flour).

Founded in 1889, McCormick has $4 billion in annual global sales, and has realized a 9% compound annual growth rate and an annual total shareholder return of 13% over the past decade . 

Its spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other products are sold in 110 countries, at retail and to food manufacturers, food service and restaurant businesses. The company boasts a 40% to 60% retail share in the spices, herbs and seasonings categories, and a nearly 20% share of the estimated $9 billion global market for packaged spices and seasonings. Two-thirds of its consumer business sales feature brands with a #1 position in various markets around the world.

Last year, McCormick launched 250 new products.