Marketing, branding and sales agreements
We are presently living in a complex society where there is a great distance between the production and the consumption. The debate about the importance of "eating locally produced food" escalates as research shows correlation between life styles and a climate in change. The interest for value-added...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | Otro |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2009
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10934/ |
| _version_ | 1855571778162655232 |
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| author | Johansson, Lina |
| author_browse | Johansson, Lina |
| author_facet | Johansson, Lina |
| author_sort | Johansson, Lina |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | We are presently living in a complex society where there is a great distance between the production and the consumption. The debate about the importance of "eating locally produced food" escalates as research shows correlation between life styles and a climate in change. The interest for value-added food is steadily increasing in Sweden but also in other countries. Even if small-scale food production is obtaining great support, small producers have a lot of challenges and considerations to make, due to their lack of resources.
The aim with this study is to investigate and to get a better understanding of how farmers successfully manage to communicate their brand and if a brand can facilitate the sales agreements. This thesis and the result are based upon qualitative case studies, since the aim is to explore and develop knowledge in the area of small-scale production rather than to try a hypothesis or to obtain exact results through sampling. Also, secondary data was used. The primary focus of this study is on the producer level, their perception on successful marketing, branding strategies and what kind and form of sales agreements that is practicable and favourable.
In order to be able to reach a market and to become successful, the small-scale producer has to make strategic choices. By using theories that cover why small-scale farms tend to offer more than just a "product" and which sales channels, these strategic choices can be facilitated. Finding out if a brand is considered essential and what kind of sales agreements to use are also theories that can make this dilemma easier to understand.
The analysis clearly indicated that these small-scale producers work with different value grounds and pointed out quality and taste, local production and the processing stage as the most essential value grounds. Reasons for introducing the brand were, in general, to create an identity and to differentiate themselves from other brand products. The local touch was generally highlighted, to create a "home" feeling and a connection to customers. The study indicates that the majority of the case studies are an embryonic branding type, which means that they are aware of their brand but no active work is done to increase the awareness. The case studies usually had an extended time exchange with their customers since the purpose of exchange is often to create long term initiatives, where no distinct obligations and needs are required. One main distinction between the two countries is that none of the Canadian case studies sold to any retail chains. The reason was that it is impossible for them to compete with large-scale producers and supply a regular quantity. Additionally, there is no pronounced support and demand from the retailers in Canada, like there currently is in Sweden.
The conclusion states that small-scale producers have to be consequent in how they communicate their brand in order to become successful. By attending events and meeting new customers, are two possible ways to communicate the brand. The study also indicated that when moving away from the farm level and aiming at bigger volumes, it gets harder to communicate the message and the meaning of the brand grows. The brand can be communicated by using information brochures and place them in a near location to the meat. Another vital approach is to use ambassadors for communicating the brand. The study also showed that the farmers generally do not want to bond to written agreements since they can not guarantee a supply on a regular basis. To secure the transaction and to protect the brand, the possible need for a written agreement increases, the further the small-scale producer gets from the farm level. |
| format | Otro |
| id | RepoSLU10934 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Swedish Inglés |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publishDateSort | 2009 |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU109342017-09-20T11:26:20Z https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10934/ Marketing, branding and sales agreements Johansson, Lina Trade, marketing and distribution We are presently living in a complex society where there is a great distance between the production and the consumption. The debate about the importance of "eating locally produced food" escalates as research shows correlation between life styles and a climate in change. The interest for value-added food is steadily increasing in Sweden but also in other countries. Even if small-scale food production is obtaining great support, small producers have a lot of challenges and considerations to make, due to their lack of resources. The aim with this study is to investigate and to get a better understanding of how farmers successfully manage to communicate their brand and if a brand can facilitate the sales agreements. This thesis and the result are based upon qualitative case studies, since the aim is to explore and develop knowledge in the area of small-scale production rather than to try a hypothesis or to obtain exact results through sampling. Also, secondary data was used. The primary focus of this study is on the producer level, their perception on successful marketing, branding strategies and what kind and form of sales agreements that is practicable and favourable. In order to be able to reach a market and to become successful, the small-scale producer has to make strategic choices. By using theories that cover why small-scale farms tend to offer more than just a "product" and which sales channels, these strategic choices can be facilitated. Finding out if a brand is considered essential and what kind of sales agreements to use are also theories that can make this dilemma easier to understand. The analysis clearly indicated that these small-scale producers work with different value grounds and pointed out quality and taste, local production and the processing stage as the most essential value grounds. Reasons for introducing the brand were, in general, to create an identity and to differentiate themselves from other brand products. The local touch was generally highlighted, to create a "home" feeling and a connection to customers. The study indicates that the majority of the case studies are an embryonic branding type, which means that they are aware of their brand but no active work is done to increase the awareness. The case studies usually had an extended time exchange with their customers since the purpose of exchange is often to create long term initiatives, where no distinct obligations and needs are required. One main distinction between the two countries is that none of the Canadian case studies sold to any retail chains. The reason was that it is impossible for them to compete with large-scale producers and supply a regular quantity. Additionally, there is no pronounced support and demand from the retailers in Canada, like there currently is in Sweden. The conclusion states that small-scale producers have to be consequent in how they communicate their brand in order to become successful. By attending events and meeting new customers, are two possible ways to communicate the brand. The study also indicated that when moving away from the farm level and aiming at bigger volumes, it gets harder to communicate the message and the meaning of the brand grows. The brand can be communicated by using information brochures and place them in a near location to the meat. Another vital approach is to use ambassadors for communicating the brand. The study also showed that the farmers generally do not want to bond to written agreements since they can not guarantee a supply on a regular basis. To secure the transaction and to protect the brand, the possible need for a written agreement increases, the further the small-scale producer gets from the farm level. Vi lever vi i ett mycket komplext samhälle där glappet är stort mellan producent och konsument. Debatten om att äta ”lokalproducerad” mat har ökat betydligt och särskilt med tanke på de aktuella klimatfrågorna. I Sverige, men även i andra länder, ökar intresset för mat med olika mervärden. Trots det drivande intresset för lokalproducerat, så har de småskaliga producenterna många svårigheter och utmaningar att beakta med tanke på deras begränsade resurser. Den här studien syftar till att undersöka och få en bättre förståelse för hur lantbrukare och producenter på ett framgångsrikt sätt lyckats kommunicera sitt varumärke. Arbetets syfte är också att studera hur varumärket kan påverka avtalsformen mellan producent och kund. Studien har genomförts som en jämförande fallstudie. Utgångspunkten var att utforska och utveckla kunskap inom småskalig produktion, snarare än att testa en hypotes eller att erhålla exakt data. Även sekundära källor har använts. Studien är gjord från ett producent perspektiv. Avgränsningen gjordes för att få fokus i studien på producenternas uppfattning om vad som är framgångsrik marknadsföring men också vilken betydelse varumärket har och vilka avtalsformer som är gångbara. Småskaliga producenter tvingas ofta att ta strategiska beslut för att nå ut på marknaden och bli framgångsrik. För att förstå och utveckla problematiken kring småskalig produktion har teorier kring marknadsföring, varumärke och avtal utgjort en grund och utgångspunkt. Analysen indikerar att de småskaliga lantbrukarna arbetar med mervärdesgrunder där kvalité, och smak, lokalt producerat och förädlingssteget sågs som de största mervärdesgrunderna. Anledningen och motiven till att fallgårdarna har skapat ett varumärke, är för att kunna skapa en identitet och särskilja sig från andra produkter och varumärken. Ofta så framhävs den lokala anknytningen för att skapa en relation och förmedla en närhetskänsla till kunden. Majoriteten av fallstudierna tenderar att endast i begränsad omfattning arbeta med sitt varumärke och sina marknadsföringsaktiviteter. De småskaliga producenterna lägger sin energi på det de kan bäst; att sköta sin produktion och att producera unika varor av högsta kvalitet. Fallgårdarna visade sig ha icke tidsbegränsade avtal som oftast bygger på relationer och förtroenden och där skriftliga åtaganden spelar mindre roll. En markant skillnad mellan Canada och Sverige är, att inga av de kanadensiska fallgårdarna sålde till detaljhandeln. Anledningen var att de inte såg någon möjlighet att kunna konkurrera med de storskaliga producenterna och anser sig inte heller kunna leverera på en kontinuerlig basis. I Kanada finns det inte heller något stöd och ingen efterfrågan från detaljhandeln för att ta in lokalproducerade varor. Priset är många gånger mer avgörande än kvalitet. Studien visar att producenterna måste vara konsekventa i hur de kommunicerar sitt varumärke för att de på ett framgångsrikt sätt ska lyckas nå ut till sina kunder. Varumärkets betydelse ökar när producenten går från direkt försäljning till andra indirekta försäljningskanaler. Genom informationsbroschyrer i butiker men också med hjälp av ambassadörer kan varumärket förstärkas. För en småskalig producent ökar behovet av ett skriftligt kontrakt för att förstärka och skydda sitt varumärke och sina transaktioner. 2009-01-07 Other NonPeerReviewed application/pdf sv https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10934/1/johansson_l_170920.pdf Johansson, Lina, 2008. Marketing, branding and sales agreements : case studies from small-scale farms in Canada and Sweden. UNSPECIFIED, Uppsala. Uppsala: (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Economics <https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/view/divisions/OID-510.html> urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-7021 eng |
| spellingShingle | Trade, marketing and distribution Johansson, Lina Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title | Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title_full | Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title_fullStr | Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title_short | Marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| title_sort | marketing, branding and sales agreements |
| topic | Trade, marketing and distribution |
| url | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10934/ https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10934/ |