What Does “Local” Mean to the Organic Consumer

By Laurie Demeritt


Prior to the industrial revolution, the advent of mass transportation and the commoditization of packaged goods, some of the most basic needs of consumers were met by farmers and craftsmen within a local community. The notion that products might travel thousands of miles to arrive in a store was typically only realized by exotic fabrics or spices brought back from long, treacherous expeditions spanning the globe. Among many things, what made foods and other products produced “locally” special were the strong stories and faces behind their production as well as an intrinsic connection to a specific place.

These days it seems the controversy over where and how food is produced could not be more pronounced. Take your pick of headlines. We see tainted foods from China, India and other countries being turned away at U.S. borders by the FDA and, within the American market, food-borne illnesses caused by E. coli and Salmonella are all too frequent events. And while consumer interest in what they view as higher quality foods has pushed organics into the mainstream of globally traded products, at the same time locally grown products are receiving greater and greater attention. Together these events and trends are feeding a rising interest in the origination story behind many products and brands, including those both foreign and “made in the USA.”

Organic and Local
There is perhaps nothing more organic than marketing “local.” In our contemporary marketplace, consumers at all levels understand the association between “organic” and “local” simply because local products stand a chance of being fresher and spark memories of pastoral times that predate the ills of
modern living.

Because of the perceived connection to the values it embodies, the notion of “local” is one way marketers, manufacturers and retailers are differentiating themselves to gain quicker acceptance in the marketplace. In the bigger picture though, the major driver in this cultural change is the gravitation of consumer interest toward companies, brands, products and services that embody and sell authentic experiences.

Consumer Understanding of Local
To be sure, local is one of the hottest cues of quality right now in the world of food. It is competing with organic for consumers, both those interested in health and the environment, as well as consumers seeking gourmet food experiences. In addition to ethical consumption, we have found that “local” has several different meanings, all of which influence how it can be used in marketing language.

1. Local defined as “distance from my pantry to the natural source.” This is the view of the purist who subscribes to a perspective of local as a part of ethical consumption undertaken to save what is called “food miles” while at the same time benefiting local economies and family farms. It is a political critique of industrial food supply chains and, often, the processing of food needed to make food travel long distances. It is an environmentalist critique of the consequences of shipping/transporting food over long distances, when enough food to live on can be had locally.

2. Local defined as “grounded in a geographic region or locale known for producing high-quality ingredients in a given category.” This viewpoint is where entire markets can be built around a local product simply because the product showcases the power of indigenous cues of natural quality by merging geography and food in a way that sharply distinguishes the local product from a processed, packaged, typical nationally branded equivalent.

• Copper River salmon is a great example of local symbolism being used to market a raw product. The forefronting of the exact river grounds the consumer precisely in the geographic source of their food in a way that implies that Copper River must be a special place to find wild salmon.

• Local defined as a geographic region can be seen often in “raw” food categories such as “Chilean Packham Pears” or “Washington Cherries.”

3. Local defined as freshly made “artisan prepared foods” that supplant the need for processed, shelf-stable equivalents shipped in from highly centralized supply chains. In prepared foods, like fresh-baked breads or meals, local vendors easily trump branded, packaged competitors, by appearing more authentic and artisanal (e.g., Essential Baking Company in Seattle versus Wonder Bread). An emerging trend reflecting this aspect of local can be observed in fine restaurants packaging up their meals and selling them as heat-n-serve meals in grocery store environments.

The Language of Local: Authenticity
As we’ve noted many times from our research, consumers have an increased desire to obtain products they deem are the “real deal” or most authentic. Quality markers such as ingredients and narratives of origin (i.e., local), and the context within which a purchase is made are those factors that have the most influence on the perception that a product is or is not authentic. As one consumer told us: “Authenticity means something is genuine. It’s real, not just for show; something that is more heartfelt, something with human spirit in it. Authenticity is fairly hard to find.”

We often hear from consumers in the core of the world of organics that they only shop small community-based stores such as co-ops in their search for truly authentic goods.

By contrast, products found in mainstream channels are scrutinized very carefully before a core organic consumer will conclude that the product is authentic. Alternately, the co-op may not seem authentic to a mid-level consumer who is used to shopping in conventional grocery stores. To them, their local grocery store represents what is authentic to their lives.

Organics, Locally Speaking
The association between “local” and “organic” is well understood by consumers at all levels. Consumers understand that something organic is not necessarily local and vice versa. In fact, our research shows that less than one-third (31 percent) of core organic consumers (those most intensely involved in organic consumption) associate “organic” with “locally grown.” Similarly, only one-third (33 percent) of core organic consumers (and considerably less in other segments) purchase organic foods and beverages in part to “buy local products.” Attitudes may vary by region, for example, in some areas the notion of “local” organic products is less relevant since so many organic products are imported from out of state. In other areas, consumers are actively seeking local organic products because they are concerned about buying the “freshest” possible products. Food manufacturers and processors can also use the notion of local to their advantage, especially given the current events in the marketplace having to do with food safety.

Organic standards foster increased consumer interest in the origin of foods and beverages. Such interests are typically satisfied by well-marketed convincing narratives. The romance behind the narrative makes it special and this is what resonates with consumers.

When they are thinking “local” they want to be able to paint a picture of that place so they can have that vision when they are buying the product. One fitting example of this is in the category of wine. Many consumers have never been to the regions where wine is grown, such as Napa, Sonoma or France. Yet, picking up just about any bottle of wine and reading the story on the label evokes romanticized images of what these places look like. The average consumer is not interested in the science behind winemaking or the mass production of a brand. Rather, they prefer to picture the winemaker picking the grapes and imagine what the air smells like on a bright, crisp morning in the vineyard. Another example would be dairy products from Wisconsin or California. Consumers picture rolling hills of green pastures, with fat, happy cows roaming free and being milked at their leisure. They choose not to think about negative images associated with dairy farms.

Big Brands Can Be “Local”
In this industry there is a belief that you can only be local if you are a small brand, but that isn’t true. There are a lot of ways for a big brand to have a more local feel, such as having limited edition and/or seasonal products. For example, a nutrition bar could have a nut in it that is grown in a certain area that gives it better taste perceptions.

The biggest mistake would be to fabricate the authenticity—you can’t fake the real thing. So, when you share great stories about your local offerings with consumers, don’t tell tall tales. Showcase special ingredients from special locales made by special people. In the end, it will help you stay special in the eyes of consumers.

Big brands can find success marketing products as local, even if they are grown on the other side of the world. In fact, sometimes it helps for things to be farther away. Consumers have very romanticized visions in their heads of certain regions where products are grown and tend to avoid picturing anything negative. Food manufacturers and processors are at a starting point when they give the consumer a story along with a product. It will be relatively easy to build on the vision that already exists in consumer’s minds.

Laurie Demeritt is president and COO of The Hartman Group, a leading consulting and market research firm. The Hartman Group specializes in the analysis and interpretation of consumer lifestyles and how these lifestyles affect the purchase and use of health and wellness products and services. Their client base includes a number of Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods companies, pharmaceutical firms, and mass and natural food retailers. She can be reached at laurie@hartman-group.com.