Julie V. Stanton

Improving small farmer participation in export marketing channels: perceptions of US fresh produce importers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify important elements of a strategy to facilitate small farmer participation in international supply chains for fresh produce.Design/methodology/approach – The study employs survey data collected from a national sample of US fresh produce importers. Their concerns and suggestions regarding potential for transactions with small Mexican farmers were assessed, with factor analysis providing a thematic summary of their perspectives.Findings – Results of the study reveal that US importers are not uniformly pessimistic about the ability of small farmers to meet their demands. On the contrary, almost one‐third said they probably would work with small farmers in the near future. In general, importers are interested in transactions in which the product meets consumer and government expectations and is grown on the buyers terms, the grower is reliable over time, the transaction is simplified, and the grower handles transportation. Importers rate small farmers poorly ...

Information overload in the context of apparel

Purpose – This study aims to examine the nature and impact of information overload and related coping strategies in the context of apparel shopping. It also examines perceptions of overload and coping strategies as antecedents to consumer confidence, shopping orientation and leader/follower status.Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups and previous literature are used to develop components for a survey of US consumer perceptions. The 205 valid responses were factor analyzed to identify components of information overload and coping strategies, and cluster analysis was used to identify groupings of consumers around those constructs.Findings – Consumer segments that result from cluster analysis show meaningful descriptions regarding information flow, over‐choice and coping strategies. Segments also differ on confidence level, shopping orientation and fashion leadership in ways that appear logically related to their information and coping strategy perspectives.Research limitations/implications – The study...

Consumer Attitudes toward Organic Foods: An Exploration of U.S. Market Segments

Purpose – This study explores U.S. consumer attitudes toward organic foods in order to demonstrate that multiple and meaningful segments can be identified based on attitudes and beliefs rather than demographics and that a more targeted marketing strategy could likely create a better fit with consumer wants and needs. Methodology – Q-methodology is employed, in part to demonstrate its usefulness for segmentation purposes. Findings – Six meaningful segments of consumers are generated based on attitudes toward organic foods: Health Enthusiasts, Organic Idealists, Hobans Hogwashers, Unengaged Shoppers, Bargain Shoppers, and Cynical/Distrustfuls. These groups vary in attitudes toward organic food, and despite conventional wisdom, exhibit a reasonable match between attitude and purchase behavior. Segments are also generated for viewpoints toward conventionally grown foods, revealing that consumers do not simply hold binary positions (pro-organic, anticonventional), but instead consider each food type on its respective merits. Positioning and media choice strategies are considered for each organic food segment. Originality – This chapter distinguishes between different types of consumers of organic food by using Q-methodology, with the result being a rich, detailed description of the values and preferences of each group. With these descriptions, the organic food industry can better align its marketing efforts with the priorities of individual consumer groups, rather than their simplistic demographics as are commonly utilized. The chapter also offers a unique perspective on the attitude–behavior gap, revealing that when the attitude is understood in greater detail, the gap appears to disappear.

Habits In Fresh Produce Consumption: Are Seasonal Increases In Marketing Efforts Necessary?

Abstract Increasing pressures on profitability in the produce industry necessarily raise the question of how costs can be lowered. Among regular expenditures are beginning-of-season marketing efforts designed to rebuild demand for produce that was temporarily unavailable domestically. However, if off-season imports help create a consumption habit for fresh produce, it makes sense that the produce industry could retarget its marketing expenditures toward more suitable goals. This article examines U.S. demand for table grapes, differentiated by source, using a two-stage model of consumer demand. Results show that, over nearly three decades, U.S. consumers developed habits in grape consumption and that largely off-season imports from Chile did indeed contribute to increased per capita sales by U.S. growers. Seasonal marketing expenditures need to be reconsidered.

Perceptions of “Organic” Food: A View Through Brand Theory

Globally, the organic food industry has experienced impressive growth rates, especially in the United States and Europe, yet still accounts for a relatively small portion of total food sales. In the United States, it constitutes less than 5% percent of food sales despite a decade of support by the U.S. National Organic Standard. Using the United States as a context, the authors show through survey data and confirmatory factor analysis that when “organic” is examined through the lens of brand theory, it is clear that it has yet to attain brand equity. There is evidence of brand awareness and perceived quality, suggesting that the industry has moved in the right direction. Yet negative perceptions of value and no evidence of brand loyalty undermine the industry’s goals. Because “organic” carries different significance to different consumers, the industry will have to develop a cohesive strategy to reestablish “organic” in a unified way. For country markets of similar experience with organic food, and for markets just beginning to consider consumer interest in organic food, these lessons from the United States offer guidance for policy and marketing strategy.

Advertising the U.S. National Organic Standard: A Well-Intentioned Cue Lost in the Shuffle?

The 2002 implementation of the National Organic standard and development of the USDA organic seal gave food advertisers a new tool with which to communicate food characteristics to consumers. Based principally on farm and manufacturing practices, the standard offers consumers an expansion of their food choices. Parents of young children have been shown to have particular interest in organic food. Using parent-targeted magazine-based food ads, this paper explores how organic has been promoted, how its advertising strategy compares to that for conventional foods, and whether organic food has been appropriately differentiated from conventional foods such that the USDA organic seal carries a significant and unique meaning to both consumers and the food industry. The content analysis shows that the period following the implementation of the National Organic Program exhibits a general upward trend in usage of health-related cues but minimal increase in use of terms associated with the “organic” ideal. A direct comparison of organic and non-organic food ads shows that there has been little leakage of terminology related to “organic” into mainstream food advertising strategy. Most importantly, we find that “organic” is intermixed with health cues, contributing to the often-found consumer perception that “organic” means “healthier,” and suggesting that the goals of the NOP to offer consumers a clear definition and a way to reduce confusion have not been met in advertising strategy.

The Gap Between Perceived and Actual Learning From Group Reflection

Group reflection is often used as an intervention to facilitate group performance, but reflecting in groups may also affect individual learning. In this article, we compare the effects of individual and group reflection on individuals’ learning in two pairs of decision-making tasks. In two studies, we found that individuals who reflected in groups improved their performance from Task 1 to 2. However, individuals who reflected in groups did not realize greater performance improvements than individuals who reflected alone. Furthermore, individuals who reflected alone perceived that they learned more than individuals who reflected in groups. We discuss the implications of the gap between perceived and actual learning and describe the implications of our findings for group research, as well as recommendations for future research.

Accessing marketing channels in emerging markets: the case of small-scale cooperatives in central Mexico

Small-scale producers in emerging markets have a particularly difficult time accessing the same marketing channels which are available to their larger counterparts. Cooperatives are an oft-recommended solution, allowing members to collectively mimic the advantages of larger producers. In this study, we explore whether or not cooperatives in Mexico demonstrate these expectations. Using depth interviews of seven farm and non-farm rural cooperatives, we find that participation in export channels is extremely limited and that the patterns of market access can be explained in part by differences in vision, quality of leadership, and cultural influences. Leaders are also generally underprepared for the business environment which they attempt to access, suggesting that educational initiatives which build business capacity be developed. Foreign buyers attempting to work with cooperatives (and possibly other small businesses) in emerging markets ought to account for the different foundations and expectations of their transaction partners.