18 Feb 2015 OPINION: What can we learn from the organic food trend?
The organic food industry has seen a 3,400% increase in the past 24 years, making organic the fastest-growing consumer food and lifestyle trend in modern history. Are organic brands able to connect with consumers just because they are healthier? The answer is no. Being healthier is not enough to create a food movement and a trend that is making history. So what is it?
The organic food industry has seen a 3,400% increase in the past 24 years, making organic the fastest-growing consumer food and lifestyle trend in modern history. No wonder people are talking. These brands are dominating the conversation and the trend makes it easier to cut through the clutter and gain attention from consumers.
The question becomes, are organic brands able to connect with consumers just because they are healthier? The answer is no. Being healthier is not enough to create a food movement and a trend that is making history. So what is it?
Consumers want transparency
According to the Organic Marketing Report, consumers want to know how their food is produced and where their food is coming from. Organic food brands deliver on this. All brands, not just organics, have the ability to connect with their customers in a more meaningful way via story telling. However, organic brands seem to be doing it better and more often than non-organics.
For example, Plum Organic’s founder, Neil Grimmer, was just a busy working dad trying to serve his two daughters wholesome, high-quality food when he launched his company. Neil understood that this is something every parent can relate to. By sharing his story, Neil was able to create a business that generated $93-million in sales in 2012 and was predicted to reach $100-million in 2014. The company is also currently ranked as the #1 organic baby food brand in the US.
Don’t be afraid to share your brand’s mission
We know people want to believe in the brands they consume. According to The Psychology of Sharing Study conducted by Brian Brett from the New York Times, one of the biggest reasons consumers will share about a brand is to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about. Organic brands do a great job of sharing their mission or cause and, therefore, consumers want to share this with their friends and social networks. All brands can work harder to share their mission or core values, giving consumers a reason to get behind the cause and advocate for the brand.
Check out Kashi’s website and click on “What We Believe.” Their beliefs are inspirational and motivational. Their mission of “making foods with simple wholesome ingredients – and everything we believe” makes you want to step away from your laptop, shut off your iPhone and go on a hike with the family.
Organic brands don’t have to be the only brands with an inspirational message. That feeling of connection and meaning are the core ingredients to connecting with your consumers and creating advocacy.
Transparency, story telling and inspiration…at the end of the day, it is those connections that will drive sales, as it has done for the $35-billion organic food industry…..
MediaPost.com: Read the full article
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