JOHNSON COUNTY CERTIFIED LOCAL PROGRAM

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1 JOHNSON COUNTY CERTIFIED LOCAL PROGRAM Marketing Institute at the University of Iowa Contributors and MI Scholars: Allison Johnson, Emii Le, Jake Krischel, and Katie Znerold

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3 table of contents Project Proposal...1 Problem Statement...2 Research Methodology...3 Trends of the Local Food Movement...4 Problems and Opportunities...5 Overall Recommendation...6 Key Findings...6 Branding and Mock-ups...15 Additional Findings...17 Contacts...18

4 project proposal In the Fall of 2015, the Johnson County Food Policy Council sought help from the University of Iowa Marketing Institute with the objective of conducting a marketing study to analyze how the Johnson County Local Food Organization can improve promotional efforts of locally grown foods in the retail community. It is important to note that although the Johnson County Food Policy Council was the governing body that administered this project, the Johnson County Local Food Organization (JCLFO) will be the group responsible for implementing the recommendations stated in this report. Our team s overarching project scope was to determine the need for a Johnson County buy local branding campaign that easily identifies locally grown foods among other alternatives. Through both primary and secondary market research, our team was asked to pinpoint if such campaign would be of value to consumers and effectively influence shopping behavior, resulting in an increase in local food purchases. Due to a time-sensitive course schedule, our team was allotted one school year to successfully tackle this project. In order to properly conduct primary research and develop a well-rounded recommendation for the Johnson County Food Policy Council, our team established a Statement of Work that explicitly communicated the agreed-upon project deliverables. The specified deliverables are defined below, as documented in our Statement of Work. Research agreed upon by the Marketing Institute and the JCFPC include: Secondary research of buy local initiatives Primary research to gauge both producers and retailers level of interest Primary research of consumer purchasing habits Primary research to best reach/influence our target market Final project deliverables agreed upon by the Marketing Institute and the JCFPC include: Marketing strategy to capture consumer s attention and communicate a buy local message A defined geographic audience that the buy local branding should encompass List of retail partners for the JCLFO to pursue in the initial campaign roll-out Incentives/benefits desired by retailers and producers to gain support 2-3 new logo designs tested against those created by Creative Mellen 1

5 problem statement As a result of the local food trend, buy local initiatives and marketing campaigns have emerged nationwide in the last 15 years. The Johnson County Local Food Organization s goal is to increase shoppers purchase of locally grown foods at the retail level in the Johnson County area by 10% in In this report, we will address the following questions: How should local be defined? What are the consumer s general attitudes towards locally grown foods? Will shoppers be influenced to purchase locally grown foods among other alternatives? How can the JCLFO influence producers and retailers to get involved? Is there value in developing a branding initiative to easily identify locally grown foods? If so, what should it be? Note = for this project, retail market = grocery stores and farmers markets 2

6 research methodology Primary research catered to Johnson County was essential in crafting recommendations to the Johnson County Local Food Organization, and arriving at the key findings to address the Problem Statement. A consumer survey was administered through the University Staff and Hospitals, as well as the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and various community-oriented groups throughout the County. According to 2013 census data, Johnson County s population fluctuates around 142,000, which at a standard margin of error of 5% made a survey respondent goal of 384 respondents. After the survey was conducted 1,469 total respondents had participated, reducing the margin of error to 2.55%. Additionally, a comparison of the survey respondents to demographics of the county can further enhance the provided key findings. This comparison is as follows: After clearly understanding the demographics of survey respondents in relation to the demographics of the county, such knowledge was implemented in sections including the Key Findings and Recommended Strategy. Respondents were given the option to participate in a follow up focus group to address issues in regards to the campaign s branding. Ten participants were chosen, fitting a specific demographic found to be most advantageous in increasing local food purchases at the retail level. Lastly, producers within the specified geographic region defined as local were contacted and surveyed based on willingness to participate and incentives vital to their participation. The survey totaled 22 respondents, 100% of which being within miles. Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2013, MI Producer Survey 2016, MI Consumer Survey 2016 Average Johnson County Shopper Demographics Survey Respondent Demographics Age Mid s 21% between Bachelor s Degree or Higher 61.4% 76% Median Income $53,000 $50,000 - $100,000 Figure A: Comparison of Johnson County Demographics vs. Survey Respondent Demographics 3

7 trends of the local food movement TThe popularity of local foods has evolved into a trending movement that is transforming communities worldwide. The demand for local foods has shown tremendous growth across the United States and will continue to do so, as future sales are predicted to rise, turning this new found fad into a lifestyle. According to the USDA, local food sales have grown almost 600% in less than 10 years, with sales increasing from $1 billion in 2005 to $6.1 billion in In fact, the state of Iowa has contributed significantly to national growth. The Leopold Study, published by Iowa State University, found that Iowa local food sales have grown from $6.7 million in 2012 to $8.7 million in This shows that although a strong national trend exists, Iowa itself is a key contender in adopting local foods as a permanent way of life. Due to the large number of local food supporters, grocery retailers have changed the way they source food in efforts to meet consumer s expectations and demands. For example, big-box stores, such as Walmart, implemented an in-store program committing to source at least 9% of its grocery inventory from local producers by the end of The owner of Lucky s Market, Albertson s, and Jewel Osco have also made a similar commitment to its shoppers by shelving 25% - 44% of locally-grown foods. In fact, grocery retailers are quickly jumping on this movement after the 2014 National Grocer s Association published that 87% of consumers believe the availability of local food in a store greatly influences where they choose to shop (National Grocer s Association, 2014.) Similarly, consumers have shown an interest towards the organic food fad. Many grocery retailers have rearranged store layouts in order to create space to better serve the organic market. As a direct competitor to the local foods sector, organic food obtains 4% market share while local food only has 1-2%. Although acquiring a larger piece of the pie, sales growth for organic food is 3% less than that of local foods (A.T. Kearny 2012.) Therefore, local food has the potential to reach, or perhaps surpass, organic s percentage of market share. Lastly, research from the National Consumer Survey of 2014 found that more than two-thirds of consumers who buy locally grown foods, primarily do so in supermarkets and grocery stores (Packaged Facts National Consumer Survey, 2014). This facilitates a one-stop shop for consumers to purchase all goods on their grocery list rather than visiting a handful of farmer s markets to buy local foods. This research validates the collective decision to narrow our project scope to targeting shoppers at the retail level rather than other markets, as grocer s attract a majority of food purchasers and have the potential to make the largest impact on consumers shopping habits. 4

8 problems and opportunities After completing primary and secondary research on local foods both nationally and within Johnson County, our group has concluded that a buy local campaign, specific to Johnson County, is an effective solution to pursue. Before presenting the specific details as to how this campaign should be executed, it is important to identify why Johnson County is a sustainable location to implement this program and address some existing areas of weakness. OPPORTUNITIES Demographics When looking across the entire state of Iowa and the demographics of those who typically purchase local foods, we found that they closely correlate to the demographics of those who live within the Johnson County area. It is important to note that although a strong correlation is a positive sign, it does not mean that those who posses these traits, such as a high income and education level, will automatically buy local goods over other alternatives. Source: Agricultural Marketing Resource Center and U.S. Census Bureau 2013 There are many groups rooted with local values Within the Johnson County area alone there are multiple organizations such as Field to Family, Backyard Abundance, and Local Food Connection that are working to educate consumers on the benefits and value of eating locally. As a Johnson County community member, there are ample opportunities to learn about why it is important to buy local foods and how purchases can boost the local community. Demand for local foods is growing nationally We know that on a national level there has been an increase in the demand for local foods. With that number continuing to grow, the success of a campaign featured in Johnson County also increases. Source: USDA 2012 & Leopold Study PROBLEMS Seasonality The growing season for Iowa producers is restricted to a short five months of May September. Because of this, food items that consumers typically purchase locally are only offered during the summer season. Due to lack of availability, consumers may purchase certain items that are not considered local and continue making those purchases out of habit even during the growing season. Lack of existing data on local foods in Johnson County Prior to the distribution of our three Marketing Institute Surveys this spring, there was limited to no research collected on the sales of local foods within the Johnson County area. The most relevant data collected was published in the 2009 Leopold study that analyzed local foods across the entire state of Iowa. This made it difficult to gauge current local food sales in Johnson County and estimate future growth for once this program is implemented. Pricing misconception Based on data collected from our consumer survey, we found that consumers from the Johnson County area typically associate local foods as being more expensive. What we were actually able to find is that during the peak-growing season, it is 9% cheaper to purchase local foods than it would be to purchase non-local alternatives. During the off-season it is going to be more expensive to purchase local goods because they are not as readily available. According to the 2009 Leopold Study, it is 9.25% more expensive during the off-season, but more than 50% of Iowa consumers stated a willingness to spend 10% - 30% more on goods that are identified as local.

9 overall recommendation Based on both primary and secondary research findings, our team recommends that the Johnson County Local Food Organization creates a buy local campaign that is tailored to the retail Johnson County community in order to successfully increase shoppers purchase of locally grown foods. The buy local campaign must educate the benefits of purchasing local foods, utilize an authentic identification tool that allows consumers to easily identify the Johnson County local brand, and incentivize producers and retailers to partake by offering desirable benefits. key findings Key Finding #1: The Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown Campaign showcases the potential success of buy local initiatives. As the United States longest running buy local initiative, the Local Hero campaign was founded in 1999 with the mission to strengthen farms and engage the community to build the local food economy. Encompassing a small geographic scope, the Local Hero campaign is featured in three western Massachusetts counties: Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire. Since the launch of the campaign, small-scale success has encouraged 260 farms, 70 restaurants, 40 retailers, 20 institutions, and 17 specialty producers to enroll as licensed Local Hero Members! Through paid advertising, promotional outreach, and point-of-purchase signage, the campaign has successfully increased both the awareness and sales of locally grown foods in the three participating counties. The campaign s 2013 research report shows that while 82% of consumers recognized the Local Hero campaign, 65% reported that Local Hero advertising had influenced them to buy local foods over other alternatives. Implication As shown through the Local Hero market research, buy local campaigns have the potential to create strong brand recognition among communities and foster lasting commitments to choosing locally-sourced foods among other alternatives. Therefore, there is value in developing a Johnson County buy local campaign as means to establish an impactful community initiative. Source: buylocalfood.org 6

10 Key Finding #2: A majority of Johnson County consumers indicated a highlevel of responsiveness to a buy local campaign. Based on the data collected from our consumer survey, our team was able to confirm a strong community response towards the creation of a Johnson County buy local campaign. Exactly 90% of survey participants stated they would purchase more local foods if they were easily identified when grocery shopping. Unless locally-grown foods are distinctly marked with point-of-purchase signage, many consumers unknowingly forgo local purchases. In fact, if grocery retailers more prominently displayed locallygrown foods, consumers indicated they would spend up to 10% more within the local category. Furthermore, our team analyzed the current shopping habits of Johnson County consumers in order to determine the opportunity for local foods sales growth in the Johnson County community. As shown in Figure B, it is evident that consumers are purchasing locallygrown foods at a much lower rate than desired. Approximately 60% of consumers indicated they are only sometimes or rarely incorporating local foods into their grocery purchases rather than often or all the time. This suggests that there is tremendous room for sales growth, as more than half of our consumers, who indicated a strong receptiveness to a Johnson County buy local campaign, are not actively purchasing locally-grown foods when grocery shopping. Implication Due to the substantial amount of positive responses from Johnson County consumers, the JCLFO should pursue the creation of a buy local campaign that utilizes a pronounced branding tool to ensure all locally-sourced foods are easily identified. Our primary research confirmed that if such campaign were enacted, it would successfully stimulate an increase in purchases by encouraging consumers to fill a larger portion of their grocery baskets with locallygrown foods rather than national-brand alternatives. Source: MI Consumer Survey 2016, A.T. Kearney 2012, Mintel 2014 Key Finding #3: Johnson County consumers do not resonate with corporate buy local initiatives. Although buy local campaigns are a unique approach to encouraging local purchases, it is not an unfamiliar concept to Johnson County consumers. Many surrounding retailers, such as Hy-Vee and Lucky s Market, are employing customized, storeexclusive initiatives in efforts to better serve the market, attract locally conscious consumers, and establish a competitive advantage. When discussing existing initiatives among our focus group participants, we found that individual grocer s buy local campaigns do not serve as an effective stimulus to encouraging local-food purchases. The following quotes from two participants accurately summarize the group s overarching consensus towards store-exclusive initiatives. I like the idea of reinvesting into my rural community rather than a large corporation. - Jacob K. Hy-Vee is all over 3-4 states, making local a much bigger picture. Johnson County is close to home. - Anne W. Figure B: Frequency of Local Food Purchases 7 It is evident that Johnson County consumers are not attracted to retailer s commercialized initiatives due to their far-stretching local scope and the lack

11 of assurance that funds are reaching the producer s pocket. Implication Although many grocery retailers have developed their own local campaigns, Johnson County consumers signified a high preference for a close to home, community-tailored brand. A Johnson County buy local campaign is both a favorable and effective solution to increasing local food purchases, as it will create a sustainable competitive advantage among retailer s individual initiatives. Source: MI Focus Group 2016 Key Finding #4: The most advantageous target market to pursue are the older millennial consumers in Johnson County. In order to most efficiently increase the amount of Johnson County Area local food purchased, a target market must be identified. The target market is a means to locate a specific demographic and psychographic subset. This way more resources can be directed to the best group to ensure the largest increase of locally sourced food purchases. Note, that this is not the only group of focus, but is crucial when developing a marketing plan. The target market most advantageous for the JCLFO to focus on is: The primary shopper of the household who values a healthy lifestyle Are between the ages of Have some type of secondary education Often shop at supermarkets and grocery store retailers A 2015 USDA study has concluded that those who are conscious about their consumption habits are often much more inclined to purchase local foods. Additionally, those who are the primary shopper and often times are feeding others, will be much more inclined to realize the health benefits of local foods. This is an important consideration when evaluating shopper psychographics. Age is an essential demographic to explore, as differing ages and generation gaps often have separate consumption patterns. The 2014 Packaged Facts National Consumer Survey conducted a study on age and the frequency of local food purchases. The results concluded 13% of total consumers purchase local foods less than once a month, 9% purchase once a month, and 23% purchase a few times a month. These respondents are necessary to review, as they are the segment of the population that is not currently purchasing local foods at a desired level. Of these respondents a breakdown of age can be made to determine which age group can be best influenced to purchase more locally sourced food. The breakdown is as follows: As this survey has demonstrated, the age group of years old is the ideal target market to pursue, in order to nationally increase the purchase of locally sourced foods. A comparison to the Johnson County Census can ensure that the data from the provided secondary source will fit within the regional scope of the project. Roughly 35% of Johnson County is between the ages of 18 and 34 and the county has a median age of The makeup of Johnson County provides for the ideal area full of young consumers that can be influenced to increase local food purchases. Although is the best national age range of focus, for the purposes of this project it is recommended to only include age The University of Iowa boasts a large part of the year old population and has been removed due to the age group s sporadic shopping habits, and tendency to live in the county for four years and move away. 8

12 The 2015 USDA study on consumer demographics effects on local food purchases found that those with some form of secondary education are almost as much twice as likely to purchase locally sourced foods. The 2010 Census found that 61.4% of Johnson County residents have a Bachelor s Degree or higher. This finding demonstrates that Johnson County is a highly educated county and may be more prompted to purchase locally sourced foods, if marketed to correctly. Since a majority of the conclusions drawn about the target market are from national data, our survey respondents were evaluated based on their demographic breakdown. In the chosen target market 54% indicated they are sometimes or rarely local food shoppers. This means that the listed target market in Johnson County is not purchasing local foods at a desired frequency. Of that group 70% of the survey respondents in the target market answered that they showed an interest in learning more about local foods and their benefits. Lastly, 93% of the target market would be more inclined to buy local foods if easier identified. Both nationally and regionally the target market shows a strong interest in learning more about local foods and willingness to change their shopping habits. Implication The primary shopper of the household between the ages of will be the most receptive group to a buy local campaign, and has a strong presence when looking at the overall population of Johnson County. Therefore, it is in the JCLFO s best interest to first pursue this target market in order to maximize success. Key Finding #5: Local food standards are needed in order to gain consumers trust of a Johnson County buy local campaign. In order for a Johnson County buy local campaign to be successful, it is imperative that both retailers and producers meet particular qualifications and standards in order to participate. This is critical in order to gain consumers trust of the Johnson County brand, otherwise consumers may be skeptical of what this 9 brand represents and choose to purchase reliable alternatives. Through both primary and secondary research findings on successful buy local campaigns, our team has developed a list of standards that are tailored to the Johnson County community. Implication Recommended standards for a Johnson County Local Food Certification Program include: 1. Farms must be located in the Greater Johnson County area. For this campaign we have chosen to identify local as a 50-mile radius. All branding efforts will be featured within Johnson County alone, but producers within 50 miles of Johnson County (the eight surrounding counties that touch it) will be able to identify themselves as local to Johnson County and use the promotional materials that are provided once they become a licensed partner. As a team we determined that a 50-mile radius would be the most successful geographic scope to launch a buy local campaign. According to the National Consumer Survey from 2014, 75% of consumers identified local as a mile radius. By having the campaign identify local as a 50-mile radius, it is within the region that consumers identify as local and also leaves room for the region to grow and still be within that range once this campaign has proven small-scale success. 2. Farms that choose to be apart of this program must be a family farm. The family must hold financial responsibility, take the risks, and provide the majority of the management decisions for the farm. 3. Farmers must be selling produce that was raised on their own farms. 4. Companies must be producing and selling goods that are made with more than 50% locally grown ingredients. 5. Businesses (groceries, restaurants, etc.) that have made a commitment to source and identify local foods may become a Johnson County Local Foods business partner. 6. After initial certification, all farms and businesses must renew (update) their certification annually by updating a Local Food Guide listing, sending in a signed certification form, or speaking with a Johnson County Local Food Organization staff member.

13 Recommended logo usage standards: Produce products: To be marketed as Johnson County Local, fruit and vegetable products must be grown on a certified Johnson County Local farm. Meat products: To be marketed as Johnson County Local, the animal must have spent 75% of its life after weaning on a certified Johnson County Local farm. Nursery plants and trees: To be marketed as Johnson County Local, plants and trees (at the point of sale) must have spent at least 75% of life beyond propagation or at least 1 year on a certified Johnson County Local farm. Processed farm products: Food processing is any deliberate change in a food product that occurs before it s available for us to eat. It can be as simple as chopping or drying to adding value by processing into jams and sauces. To market processed farm products as Johnson County Local you must comply with all of the following restrictions: Total product by weight excluding water, flour, sugar, oil, salt must be 75% local ingredients from certified Johnson County Local farms. Total product by weight including all ingredients must be 40% local ingredients from certified Johnson County Local farms. No single product ingredient can come from a mixture of local and non-local sources. For example, a jar of salsa cannot use a combination of Johnson County Local tomatoes and tomatoes from a non-local source. Freshly prepared foods: Foods that are freshly prepared are those foods identified on a menu or otherwise displayed or served ready to eat. The Johnson County Local logo should be used to showcase dishes that feature ingredients from Johnson County Local farms and not dishes with token amounts of locally grown ingredients. To market freshly prepared foods as Johnson County Local you must comply with the following restrictions: 40% or more of the content of menu or deli items by volume must be from a Johnson County Local certified farm. Any ingredients included in the name of the dish must be from a Johnson County Local certified farm. Source: appalachian-grown-marketing-guide.pdf Key Finding #6: The Johnson County Local Food Organization must provide producers and retailers with specified incentives in order to secure their participation in a buy local campaign. There are two key parties, producers and retailers, that must be involved with this campaign in order to operate seamlessly and produce successful results. Through our survey that was sent out to Johnson County farmers and our informal interview with Johnson County retailers, we have identified key components that must be included to secure participation from both parties. Producers: In our survey that was sent to producers within the Johnson County area we asked, if there was a buy local program implemented in Johnson County allowing you to certify and market your goods as local to Johnson County, would you participate? An overwhelming 83% of producers, as shown in Figure C, indicated their interest in participating. Additionally, we asked for producers to identify the key components that must be included for them to participate. The top three responses are stated below: Low cost to participate Successfully encourages consumers to purchase local foods Ability to utilize program marketing and packaging materials (logos, stickers, signage, etc.) 83% 17% Figure C: Producer s likelihood of participating in a Johnson County buy local campaign Implication A majority of farmers within our defined region have expressed interest in participating in a buy local program, as long as the three indicated benefits are offered. 10 Yes No

14 Retailers: For this campaign, retailers will be responsible for displaying provided marketing materials and making it clear which goods are part of the Johnson County buy local campaign. Our team conducted informal interviews with store managers and marketing coordinators in surrounding grocery retailers to best determine their likelihood of participating in a Johnson County buy local campaign. What we found is that small-scale retailers indicated interest in the program, but many of the larger retailers indicated that their participation would be contingent on small-scale success. Additionally, we asked for retailers to identify the key components that must be included for them to participate. The top three responses are stated below Easy to implement, with all materials provided (in-store signage and handouts) The Johnson County Local Food Organization is conduit for all PR efforts Provide feedback to county board/establish connections with local farmers Aldi Lucky s Market Bread Garden Fareway John s Grocery New Pioneer Co-op (Iowa City) Hyvee (Waterfront) Hyvee (Coralville) New Pioneer Co-op (Coralville) Key Finding #7: Johnson County consumers must be educated on the value of purchasing local foods in order to stimulate sales. After analyzing our consumer survey, our team was able to pinpoint five factors that discourage consumers from purchasing local foods. As shown in Figure E, our research shows that the number one reason consumers defer from making local food purchases is due to price. This is a result of our consumers perception that because local foods are marketed as fresher and higher quality, they are also always higher priced. The second reason for fewer local food purchases is because consumers cannot easily identify which goods are locally-sourced among other alternatives. If consumers are unable to effortlessly decipher which offerings are local versus non-local, they will not spend time searching the store and therefore will not make local purchases. The final three discouraging factors include: lack of convenience, inconsistent quality, and other reasons not stated. Very Interested Interested in learning more Figure D: Retailer s level of interest in participating in a Johnson County buy local campaign Implication The Johnson County Local Food Organization must initiate their marketing materials in small-scale retailers. Larger retailers indicated a willingness to participate after some small-scale success, as long as the three key benefits are in place. Figure E: Factors discouraging local food purchases Furthermore, our team was able to determine the encouraging factors that motivate consumers to purchase local foods over other alternatives. As shown in Figure F, the top two reasons consumers purchase local foods are due to freshness and higher quality. Because local foods tend to travel fewer miles to the point-of-purchase, consumers believe that shorter transit time allows for quicker turnover from farm to consumer. The third reason that motivates consumers to purchase local foods is because it supports the local producers. By purchasing locally-sourced foods, 11

15 consumers are confident that their money reaches the producers pocket, rather than investing into large corporations by making national-brand purchases. The final three reasons for purchasing local foods include: supporting the local economy, better pricing, and other reasons not stated. Figure F: Factors encouraging local food purchases Implication In order to secure local food purchases, Johnson County must address the discouraging factors through educational materials and capitalize on the encouraging factors through promotions. Specifically, we recommend that the Johnson County Local Food Organization educates consumers about the benefits of purchasing local foods in regards to the positive environmental and economic impact. It is important that consumers know why they are spending slightly more for locally-sourced foods rather than conventional alternatives. For example, you should inform consumers that local foods are in fact 9% cheaper than other alternatives during the growing seasons, as previously stated in the Problem and Opportunities section of this report. This information would be beneficial to publicize through educational materials in order to directly address consumer s pricing misconceptions. Furthermore, the creation of a Buy Local campaign will successfully solve consumers inability to easily identify locally grown foods among other alternatives. Finally, we recommend that you continue to capitalize on the top three factors that motivate local food purchases (freshness, better quality, and support local farmers) in advertising efforts to leverage local food purchases and strengthen consumers perception. Source: MI Consumers Survey 2016 Key Finding #8: Johnson County consumers stressed the importance of identifiable branding and local food education in grocery retailers. There are two important key components of the campaign execution, which include the identifiable branding and local food education. First, consumers must be able to easily identify the Johnson County local food branding when grocery shopping. The branding campaign must be clearly presented and the value of local foods must be communicated to consumers. The most effective method to increase brand awareness of the Johnson County local brand will be featured in retailers - point of purchases and signage (i.e. by the cash register, or food tasting, etc.). Delivering educational information while promoting the brand to consumers will catch their attention while our target market has a high interest in learning. Secondly, based on our survey, as shown in Figure G, our target market indicated that they prefer communication vehicles such as social media, in-store signage and posters, and an easy to locate website, in order to best deliver educational content about the campaign. Figure G: Communication tools to deliver education and information to target consumers Implication With this, we have concluded that in order to effectively reach our target market, the Johnson County Local Food Organization must utilize the top three communication tools as listed above. More importantly, we want to emphasize the importance of having all information available in one place, from one source or organization. Source: MI Consumers Survey

16 Key Finding #9: Johnson County consumers prefer a clean and authentic branding insignia. dimensions, therefore it could not easily be adjusted for a variety of purposes. Following the results of our consumer survey, our team was able to determine key factors that encouraged consumers to purchase local foods, but needed to pinpoint how this could translate into the campaign s branding look and feel. Therefore, we utilized the V2 feedback from our focus group participants to design mock-ups that illustrated their visual interpretations of local food. grown Logo Ideas June 2, 2015 We began by first asking our focus group participants for words that they associate with JC009 local foods. As shown in Figure H, some of those words included community-oriented, authentic, noncommercial, Johnson County, etc. These keywords served as inspiration for the language and design to be used in our final mock-up designs.jc007 Additionally, our focus group participants provided insight on incorporating the words grown and made in the final mock-up designs. Participants stated the word local clearly indicates that goods were either locally grown or made, therefore having two separate labels are unnecessary. (B) GROWEN HER Ideas V2 Logo June 2, 2015 (A) POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS (C) G MHAREDREE O WmNadeM Regionally A D me ade JC009A Figure I: Existing samples of Johnson County Local Food logos JC007A Figure H: How Johnson County consumers interpret the word local As part of our primary research, we were asked to test existing logos that were previously designed by Creative Mellen. A majority of our focus group participants favored the first logo, as shown in Figure I (A), because it best illustrated their desired authentic and gritty look. However, this particular logo was hard to read when presented in smaller 13 Based on our extensive research, Implication we were able to determine three necessary criterion for the branding of the Johnson County buy local campaign. GROWN MA DE It must have a recognizable shape/theme that resonates with local Iowans. It must be clean and simple, while maintaining an authentic look. It must be versatile and easily adjusted to fit a variety of packaging/promotional materials. Source: MI Consumers Focus Group 2016

17 Key Finding #10: Measurement tactics must be employed in order to gauge the success of the Johnson County buy local campaign. Prior to the start of this project, a minimal amount of research had been conducted on the prevalence and growth of local foods in Johnson County. The Leopold Study, conducted by Iowa State University, was the only published report that briefly touched on Johnson County s market for local foods. The bulk of the Leopold Study was fixated on communicating the key findings found from the aggregated data collected among eight Iowa counties, rather than solely Johnson County. For this reason, our team struggled to find any historical sales data of local foods to utilize as a benchmark for measuring the success of the Johnson County buy local campaign. Implication The Johnson County Local Food Organization must begin to document annual fluctuations in sales growth and consumers attitudes towards local foods. This is imperative to the success of the campaign because it will allow the JCLFO to measure an increase or decrease in local food sales and determine if annual goals are achieved. Our team recommends that the JCLFO collects both qualitative and quantitative data. Two recommended approaches include: Quantitative Tactic Measure the campaign s licensed retailer partners scanned sales data of SKU s that are classified as Johnson County local. Based on this collected data, the JCLFO will be able to efficiently analyze sales data and determine if annual goals are achieved. Most importantly, this data can be used as a benchmark for subsequent years. Qualitative Tactic Redistribute the JCFPC & Marketing Institute Understanding the Local Food Movement Survey via the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce each year. This will allow the JCLFO to track changes in consumers perceptions and attitudes towards purchasing local foods. Based on this collected data, the JCLFO will be able to alter marketing messages, educational materials, etc. to best address fluctuating attitudes and ensure they are effectively marketing to Johnson County consumers. 14

18 branding and mock-ups Designed by Emii Le emii-le.com 15

19 BUY WHY LOCAL? aa Better for ENVIRONMENT A 10% shift of the produce to local use from one state s farms would save 310,000 gallons of fuel on an annual basis, and would also reduce CO2 by a 7.3 million lbs. Better for ECONOMY Throughout the United States, only about 33.6% of the revenue from large national producers is reinvested into the community, Better QUALITY Local foods usually arrive at the supermarket or restaurant within 24 to 48 hours after harvest, so they retain most of their nutritional value and do not require gasses to keep them fresh. For more information, please visit: JohnsonCountyLocal.com 䜀刀伀䌀䔀刀夀 䰀䤀匀吀 which is very low compared to the return from local farmers. 64.8% The above campaign materials are mock-up designs, they are not finalized for execution. These were created solely for the purpose of communicating ideas for point-of-purchase signage, educational materials, etc. The final content and materials should be prepared by the Johnson County Local Food Organization. 16

20 additional findings The Success of the Appalachian Grown: Certified Local Campaign Built upon 15 years of love for local food and hard work, the Appalachian Grown: Certified Local campaign has been a success from the start! The program encompasses the Southern Appalachian region, touching communities in Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas. With more than 700 participating producers and 400 businesses, the program thrives on the mission to expand local markets for area farmers and provide a way for the public to easily identify products from local farms. The recognizable brand image proved to be a successful tool, as local-food sales grew 300% from 2007 to When purchasing an Appalachian Grown: Certified Local product, consumers can guarantee a fresher, higher quality, close-to-home good. Through store promotions, a local food guide, and farm tours, consumers can connect to their producer, learn about seasonality, and build trust towards the Appalachian Grown: Certified Local brand. To ensure that consumers can trust the brand in perpetuity, the Appalachian Grown: Certified Local logo is trademarked. All participating retailers, producers, and businesses must comply with and uphold the standards that define the Appalachian Grown brand. Source: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project 2010 Farmer s Market Upon visiting and interviewing with many farmers at the local Iowa City Farmer s Market, we saw that there was little producer interest in a county wide Marketing Campaign specifically at the Farmer s Market. Many of those at the market relied on personal relationships or their own marketing tactics to sell their food/products. Although little interest was expressed at the farmer s market, many indicated a need to be assisted with marketing at the retail level. This led us to believe that most farmers would prefer a county wide marketing campaign at the retail level. Source: Johnson County Farmer s Market Informal Interviews

21 contacts Jan Nichols Hy Vee Store Director 310 North 1st Avenue, Iowa City Phone: Nancy Quellhorst Iowa City Chamber of Commerce 325 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA Phone: Nate Kaeding Iowa City Downtown District Phone: Project contributors: Allison Johnson Phone: Emii Le Phone: Jake Krischel Phone: Katie Znerold Phone: Peggy Stover Marketing Institute Director Phone:

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