‘Local’ labels score big with consumers

  by Pan Demetrakakes Executive Editor

  Labels with “local” cues are becoming an important point of distinction for food packaging, and it’s a strategy that is within reach of even big national processors, according to a new report from the Hartman Group.

The report, Consumer Understanding of Buying Local, named several factors that are driving consumers to look for more locally produced food. These include scandals about tainted food that originated from China or other foreign countries; the belief that the less distance food travels to get to the store, the fresher it is; the belief that local food is less likely to include pesticides, preservatives or other components that consumers view negatively; and a sense of regional or civic pride in supporting local farmers and processors.

The Hartman report stated that 77% of consumers at least sometimes bought food that they perceived to be local. It also stated that the definition of “local” was somewhat elastic, with various consumers construing it to mean anything from “within 100 miles” to “somewhere in the United States.”

The report suggested that using local cues on labeling is a strategy available to even the biggest food processors.

“There are many ways for a national name brand to be ‘local’ by, for instance, having limited edition and/or seasonal products,” the report says. “Another way could be a nutrition bar with an ingredient that is grown in a certain area that gives it better taste perceptions.”

An example of using national pride to build a brand comes from the United Kingdom. Manor Born sausages, started by a farm couple in Yorkshire, has undergone several packaging changes since its launch about seven years ago. In the latest tweak, the company began putting the Union Jack on the package, to emphasize the product’s British origin.

“We could have used a British quality meat mark, we could have used a red tractor, we could have used a lot of things, but at this moment in time I think the flag is the clearest,” co-owner Debbie Keeble told the UK’s Packaging News magazine.

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NEW PACKAGES

Stove Top in individual cups
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Counting calories for dogs
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