Why Veggie Growers Should Get to Know Their Customers Better
October 18, 2024 Thank you, Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur magazine, for his post that was the first in my LinkedIn feed this morning (Sept. 13, 2024)! Discussing Samsung’s reaction when Apple opened its first store in Malaysia — they bought up every square inch of possible ad space surrounding the Apple Store and filled it with Samsung advertising — he made this observation:
“The strongest brands know that nothing is taken for granted, and no advantage lasts forever. If you don’t chase your customer, someone else will.”
What Do You Know?
Do you know your customers well enough to be able to ‘chase’ them?
A quick scan of Carol Miller’s American Vegetable Grower July 2024 editorial made me wish I had seen it a couple of years ago when I was trying to answer why many produce trade publications spend more time on retail marketing practices and seemingly ignore the marketing needs of wholesale growers.
In her ‘Oh, One More Thing…’ column, there were a couple of bonus tables summarizing responses to the American Vegetable GrowerSM State of the Vegetable Industry survey questions that didn’t fit in the rest of the articles that followed.
And there it was, standing out in the numbers like a sore thumb. Of the 557 grower and grower/packer respondents, 76% answered ‘Which Customers Do You Serve?’ by choosing ‘Direct to Consumer.’
The next highest response was less than half of that — ‘Supermarkets’ — at 32%.
When asked about the numbers, Carol responded, “Technically, it reflects those taking the survey. However, it echoes similar numbers to our subscribers and to growers nationally. Generally speaking, most farms are smaller farms, and most small farms are farm marketers.”
After more analysis of the survey responses to compare business activity and size of the farms to their marketing outlets, it was just as obvious.
Those identifying as grower/packers tended toward wholesale markets, while non-packer growers rely more on retailing options. Likewise, smaller farms (<500 acres) account for 70% to 90% of those selling retail, whereas those >500 acres accounted for 70% to 80% of the wholesale options.
It’s interesting that the one exception was selling to supermarkets. That was split nearly evenly among each of the farm size categories.
That said, if a trade publication is going to serve its customers and knows three quarters of them are direct marketers, then it makes sense to spend a lot of space on direct marketing articles. However, with a third of those answering the survey that they also sell to supermarkets, wholesale marketing cannot be ignored.
Marketing Advice for Wholesale Growers
For wholesale growers and grower/shippers, it’s likely you have a relatively low number of buyers. Getting to know them is about building relationships with them so you can pick up the phone or send a quick text or email message, and they’ll respond at the other end.
They know you, what you’re able to supply, and they trust that your call is important. Cultivate those relationships in the offseason by attending meetings or trade shows to discuss their needs for the upcoming year. Or invite them to an event at your place to show off your facilities and operation to let them see first-hand what you do for them.
If those types of gatherings are too formal, don’t limit your time with buyers to just business events, either. A social outing might open them up for more feedback than they might share at a trade show and can provide valuable information for your planning.
Retail marketers can do the same with a select group of key customers. However, likely having a much larger consumer base, speaking directly with every one of them will be difficult. Feedback can be gathered with suggestion boxes (with blank cards or short questionnaires), mailed or emailed surveys, or even focus groups. Gatherings like on-farm dinners can provide opportunities to gain insights more directly.
Knowing your customers, who they are, what they want/need, is key to successful marketing, no matter what outlet you are serving.
And to paraphrase that line of Carol’s, “Oh, One (or Two) More Thing(s)…”
Whether wholesaling or retailing, here are a couple of items you should be sharing with your customers:
- The USDA Economic Research Service publishes Amber Waves. Their Sept. 9, 2024 article is titled “Satisfying Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations Possible for Under $3 a Day, Data Analysis Shows.” The next time someone complains about the price of fresh produce, give them this link: https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2024/september/satisfying-fruit-and-vegetable-recommendations-possible-for-under-3-a-day-data-analysis-shows/
- And here’s a new poster from the International Fresh Produce Association and The Foundation for Fresh Produce that will help pediatricians, teachers, and frustrated parents communicate to children about fresh produce in a language they understand: check ‘How to Talk About Fruits and Veggies’ at https://kidseatincolor.com/
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