Growing Your Brand

THE LOCAL FOODS MOVEMENT

Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it is produced.

This local foods movement provides a wonderful opportunity for producers to connect on a personal level with consumers. It is an opportunity to create, maintain, and support profitable, sustainable, and affordable food production and distribution schemes with the ultimate outcome of healthier diets and healthier people.

The local foods movement encompasses farmers, food processors and distributors, community gardens, farmers’ markets, community volunteers, economic development, food security, and better nutrition for children and adults—all areas in which Extension has deep expertise, dedicated and skilled professionals, and decades of documented success.

PART 1 UNDERSTANDING YOUR BUSINESS

• Module 1 Mission and Vision
• Module 2 Determining Your Competitive Advantage
• Module 3 Developing Strategic Goals

PART 2 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET

• Module 1 Market Segments
• Module 2 Evaluating the Market
• Module 3 Brand Identification

PART 3 DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN

• Module 1 How to Create a Marketing Plan
• Module 2 Marketing Strategies
• Module 3 Targeted Technology Marketing
• Module 4 Relationship Marketing
• Module 5 Developing Marketing Goals

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

• Growing Your Brand: Marketing Tools for Mississippi Agritourism and Local Foods (PDF)
• Growing Your Brand: Developing a Marketing Plan Workbook (Publication)
• Virtual Tourism – Zac Ashmore
• Using Tourism Trend Sites – Jamie Varner (PDF)
• Mississippi Agritourism Branding – Ben Muldrow (Youtube)
• Social Media Is Free and Other Myths – Karen Stanley (Word)
• Mississippi Farm to School Network (Vimeo)