Jan 2004 EDITION
Guides of Good Practice
Direct Marketing
The Federation of Cumbria Commoners aims:
1. To be a representative voice to support and protect the
commons
2. To support better collaboration amongst commoners
3. To ensure that hill farming on common land is a worthwhile
and viable activity
4. To promote positive management of the environment by
commoners
5. To improve public understanding of the commons
6. To these ends, to engage with all interested parties to put
forward the case of the commoners in a vigorous and
constructive manner.
The Federation is preparing a series of 'Guides of Good Practice',
which are intended to help commoners to deal with selected key
issues. The Guides aim to share experience from different commons
and to help commoners understand how others approach key issues.
There are Guides covering the following issues:
Stock Management
Vegetation Management
Planning
Agrienvironment Schemes
Direct Marketing
Commercial Marketing
Animal Health Management
Organising Commoners Associations
All Guides have a short summary version. Most Guides also have a
variety of supporting information.
The Guides are being continuously updated as further information is
gathered. In particular, the Federation is interested in writing up
examples from commons around the county. If you have any
comments or suggestions, please contact the Federation at
Applegarth, Middleton, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria LA6 2LX. Or visit
the website (www.cumbriacommoners.org.uk).
2
CUMBRIA FEDERATION OF COMONERS
GUIDES OF GOOD PRACTICE
MAXIMISING MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES
SUMMARY
There is a growing trend for direct marketing of lamb to consumers. This can be exploited by
farmers with common land, both in selling meat and breeding animals. Although there are some
disadvantages with carcass quality from hill breeds, these can be offset by stressing a brand
message based on taste, grazing quality, health and welfare and environmental benefits, on which
some customers place a high value.
Maximising marketing opportunities depends on having a strong desire, being prepared to
compromise, and making sure the whole exercise is planned and managed with the customer in
mind.
Few marketing schemes yet exist where farmers work together, but farms that share grazing on
common land do have a good opportunity to cooperate in marketing.
A marketing plan should be an evolving process, with a product or service being refined as more
information is obtained about the marketplace. A plan should cover: objectives, product definition,
market research, target market and marketing mix, implementation and monitoring/evaluation.
SETTING OBJECTIVES: This aspect can be very difficult and its importance overlooked. All
parties must agree and it is a good idea to write them out. Involving an outside party is sensible.
They can ask difficult questions that others may not be able to. Make sure everything is discussed
in the open that is relevant.
DEFINING THE PRODUCT OFFER: Include the obvious, quantity, supply through the year,
quality etc. It should consider the product attributes that help to distinguish your product from
others, provided these elements are of value to the target customers e.g. heather reared.
GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE MARKET PLACE: This aspect is usually
perceived to be the most difficult, but it is very enjoyable, given a few guiding principles – a bit like
being a private investigator! The principles are, start broad and then look more gradually at
specifics.
First look for existing reports that give a picture of overall trends, possibly UK wide, then for the
North West and possibly then Cumbria. Places to look are listed, but best ones are trade
associations – MLC, breed societies, libraries, and Cumbria Farm Link, who can put you in touch
with others.
Second, there is usually a need to do some specific research as it relates to your own proposal. The
principle is to do this in a logical, thorough way, being most careful not to put any bias into the
results. Be clear and take time to write out, what information is essential to know and concentrate
on getting that. Do not complicate matters with getting too many answers to things that would be
nice to know. Take time to pre-plan any questions.
Where interviews are made, write down the responses straight away. Some people will tape the
interview to make sure nothing is missed, but this is not always practical. The main Guide gives
guidelines on the different methods of gathering market information and when to use them.
3
DECIDE THE TARGET MARKET AND MARKETING MIX: This section must follow the
research phase and be based on it and not be decided in advance. There are far too many cases of
failures resulting from people making their mind up what they are going to do without finding out
about the market place and acting on the information received, even if this means the original ideas
have to be scrapped or modified. Outside advice at this stage can be worthwhile.
This section includes deciding exactly who the target customers for the product will be, what
product you intend to sell, at what price, how it will be promoted and how distributed/where located
Within the consideration of promotion, special mention is needed about Branding. Brands can be
very powerful sales tools. Good examples are Coca Cola, Nike, Evian, Wensleydale Creamery etc.
Done successfully they create loyalty by the customer, even when prices may be higher than the
competition. Creating a brand is about identifying the tangible and intangible attributes that your
product has as advantages over the competition and then promoting these to the target customers
(who must value them). Examples of tangible attributes may be the taste is strong and distinctive,
or the breed has exceptionally good mothering abilities. Examples of intangible attributes may be
that buying direct from the farmer makes people feel good about their “green” credentials, or
choosing a traditional breed from a well established farmer, engenders feelings of safety, security
etc. Professional help is often worthwhile.
Good branding will increase sales considerably and is a missed opportunity if avoided.
IMPLEMNTATION AND EVALUATION: Many problems to overcome here but made much
easier, if the preceding elements are done well. One of the most difficult elements can be managing
production to meet market demand, especially for meat. Options to overcome this include lambing
over a longer period, invest in extra housing, working with groups of farmers in different locations,
with different soils and climates, freezing carcasses. Quality must be carefully controlled and
consistent. Staff management and keeping track of slow payers are two important elements that can
easily be overlooked. Constant monitoring is important because markets constantly change. This
must include customer satisfaction, just as much as production processes.
WORKING WITH GROUPS: The main difference from the individual situation is the absolute
essential to spend more time on making sure communications work well between all group
members, that all members have an equal say about group policy decisions, with everything
discussed in the open. Establishing an agreed set of rules early on, is worthwhile. Formal help in
the formation stages is an advantage.
4
CUMBRIA FEDERATION OF COMMONERS GUIDES OF GOOD PRACTICE
Maximising Marketing Opportunities
1. Introduction
This Guide has been designed as an "aide memoir" for farmers looking to market produce direct to a customer. Most of the examples
used relate to produce from hill farms, with particular emphasis on marketing lamb, however the principles apply to any product
being sold. There are new opportunities to market lamb from farmers with common land, both in selling meat and breeding animals.
Maximising marketing opportunities depends on:

having a strong desire to find new ways of selling lamb

being prepared to compromise and share duties and responsibilities, for joint projects

making sure the whole exercise is planned and managed with the customer in mind
The rest of the Guide highlights some of the opportunities available and suggests a way of planning the marketing activity, to
maximise the chances of success.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Opportunities for Direct Marketing of Lamb from Hill Farms
There are increasing amounts of lamb being sold direct to the consumer as more people place a greater importance on taste and health
in their diets and less emphasis on price. This trend appears to show no signs of reducing, particularly with the increasing emphasis
placed on these issues through the media and government. Evidence for this assertion is shown in some extracts from relevant
research at appendix 1.
These trends provide opportunities to the
Cumbrian farmer to directly market meat
and although the proportion of the
population to whom this applies is
relatively small, it is significant and
rising. Providing a service that offers
convenience to the consumer is a critical
element in maximising this opportunity.
Carcass quality from some hill lambs is
poor, where the area of eye muscle is
low and/or the amount of fat is high,
compared with what consumers are used
to buying in the supermarket. Some
farmers have attempted to reduce these
problems by different breeding policies
and subsequent feeding regimes as well
as educating the buyers to place more
value on taste and health; attributes
which their hill lambs can compete with
effectively, linked to environmental
quality.
Example:
Salt Marsh Lamb, Holker Estate,
Cark in Cartmel. 015395 58313
www.foodsofexcellence.co.uk
This is a good example locally where
the estate is branding lamb
environmentally, with a distinctive
taste, because of the characteristics of
the grazing in the Morecambe Bay
area. They also promote the fact that
lambs grazing on the marshes make a
positive contribution to the marshland
ecosystem – a principle that could
equally well apply to many commons
in the county. The estate is working
with a group of local farmers and a
local butcher to meet demand.
Several schemes exist where individual
farmers sell direct to the consumer but
few where farmers work together.
Farms that share grazing on common
land do have a good opportunity to
produce and promote lambs direct with
product attributes that match the needs
of the more discerning consumers.
There are strong branding messages that
can add value to geographically based
brands, including some of the following:




Example:
South West Quality Meats. www.swqualitymeat.co.uk
Essentially a brand, promoting quality in terms of taste, consistency and traceability.
It implies that the climate in the southwest is ideally suited to producing the best beef
and lamb and links the promotion to rolling hills and fresh green countryside. No
details are available about how they work with farmers.
Examples:
Andrew Sharp (Farmer Sharp) www.farmersharp.co.uk
Mr E Taylforth, Millbeck Farm, Langdale. 01539 437364
Agnus Farm Meats, Calthwaite. 01768 885384
www.countryfarms.co.uk
lambs that are reared
naturally, with minimal
fertiliser
lambs grazing on herb-rich
mountains, providing
healthy meat [sites of special
scientific interest]
slowly maturing, superior
taste
purchases all go towards
helping to sustain long
established farm families in
the hills and internationally
important landscapes/
wildlife habitats etc.
Examples of individual farmers selling direct:
All these examples buy lamb direct from farmers (mainly
herdwick) and sell direct, with very little attempt to change
production significantly. Emphasis in the promotion on taste,
traditional native breeds etc.
5
Mr & Mrs Relph, Yew Tree Farm, Borrowdale. 017687
77675 www.yew-tree-farm.co.uk
Mr & Mrs Buckle, Buckles Farm, Barras, Kirkby Stephen.
017683 41394
www.bucklesfarm.co.uk
Mr & Mrs Hadwin, Mansergh Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale.
015242 71397
www.manserghhall.co.uk
Mr Kelly, Nether Hall Farm, Kirkby Lonsdale.
www.rearednaturally.co.uk
Mr & Mrs Pigg, Linewath, Hesket Newmarket (Carrock Fell
Meats). 017684 84272
Mr & Mrs Lambert, from Kit Ridding Farm Shop, supplying
Windy Hill Lamb. 015395 67484
3. The Marketing Plan
This should be an evolving process, with a
product or service being refined as more
information is obtained about the
marketplace. Summary:
Define objectives e.g. sell meat direct to
increase overall profitability
Decide on the area of market to target, the
marketing mix and review/revise the
original concept if necessary
Define the product offer e.g. lambs in a box
Implement the plan
Gather information about the customer (what
the customer wants and values) and the
marketplace
Monitor progress and revise the marketing
mix as necessary
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Setting Objectives
This element is often overlooked or its’
importance minimised however, many new
projects fail, particularly when working in
groups, as a direct result of insufficient
time being allocated to this task.
Firstly it is important to be clear about why
you want to have a direct marketing
campaign. This must be discussed openly
with all relevant people. These people may
include family members, business partners
and/or group members. Each person must
have an equal input and consensus reached.
Checklist in Setting Objectives


Involve all relevant people.
Find out what is most important
i.e. what are the core reasons.

Write the objectives down so they
are:
 specific
 can be measured
 achievable
 realistic
 are to be achieved within a
specific timescale

Try and find an overall sentence
that summarises the reason for the
whole process (the aim of the
project).
Review the objectives after the initial
planning stage and periodically thereafter
(not longer than 12 monthly intervals).
5. Defining the Product Offer
In any direct marketing campaign an early
step is to define the product and what
particular attributes it has that are
important to the customer, which will give
you an advantage over the competition.
These attributes will form the basis of
future promotional campaigns and may
need to be changed in the light of any
market research.
Example, Locally bred and reared heather
fed lamb delivered straight from the farm
of birth to your freezer.
Examples:

Freedom Food standards.

Scrapie resistant.

Fresh.

well known geographic location.

High Health status.

Estimated Breeding Values
available.
Checklist to Define the Product
Offer




What is the total quantity on
offer.
What is the pattern of supply
throughout the year.
Objectively assess the quality on
offer.
Define the other product
attributes important to the
customer. Aspects to consider for
meat:
 cheap
 superior taste (traditional
breed, slowly matured, herb
rich pastures, extra curing
time etc)
 healthy (no antibiotics, BSE
free, organic etc).
 consistent, continuous
supply
Aspects to consider for breeding
animals:
 good conformation
 Health Status
 good breeding values
 good colour
6. Gathering Information
about the Marketplace
This stage is all about learning as much
as is necessary, or building up a picture
about the market in order to allow a
decision to be taken about whether or
how to proceed.
Trends
Usually the first step, to find out
whether and by how much the overall
market is growing or declining. Are
there particular sectors within the broad
marketplace that are growing more than
others?
Example:
Overall consumption of lamb is falling
in the UK, but growth sectors are
convenience foods, locally sourced
foods of known origin and from some
ethnic communities.
Relevant to your Specific Idea
The first step is to be very clear about
what information is essential for you to
find out. Typically this will include:
 Customer analysis:
 how many, location, who,
age, sex, social group?
6


 where do they buy the product
at present and how much do
they pay?
 what do they particularly want
or value from the product [key
customer values]?
 how do they hear about the
product and buy it?
 will they be interested in buying
your product, if so, at what
price and how often?
Competitor analysis:
 who, where, what do they sell?
 size/scale?
 strengths and weaknesses?
 pricing and promotion?
other information:
 how the product will reach the
customer
 how best to promote
 costs of production
 any seasonal trends
How to Collect the Information Needed
Sources of information on market trends
include past research carried out by
government or private market research
companies, further details in the reference
section. These reports are also likely to
give some indication of the characteristics
of relevant customers, main suppliers etc.
These sources are known as secondary or
desk research.
Primary research is the name given to
collecting new information, typically in
this context, related to your particular idea
or project. It often involves formulating
some questions, which are asked by post,
telephone or face-to-face interview (or a
mixture), depending on what you want to
know and the budget available.
Postal surveys:

cheapest

low response rate

good for collecting facts but
less good at collecting opinions
Telephone surveys:

cheap

low response rate

good at collecting facts, can
gather some opinions
Face to Face interviews (1:1 or with
groups):

expensive

high response rate

best at collecting opinions/
personal information
In all cases, care to avoid any bias in
choosing the sample you interview and
in designing questions. Only ask the
questions where responses will answer
what you need to know. Although
normally prepared by professionals,
simple questionnaires can be put
together, with a few guidelines:
Test Marketing
Sometimes producing small quantities of
the product in order to test responses
from target customers is the only way of
getting an accurate response.
This
method is most often used where start-up
costs and risk is high. It can be used to
test new products or new promotional
ideas etc.
____________________________
7. Deciding the Target Market and
Marketing Mix
Having a focus to the marketing plan is
important. The reason for this approach
is that it is normally the case that some
customers will gain more from your
product than others and some will
provide you with more profit than
others. Having some target customer
groups in mind for the marketing plan
will actually be much more efficient than
trying to produce and promote a product
without targeting.
Choosing your Target Segments
A market segment is a group of
customers with similar characteristics.
Typical ways of segmenting markets
include:
[Business: Business markets]

location

size of business

business sectors

type of organisation

what they want from the
product
[Consumer Markets]

location
age, sex, stage in life, marital
status etc.

social group (income, job,
education)

what they want from the
product
Normally the segment is described by
more than one of the above criteria.
Guidelines on Questionnaire Design:
Principles:

should be typed and follow a logical sequence

should be neat and tidy, ideally with responses to questions kept in line,
where possible

use plain English/short words

keep as short as possible

each question to relate to 1 item

prepare a short formal letter to accompany the questionnaire

if you ask personal questions, such as gender, income or age, explain why
the questions are necessary

enclose stamped, self-addressed envelopes for postal questionnaires

consider offering an incentive

be prepared to send out reminders

test before sending out
Types of question:

List - choose from a series of options that are listed.
Example: Which of the following do you have for
breakfast?
Corn flakes
Brown toast
Fried eggs

Category - similar to list, but respondents can only fit into 1 category.
Example: How long have you worked with your current
employer?
0-5 years
More than 5 – 10 years
More than 10 years

Ranking - place something in rank order
Example: place the following in order of importance
good feet
easy lambing
high number of lambs

Quantity - the response is a number
Example: How many lambs do you buy each year?

Grid
- A table or grid is provided
Example: Please state how important the following factors are in your decision to
buy Mule lambs:
Very import
import
not import
not import at all
Good size
Dark face
Light coloured face
Known source

Statement - worded statement to find out people’s opinions
Example: Please state how much you agree with the following:
I would buy herdwick lamb regularly if my local butcher sold it
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree

Closed and open questions. To ease the analysis, most questions used are
closed, with optional answers being provided. Sometimes, open questions
are asked, more usually with interviews, these are more difficult to analyse.
Example: What is your opinion about Rough Fell lambs
Example Market Segments:

Cheese processing
companies in the UK, with a
current turnover in excess
of £20 million p.a.

Couples aged 50+, in the
higher social groups, living
within 3 hours of the farm.

Past customers to Bloggs
farm shop, who have
children of school age
7
Many marketing plans will have 1 - 3
target segments, whose needs and
values best match the attributes the
product can offer, where there is an
advantage over the competition
Deciding on the best Marketing Mix
The marketing mix comprises
1. Product
2. Pricing
3. Promotion
4. Place
Policy decisions need to be taken about
each of the above elements, having first
analysed and defined which sectors of
the market are the best to target.
What Product to Offer
[PITFALL: deciding too early what you
are going to sell and not being prepared
to vary the product offer in the light of
customer needs identified in the market
research.]
Considerations:

should maximise your
advantage over the
competition, currently and in
the future (if other competitors
followed your lead).

quantities to produce/any
seasonal variations

scope to add value e.g. by
working with other producers
to improve the product offer

how to develop the product to
keep ahead of the competition

carefully consider the quality:
price ratio for the target
markets, to ensure you offer
VALUE FOR MONEY
How much to Charge
[PITFALL: producing a superior product
and then under-cutting the competition
on price to enter the market and selling
to customers whose purchasing decision
is not heavily influenced by price, or
who perceive cheap to be poor quality.]
 price at a level that is balanced
with quality, relative to the
competition
 based on an analysis of what
the customer will pay, relative
to the costs of production

where price is important,
consider discount policy, loss
leaders, variations over time
How to Promote
[PITFALLS: thinking that promotion is
advertising only, overlooking the power
of branding, allocating too little budget
and not monitoring which method works
best.]
In deciding to buy a product or service,
people go through the following process:
1. become aware of the product
2. become interested in the
product
3. desire the product
4. take action to buy it
Information needed in planning a
promotional campaign:

what stage are your target
customers in the buying
process outlined above? This
will help you decide which


promotional method to use.
why might the target
customers want to buy the
product/what are their key
values in relation to the
product? This will help
inform what the main
messages should be.
what budget is available
Promotional method(s):
Advertising:

can be used for all stages of
the buying process

can be expensive at raising
awareness
Sales Promotions:

[e.g. free samples, gifts
with sales]; good at raising
awareness and stimulating
interest in new products to
existing customers
Press Releases/Press trips:

often very good at raising
awareness, creating interest
at a low cost

difficult to do well without
help at the start
Brochures, leaflets etc:

best when already aware
and used to stimulate
interest/desire to buy

important to ensure the
quality of leaflet matches
the product quality
Exhibitions:

good where people need to
see the product and the
producer to understand the
unique elements of it
Direct mail:

good at nudging people to
buy where already aware
and interested in the
product. Most effective if a
well targeted mailing list.
Personal contact:

sales visits/telephone calls
most effective if already
aware and interested, or
previous customers
Branding:
Creating a corporate identity or brand,
to present an image to your target
customers is essential to plan at the
start. This is particularly true when
trying to create loyalty in your
customers to your products. The
brand needs to give a clear message
about what your “company” and/or
offers and this then needs to be
communicated in all promotional
activity, packaging, brochures etc.
Brands can be reinforced through
merchandising – free leaflets, stickers,
pens badges etc.
8
Example: Ronseal.
A brand that
presents a very clear message of being
reliable, trustworthy and value for
money. Advertisements reinforce this
message in a very simple but effective
way, there are many other good
examples.
Deciding Where to Produce and How
to Distribute
[PITFALL: not thinking carefully what
all the options are and carefully
analysing each]
Dependant on the product for sale,
customer needs and an analysis of the
costs of the different options available.
Can be scope to collaborate to share
costs.
_________________________________________
8. Implementing the Plan
Common problems:

managing staff. Choose a
member of the family or
group who is best able to do
this. Be clear about what you
expect of your staff, make
time for regular 1:1 meetings
to review progress from their
perspective as well as yours.
Take advice from Cumbria
Farm Link.

managing cash flow. Beware
slow payers and have a policy
about how to deal with them.
Credit checks may be
worthwhile if taking on new
customers with large orders.
Contact Cumbria Farm Link
for further details.

maintaining attention to detail
to retain quality as demand
grows.

delegating duties, allowing
time for the business to be
managed properly as the
business grows.

managing production, given
the physical limitations on hill
farms. To maximise returns,
the customer needs come first.
For meat, continuity of supply
can be satisfied by lambing
over a longer period, using
housing if necessary;
carcasses can be frozen,
finishing carried out using
different systems (but beware
of different results in carcass
quality) etc. Breed selection
policy can change to better
match customers needs, both
in relation to meat and sale of
breeding animals; working in
collaboration with other
farmers can also ensure a
wider product offer (but
beware of quality issues)
9. Evaluation
Ongoing evaluation of all aspects of the
business is essential for improvement,
and to stay ahead of the competition.
Common gaps are customer and staff
evaluation (previously mentioned).
Regular feedback should be obtained
from the customers to find out:

what they like best about the
product and why

what 2 things they think you
should do to improve the
product or service to them

what they like least about the
product and why

why certain customers no
longer buy

overall trends in customer
numbers and buying habits
This information should then be
used to change the product/service,
where appropriate.
______________________________
10 Regulations
There are several critical regulations
Sources of Information, Advice
and Funding
Information
Market trend information:
Defra
www.defra.gov.uk
Institute of Grocery Distribution
www.igd.com
Food Standards Agency
www.foodstandards.gov.uk
Meat and Livestock Commission
www.mlc.org.uk
Northwest Development Agency
www.nwda.co.uk
Northwest Food Alliance
01928 513777
The following private market research
companies carry out research on a wide
range of subjects on a regular basis.
Reports are expensive but can be
purchased:
Mintel www.mintel.co.uk
Datamonitor www.datamonitor.com
Keynote www.keynote.co.uk
Legal Information:
Advertising Standards Authority
www.asa.org.uk
Trading Standards – part of Cumbria
County Council - 01539 773583
Environmental Health – part of each
District Council
The Direct Marketing Association
www.dma.org.uk
__________________________________________
connected with supplying meat direct
that govern aspects such as the
temperature meat has to be stored at,
number of sinks/washing facilities,
types of surfaces, where foodstuffs
can be stored (especially raw and
cooked foods), labelling of foods,
weights and measures, sell-by dates,
packaging, etc. Further details from
the local authority Environmental
Health Department and Trading
Standards.
__________________________
11 Working with Other
Farmers in Groups
Some key aspects:

take all necessary time at
the start to establish a set of
common objectives that you
all can sign up to. Some
external help to facilitate
discussions and take the
heat out of any debate can
be very useful. Rural
Futures and Cumbria Farm




link can help.
ensure there is a clear set of
rules (rights, duties and
responsibilities) and
procedures to cover all
eventualities and disputes
early in the formation of the
group. Guidance is available
from Farmcare
delegate tasks to group
members according to
particular skills, giving them
relevant authority and clear
instructions about when to
consult others.
members MUST be prepared
to compromise if the group is
to be successful
important to spend more time
on communication (with all
group members) than in a
single business. Success
depends on maintaining
TRUST and communications
are vital in sustaining this.
Institute of Direct Marketing
www.theidm.co.uk
Federation of Small Businesses
www.fsb.org.uk
Advice:
Free
Federation of Cumbria Commoners
015242 76395
Cumbria Farm Link
01768 891444
Rural Futures
01768 242130
Farmcare 01768 840562
Banks
Cumbria Campus Library (Newton
Rigg) – several journals and reference
books
O1772 894200
http://llrs.uclan.ac.uk/wwwbin/www_talis (library catalogue web
address)
Leader+ 01768 210111
01434 382176
Distinctly Cumbrian
01768 891555
Northwest Development Agency
01768 86729412
Chargeable
Local land agents and private
consultants
Doing Your Research Project. A Guide
for First Time Researchers in Education
& Social Science, by Judith Bell.
ISBN 0-335-20388-4
Sources of Funds
These are constantly changing. First
points of contact are the free sources
of advice listed above, plus:
Defra
01270 754000
Rural Development Service (part of
Defra) 01768 860700
_________________________________________
References
The Marketing Planning Workbook, by
Dibb, Simkin and Bradley, published by
International Thomson Business Press.
ISBN 1-86152-349-1
Marketing Communications by PA
Smith, published by Kogan Page Ltd.
ISBN 0-7494-2699-3
Quick and Easy Marketing That Works,
by D Russell, published by Marketing
Matters 01536 710050.
ISBN 0-9525508-0-6
How to Conduct Surveys – A Step by
Step Guide, by Arlene Fink and J
Kosecoff, published by Sage.
ISBN 0-7619-1408-0
__________________________________________
Prepared by:
Paul Harper
Paul Harper Rural Management Consultants
Rectory Farm Cottage
Lazonby, Penrith
Cumbria, CA10 1BL
01768 898555
June 2003
9
APPENDIX 1
DESK RESEARCH TO DISCOVER CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS LOCAL FOODS
IN CUMBRIA
Organic Food
Soil Association - Food and Farming Report 2001
During 2000-2001:

The UK organic market grew at 33 %.

Supermarkets increased their proportion of market share from 74 % - 80 %.

Direct sales of organic food only increased by 7.5 %.

Farm shop sales of organic food declined by 0.6%.

Sales to independent retailers and health food shops increased by 15%.

75 % of UK households made at least one organic purchase.

7% of the population regularly by organic food and account for 61% of the total money spent.

Committed organic buyers are:
Health-conscious
Environmentally aware-animal welfare/GM foods
Consider themselves as educated food shoppers
People who purchase more fresh food and products that have healthy eating connotations.
Older and in the higher social groups with more disposable income.

None organic buyers are categorised as:
Being driven in purchase decisions by convenience.
Price or budget conscious
Traditional in their views, with a tendency to stick to habits.
Enjoy TV - including advertising.
Keynote Ltd 2001
This report is based on a National Opinion Poll (N. O. P.):

7% of respondents claimed to regularly by organic food.

32% said they occasionally bought organic food.

Of the people always buying organic food whenever they can:
25 – 34 year-olds were a dominant age group
A B and C1 are the dominant social groups, representing approximately 50% of the population
Stronger demand than average in the south than the north of England

Of the people buying food occasionally:
Demand was evenly spread amongst 25-64 year-olds with a reduction for 65+
A very strong bias for A B and C 1 social groups who are married or living as such.
Stronger demand than average in the south than the north of England
Conventional Foods
Food Standards Agency, February 2002.

59% of consumers regularly check food labels with 75% of these finding them difficult to understand.

Since 2000 there has been a significant increase in consumers looking for nutritional information on food labels (60% in
the most recent survey).

73% of consumers were most concerned about the safety of meat, 21% for eggs, 25% for dairy products and 21% with
genetically modified ingredients.

40% of consumers claimed to be eating more healthily in 2001.

95% of consumers buy the majority of their food from supermarkets.

30% of consumers eat ready meals on a regular basis.

56% of respondents claimed to eat convenience foods regularly.
In North West England:

91% of people use a supermarket for most of their weekly shopping.

80% eat dairy products regularly, (83% for fruit and veg)

11% eat organic foods compared with 24% in the southeast and 23% in the south west.

50% eat convenience foods.
Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD)
They produce an annual survey, the latest being, Food Consumption 2002, published in June 2002 priced at £650 for paper copies.
Extracts:

Since 1994 there has been a 16% increase in the number of one person meal occasions

It is increasingly the norm to eat in front of the TV rather than around the table.

Convenience is therefore a key driver for food choice. In future, younger consumers (30 - 39 years) do not expect to
suddenly discover a desire to cook from scratch when they reach 60.

Convenience foods are increasingly based around meal solutions.
Consumer Attitudes to British Meat and Fresh Produce, I G D.
Carried out with 16 focus groups, each comprising 6-8 consumers. Each focus group concentrated on either fruit and vegetables or
meat.

The two most important product attributes were quality and price.

Consumers thought the British food industry achieved high standards.
APPENDIX 1

Consumers rarely sought information about country of origin –if the product can be grown in Britain then the products in
the shop will be British (applied especially to meat).

Consumers trusted hygiene and food safety standards in Britain.

Consumers instinctively wanted to buy British (provided it competed successfully with the quality and price of imported
products). Despite this, consumers indicated they did not actively seek out British produce.

Price and presentation of meat were the most important factors in choosing to buy a particular product, with price being
less important for the higher social groups.

Freshness is more important than price in choosing a different meat/vegetable product for social groups B and C 1.

Older people are more patriotic consumers and likely to spend more time cooking than younger consumers.

The way in which the animal had been reared was rarely a factor in purchase decisions for the consumers interviewed. The
only product assurance initiative mentioned of any significance was a quality beef/BSE free mark.

Consumers had few concerns that really influenced their choice of meat. Issues which were raised in discussion were
either how the animals were reared or food safety. Concerns about rearing were whether the animals looked well fed,
healthy and had plenty of space. Despite some concerns about chicken being reared intensively none of the consumers
implied it was a real concern.
North West Agri-Food Sector Scope Study, D T Z. Pieda Consulting, 2000
This was a survey carried out for North West Development Agency analysing the food sector in the North West of England. A
customer survey was carried out of 115 businesses involved in the food and drink retailing, hospitality and catering sectors, key
findings as follows:

The image of the North West region was considered too fragmented, with respondents commenting that identity only really
exists at the county level.

53% of respondents purchased because the products were local.

35% purchased because of freshness and traceability.

29% purchased for quality reasons.

18% purchased because products were traditional.

68% believed sales of products from the North West were either constant or increasing.

44% believed there was a major potential to increase sales of North West food and drink products (48% suggesting some
potential).
Main constraint identified:

Poor marketing.

Limited product range.

Poor quality.

Poor branding/regional identity [the study team recommended sub-regional branding].
Farmers Markets Customer Survey 1999, Jane Wilson
Based on 350 surveys at 3 farmers markets in summer 1999.

They attract higher proportions of 38 – 59 year-olds than the national average.

70% of the customers are women.

80% of customers were in the social groups A B or C 1 as compared with 50% as the national average.

48% of customers chose to shop at farmers markets to support small farmers.

43% shopped because the produce was fresh.

41% shopped because the produce was good quality.

39% visited because of the availability of organic produce.

25% of respondents thought supermarkets were impersonal and 24% perceived there was a lack of quality of freshness.
Farmers Markets English Tourism Council article 1999, Annette Weiss

Reasons for purchasing produce from farmers markets:
Fresh
47%
Good quality
45%
Direct from the producer
38 %
To support local businesses
37%

Specific user groups, we found at farmers markets include:
"healthy eaters" - concerned with food safety, healthy eating and animal welfare.
"Foodies" - value fresh, local produce, high-quality and unusual foods not found in supermarkets, mainly young middleclass.
"Traditionalists" - traditional market shoppers, mainly older women
"lunchtime shoppers" - business people purchasing goods in their lunch hour
"visitors passing through" - visitors/tourists who have not come specifically for the market but were drop in.
Survey of Public Attitudes Towards the Environment and to Quality of Life 2001, DEFRA, July 2002

66% in very worried about disposal of hazardous waste.

59% worried about the effects of livestock methods (including BSE) - this has increased from 33% in 1996/97.

55% worried about pollution in rivers

since 1986 the proportions of respondents saying that there are very worried has risen considerably for the following issues:
 Loss of plants and animals in the UK (risen from 38% - 50%).
 Loss of trees and hedgerows (risen from 17% - 46%)
APPENDIX 2
SUMMARY OF ADVICE AND SUPPORT - OVERVIEW
DEFRA
Crewe: Administer
England Rural
Development
Programme schemes
and RDS line
managed from here.
01270 754000
NORTH WEST DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NWDA)
Carlisle: (Rural
Payments Agency):
Administer other CAP
schemes (SAPS, BSPS
etc.)
01228 523400
Government Office,
Manchester. DEFRA
official’s sit with officials from
other departments in the North
West Region. Responsible for
delivering Government policy
in the region. 0161 952 4277.
Rural Development Service (RDS) Penrith: give technical advice to Crewe on the ERDP
schemes in Cumbria and liaises with other agencies to stimulate change in the rural
economy. 01768 860700
Based at Warrington but with offices elsewhere. Have a large influence on economic policy development
across all sectors in the region. Much money from the Cumbria Rural Action Zone (RAZ) will be directed
through NWDA. 01925 400100
Penrith Local office that administers the Rural Small Buildings scheme for Cumbria.
01768 867294
English Nature, Kendal, responsible for delivering government policy on nature
conservation issues – SSSI’s, Special Areas of Conservation (SAC’s), Biodiversity Action
Plans (BAP’s). Can offer funding where SSSI’s.
01539 792800
Cumbria County Council/District Councils
Both levels have an economic development role. They will set priorities, give grants & advice. The
County Council plan and deliver grants (mainly for joint activity) under their Rural Development
Programme – part funded by NWDA & the Council, provided it fits with their approved plan.
Environment Agency, Penrith, responsible for delivering environmental advice as well as
an environmental regulator.
0845 933 3111
Enterprise Agency Network/Small Business Service/Business Links (not sure of the current
terminology. All the above refer to the same thing). Give advice mainly to individual businesses. Some
offices have a role of trying to stimulate inward investment. Some administer grant schemes for local
authorities. Good knowledge of all sources of grant aid.
Offices are independent but strong links. These include: Furness Enterprise (01229 820611), West
Cumbria Development Agency (01900 65656), Carlisle Chamber of Commerce (01228 534120), Cumbria
Rural Enterprise Agency (01768 891444), (main one for farmers – delivering FBAS). They get funding to
deliver advice by applying for funding from Government – locally, regionally or nationally.
Countryside Agency, Penrith (& Manchester??), responsible for delivering government
policy on rural policy/communities. Interest in public access, rural communities, rural
services. Fund several VAC activities and often pilot new rural development activities.
01768 865752.
Voluntary Action Cumbria (01768 242130)
Host a variety of social and economic development projects, including Leader Plus (01768 210111) and
several others which can give grants and advice.
Lake District National Park 01539 724555(& Yorkshire Dales National Park 01969 650456) Some
funds for environmental works
APPENDIX 2 (CONTINUED)
MAIN SOURCES OF MARKETING SUPPORT FOR FARMERS IN CUMBRIA
TYPE OF
SUPPORT
Business and
technical advice
NAME OF
ORGANISATION,
PROJECT OR FUND
Farm Business Advisory
Service (FBAS)
Enterprise Agencies
Consultants, Banks,
Trade
Help with knowing
who to contact,
wanting help to
develop a group.
Rural Futures
DETAILS
Target:
Individual farm businesses with an agricultural holding
number, where working 75% on farming activities. Can be
targeted at group work.
Nature of support: Free business appraisal, linked with environmental review and
the production of a forward action plan. Can offer
specialist advice on organics, tourism, equine, beef, sheep,
dairy, common land, training, marketing. Good source of
information on all grants.
Conditions:
3 days free advice, plus access to other free funding for some
specialist services.
Target:
non-farming businesses, and some diversified farms where the
core farm business is small, or where a non-farming
enterprise, ideally run as a separate business.
Nature of support: Some free business counselling, access to specialist advice,
access to start-up grant aid and other grants, many of
which vary over time and between areas.
Conditions:
Usually available where less than 5 employees. %
employees or more, go to Business Link (details from the
Enterprise Agency)
A range of organisations some of whom charge and others offer free advice, notably
the banks and trade. The nature of the problem will determine which organisation is
the most appropriate.
Target
Individual farmers and groups of farmers.
Nature of support Local farmers are employed to act as a good first point of contact
if unsure where to go first. Particularly focussed at helping
groups of farmers work together for the first time, working to the
farmers’ agenda, not theirs.
WHERE TO GET
FURTHER DETAILS
Cumbria Rural Enterprise
Agency (CREA), Penrith
01768 891444
CREA, 01768
891444/891555
Furness Enterprise 01229
820611
West Cumbria Development
Agency 01900 65656
Carlisle Chamber of
Commerce 01228 534120
Direct
Rural Futures
01768 242130
APPENDIX 2 (CONTINUED)
Business ideas,
business
support/advice,
personal
development for
rural women
Advice and support
for Community
projects
Rural Women’s
Network (RWN),
Employment
Alternatives (EA’s)
Business Plans,
Feasibility Studies,
Marketing Plans
Consultants
Marketing and
promotion advice
Food:
North West Fine Foods
Food and other local
produce:
Made in Cumbria
Distinctly Cumbrian
Tourism advice
Enterprising
Communities, plus
others at VAC
North West Farm
Tourism Initiative
Cumbria Tourist Board,
Enterprise Agencies
RWN – all rural women in Cumbria 18+, EA’s – people
living in Carlisle, Eden & South Lakelend.
Nature of support: RWN support, training, business advice, to help business
development and new employment; EA’s – mentoring,
training, support, new business ideas, personal
development.
Target:
Individuals or groups starting or running a business to
benefit the community (poverty, health, environment,
disability, care or disadvantage).
Nature of support: Advice and support
Conditions:
Not for profit organisations but managed as an enterprise.
Priced service, usually worth using for RES applications where the scale of the
project exceeds £20k. Is scope to receive grant on these fees from DEFRA
under the RES scheme. Can be funded by NWDA when associated with a
grant application to their Redundant Building Grant Scheme (Soon to be
changed to Rural Small Building Scheme – see below). May be circumstances
where they can be subsidised by local Enterprise Agency.
Can be funded 100% in some circumstances by the Forestry Commission, for
schemes relating to woodland/wood processing (See below).
Some advice and support for food businesses. Involved in marketing regional
produce
Branding initiative for marketing craft produce as well as organise farmers
markets. Good advice given on food marketing, packaging, presentation and
some training organised.
Recently approved. Help with promoting local produce to local people and
organisations.
Grants and advice for tourism marketing and local food produce, if linked to
tourism
CTB can provide some free advice and are good on research information.
Specialist advice on farm tourism through CREA, other general tourism advice
through all Enterprise Agencies.
Target:
RWN: 01768 210997
EA’s: 0845 6014278
Based at VAC
01768 210044
CREA, 01768 891444/891555
Furness Enterprise 01229 820611
West Cumbria Development
Agency 01900 65656
Carlisle Chamber of Commerce
01228 534120
01942 821222
CREA
CREA and VAC involved. 01768
891555/242130
Cumbria Tourist Board (see below),
CREA.
CREA, 01768 891444/891555;
Furness Enterprise; West Cumbria
Development Agency; Carlisle
Chamber of Commerce; Cumbria
Tourist Board 015394 44444
APPENDIX 2 (CONTINUED)
Marketing grants
Leader Plus
(Cumbria Fells & Dales)
(North Pennines)
Target:
Varies between different Leader plus areas:
F&D: south of A66 but incl Skiddaw Fells; Farm
businesses, other businesses & not for profit groups.
NP: AONB area? Target - women, unemployed, under
employed, young people.
Nature of support: Capital and revenue costs, generally small scale. Theme adding value to local products (F&D); Quality of life (NP).
F&D:
Geoff Brown
01768 210111
NP: Paul Mitchell
01434 382176
Defra, Rural Enterprise
scheme
Target
Marketing quality agricultural produce
Nature of support Up to 50% grant if a commercial proposal
Distinctly Cumbrian
North West Farm
Tourism Initiative
Other grants
May be able to fund feasibility studies; can be matched with Leader +
Can offer very attractive grants for small scale projects for individuals and
groups, including for foods and crafts, where linked to tourism.
The above grants will change quickly and others may be available. For an up to
date list of grant aid, please contact CREA
Defra at Crewe, or Rural
Development Service, Penrith (see
above)
CREA
Cumbria Tourist Board 015394
44444
CREA – 01768 891555