Consumer Behavior in Organic Food Market: A Case Study Analysis

This case study delves into the evolving landscape of the organic food market, examining the rise in consumer demand and the impact of health-conscious consumers. It analyzes consumer perceptions of organic food, exploring the factors that influence their purchasing decisions, such as health benefits, price sensitivity, and transparency. The study further investigates how marketers communicate the value of organic products, highlighting the importance of transparency and value-based marketing. A significant portion of the case study focuses on analyzing real-world marketing campaigns, particularly those of Organic Valley, evaluating their messaging, media choices, and overall effectiveness in influencing consumer behavior. The analysis considers the company's brand message, its authenticity, and its approach to promoting sustainable practices. The study provides an overall evaluation of Organic Valley's marketing strategies, including recommendations for improvements and future campaigns. The report also includes a discussion on the global organic food market, its growth, and the factors driving its expansion, providing a comprehensive overview of consumer behavior and marketing approaches within the organic food industry.

Running head: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Organic Food and Consumer behaviour
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Executive Summary:
The market for organic food production and distribution is constantly evolving. The increased
spread of awareness to eat healthy and stay fit among the new generation consumers are also
compelling brands to comply the maintenance of real standards in their food production and
distribution. Hence this report will specifically highlight on the rise of organic food products,
consumer’s perception regarding the same and how certain brands are engaging consumers
with their marketing messages and influencing them to choose organic.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:...................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.....................................................................................................................4
Consumers’ perception of organic food:....................................................................4
Marketers communicating their organic products to consumers...............................6
Analysing real world marketing campaigns of organic foods:..................................8
Overall Evaluation of Organic Valley’s marketing approach....................................9
Conclusion....................................................................................................................11
References:...................................................................................................................12

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Introduction:
The term organic food can no more be called as alien to the global consumers. This
generation consumers are informed and much more aware of the health benefits that
organically grown foods bring along, and hence the acceptance and demand for the same is
equally high (Hajli and Sims, 2015). Once known to be the fancy favoured item of uber-rich,
health conscious population has now found an immense response across the globe and that is
exactly the reason that organic food products are now made available in retain formats across
every supermarket around the globe. Hence this report will specifically highlight on the
reasons why organic food has become the staple choice of this generation consumers, their
perception regarding the same and how exactly the markets can become more equipped in
communicating their organic food products to the target consumers. The report will also
highlight on some of the existing marketing campaigns on organic food which have gained
immense popularity and will critically analyse their marketing approach, the message
propagated, the medium used and the appeal the marketers’ agave tried to create with the
campaigns and what are the room for improvements present for them.

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Discussion:
The global organic food market has witnessed a tremendous growth rate as high as
9.7% in 2009 to reach a value of $60 billion. In 2014, the global organic food market showed
the market value of $96.5 billion, an increase of 60.7% since 2009 (Willer and Lernoud,
2019). The fruit and vegetables segment alone generated more than 31.5% of the global
organic food market' overall revenues. Organic products are observed to fetch a 20-30%
higher price return compared to its inorganic subsidiaries in the world market. The figures
presented above surely indicate how rapidly this produce industry has grown in decades.
Consumers’ perception of organic food:
Such strong inclination towards choosing healthy and staying fit is definitely not the
result of a one day affair. The consumers have significantly realised the multiple health issues
which are directly related to what they consume on a daily basis and a change in their regular
lifestyle can easily save them from the fatal diseases of tomorrow. Therefore consumers
today are aware, educated and equipped enough to realise their rights and responsibilities.
Today consumers demand significant transparency in the whole process of food production,
to its packaging, to its distribution and what exactly it consists of. This demand for
transparency has added an extra pressure on the food producers and marketers to reveal every
single information to help the consumer choose the best. This can be regarded as the chain
effect which has acted as a catalyst in urging people to resort to foods which are “healthy”
which are “natural”, “organic” and are produced in an eco-friendly manner devoid of
artificial flavouring, synthetic components or harmful pesticides (Lim, Yong and Suryadi,
2014). Hence consumers today attribute the term “organic” as a part and parcel of their daily
lifestyle. According to the research reports published by the Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (2017) the price of organic food products are generally kept high compared to its

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inorganic substitutes which in turn seems to be another favourable reason why many
consumers are attracted towards it (Willer, Lernoud and Kemper, 2018). The prime reason
behind this consumer behaviour pattern is, most consumers often associate the price of any
product as its quality indicator hence they are often inclined towards those products which are
pricy to assure that they make the best quality purchase. However this notion does seem
vague but actually exists in the consumer behaviour pattern research study. According to the
research reports presented by the management consulting firm named TechSci Research
named “Global Organic Food Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2020”, the global organic
food production market is forecasted to project a growth rate over 16% during 2015- 2020
(Švecová and Odehnalová, 2019). The main reason behind its wide spread popularity and
success is the consumer behaviour patterns. Today consumers of the developed as well as
developing countries are aware about the multiple benefits that organic foods bring along to
the human body as well as to the environment and are financially equipped to purchase the
same. Organic foods are natural and eco-friendly hence there is no doubt about the fact that
mothers would always choose organic baby food for their new born, and individuals will
always look for organic food alternatives. This new wave of expansion will no doubt have
significant impact on the total production demand globally. The recent research report
indicates that organic food production rate stood approximately at 280 million metric tons in
the year 2016 which includes the global organic food market for meat, poultry, dairy products
fruits and vegetables, along with bread, beverages and all processed food items and is no
doubt expected to rise and reach up to 308 million metric tons by 2021 (Massey, O'Cass, and
Otahal, 2018). Seeing this increased popularity and multiple health benefits organic food
products bring along, the government of varied nations has taken equal participation in
ensuring that there is an easy accessibility of organic food products across varied

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departmental stores and supermarkets and also ensures their quality and authenticity to help
consumer purchase the best.
Marketers communicating their organic products to consumers:
Market research analysis strongly reveals that Europe and North America can be
attributed as the nations who have the strongest demand for organic food items (Schaack, et
al. 2014) and the marketing communication technique adapted by the organic food
production brands do have a great contribution in the same. There are already key players
operating in these markets hence the competition is already quite intense here. Hence the
marketers do need to find new marketers to venture in and build their business. Densely
populated Asia-specific market zones which reveal strong statistics of GDP growth rate like
China and India can be major targets for these organic food marketers to expand their
business (Tsyhankova, Yatsenko and Zavadska, 2014). Hence it is very necessary to
understand how marketing plays a significant role in encouraging and boosting the global
organic food market. Marketing efforts for organic foods should specifically focus on values
which make it different and stand out from rest of the lot. The unique selling proposition or
the USP of organic foods must be used as the prime focus which the marketing
communicating channels should boost upon like its environment friendly, healthy and
natural. The best way to analyse the role of marketing communication in organic food
industry, the case study analysis of Amy’s kitchen a well known name in this specific market
segment would be apt. This brand is basically a family-owned, privately held company which
is operating quite successfully from past 30 years in the European and North American
markets and are confident enough to step into the Indian food market (Hollenbeck and
Patrick, 2016). The markets of this brand have indicated that for a brand associated with

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selling organic products the marketing mix or the communication channels must be
surrounded around one single notion that is encouraging the brand to become a part of the
daily lifestyle needs of the consumer. This has been identified as the most appropriate way to
increase market penetration. The marketers have realised with due research and analysis the
even if consumers are convinced to buy the products attributing to its multi-dimensional
health and environmental benefits sometimes they are swayed off due to its high price. Hence
in such a situation the brands have to first start a strategic educational marketing campaign to
engage the target market about the real benefits of the products and how each of the penny is
worth the quality they receive. Christian A. Klockner in her book: “Should I Buy Organic
Food? A Psychological Perspective on Purchase Decisions,” (Kim, 2016) has clearly stated
that marketing of organic foods should always be value based, which means the products
must in some or the other way help consumers improve their lifestyle, should coincide with
their moral beliefs and altogether help them achieve a better standard of living. Whereas
author and researcher scholars like J.Aertsens and many other believe the marketing of
organic food products must be driven by a motivational factor which specifically means that
organic food products must implement strategic marketing strategies which would present it
over and above the traditional food providers and why it should be the immediate choice of
every consumers (Prentice, Chen andWang, 2019). According to Organic Trade Association,
spreading a marketing campaign for organic food products requires the marketers to analyse
the psychology of the target market. It is very necessary for the marketers to adapt to
absolutely transparency in their operation and find maximum ways of showing the consumers
why their product is the best starting from its production, to manufacturing, labelling and
distribution (Hemmerling, Hamm and Spiller, 2015). The primary reason behind maintaining
this transparency in operation is that consumers are more conscious and are eager to know
what actually goes into the organic products which makes it pricy as well as healthy

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alternative in comparison to the traditional products. It is only when they see it they believed
it and are mostly likely to be influenced to make the purchase.
Analysing real world marketing campaigns of organic foods:
One of the undeniably leading names when it comes to efficient organic food
marketing is none other than Organic Valley. It began its operation in 1988 and can be
rightfully regarded as the brain child of few farmers who completely took the whole process
of framing in their own hands to ensure that it is pesticide free, natural, organic and obviously
healthy (About Us | Organic Valley, 2020). Since then the company has only invested in
growing food in compliance with nature. The primary message that Organic valley
propagated through all its marketing campaigns was the necessity to stay real, raw, and
healthy (Chassy, et al.2014). The brand always took pride in showing that their ways are
crazy but real and authentic and obviously meant to do good for the consumers. The farmers
who are the real founder of this brand always stood in close association with nature and
generated products which are eco-friendly. This is the prime reason behind that the
consumers can easily associate with the brand. Their brand message is simple, clear,
objective, nothing facing but authentic. This authenticity has helped them reach to million
and even help small farmers to join their cooperative and make the business of organic food
grow in all terms. The advertising campaign where the cows are seen wearing fitness trackers
to count steps might look odd or crazy but it is meant to suggest that the brand to not support
the exploitation of animals to raise production rather they choose the healthy way to produce
food organic products without any support of artificial means (Oh and Ki, 2019). The next
advertising campaign which gives out a strong message in a very subtle manner is when the
brand claims not just to put the face of smiling cows on their product labels but also cross the
fields as they believe in sustainability and hints on brands which keeps animals in locked
door, exploit it to produce more and in the day end sell products with smiling faces of

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animals to attract consumers are no less than criminals. The style, tone and effectiveness of
such an important brand message is quite awakening for the consumers and is bound to create
positive notion for Organic Valley in their minds. While a lot of consumers in today’s age are
quite suspicious of the authenticity of the organic foods that they purchase considering the
large number of fake brands with quite unique labelling have already spread in the market
Organic valley comes with their appeal of “there’s nothing to hide”, they might sound
“unsophisticated” but at least they are real (Call us crazy, but it’s working! Campaign:,
2018). This strong message has no doubt worked immensely well with the consumers who
constantly want to know what’s happening behind closed doors.
Overall Evaluation of Organic Valley’s marketing approach:
Their “ Call us Crazy, but its Working” advertising campaign, is no doubt dynamic
where all the small advertising videos give out unique messages but on the other hand there is
an essence of uniformity in all the advertisement, the consistent appeal of the brand staying
real even in the world of reel. The advertisement where they claim that they do not need huge
arrangement while shooting their commercials, big lights, great makeup or an actor to pose as
a farmer because it is the brand made by farmers and they are unapologetically real about it.
This is the most valued asset of the brand their authenticity which surpasses the fancy and
high-end claims of its immediate competitors. Moreover the voiceover of the lady is
powerful, unfiltered and adds to the overall authenticity of the campaigns. The consumers can
not just escape but smile when she yells to the bunch of cows roaming freely in the field
“Looking good, Ladies”. The overall execution of each advertisement is neat, concise yet
powerful (Lambert and Hessler, 2018). The overall marketing approach is no doubt
strategically planned and very well executed across all their media platforms be it television,
radio or internet. They have skilfully expanded their marketing over the social media
platforms as well. Hence in today’s world of constant competition between several organic

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food brands making big fat claims, Organic Valley stands strong to its brand moral and
believes in one single notion, which is: Let The Truth Prevail”.

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Conclusion:
The above presented discussion clearly states how the business of Organic Food is
gradually expanding globally and how the brands are creating the necessary awareness
among the consumers. It also highlights on the marketing efficiency of the organic food
brand Organic Valley and critically analysis its marketing campaigns to best understand what
really works for the consumers of today’s generation.