International food and grocery expert IGD is running courses throughout the country and providing farmers and small food producers with bespoke consumer data in a bid to help boost their profits.
Following a survey of 1.4 million supermarket shoppers, farmers will be given the opportunity to gain a real insight into the buying patterns of their potential customers, as well as getting a better understanding of the marketing mix.
In conjunction with the National Farmers' Union and Kent Business School, the first marketing course will take place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on March 11 and will enable farmers to gain competitive advantages and insight into their local consumers’ needs.
Peter Whitehead, agri-business programme leader at IGD, said: “IGD research has shown that a majority of consumers (70 per cent) want to buy food produced in this country and almost half (49 per cent) want to buy more than they currently do.
“These statistics confirm that provenance is important to consumers and, during such challenging times, it’s even more important that we help local suppliers identify ways to maximise their business potential.
“The shopper data is an invaluable tool for farmers, some of who have reported increased profitability by as much as 15 per cent, and we want to share this insight with British farmers so that they too can benefit from a similar sales uplift.”
The one-day workshops, which have been running since last year, will also provide a practical introduction to marketing concepts and the chance to pursue a professional marketing qualification. The course will be delivered by Claire Francis of Kent Business School and Peter Whitehead of IGD.
