guarantee concept. These elements offer a tremendous opportunity for
chains that manage first to respond to these consumer preoccupations
and second to use them as an effective communication tool. Alterna-
tively, focusing on a specific market segment creates the opportunity to
increase market share. It is possible to identify differences between
groups of consumers (typical consumers of fresh, frozen, canned and
vegetables in glass) in terms of perception of the ideal product. By fo-
cusing on these differences, a chain must be able to develop a commu-
nication strategy aimed at gaining market share by winning specific
consumers at the expense of another type of processed vegetables.
In developing communication about IQM for processed vegetables,
the following topics should be kept in mind:
- Consumers have a poor knowledge about the processing tech-
nique related to vegetables in glass, more specifically the steril-
ization process. It relates to the fact that consumers are much
more familiar with freezing rather than with sterilization. - By communicating with consumers about vegetables, nonscien-
tific language should be used. It relates to the emotional product
approach and the fact that a scientific language could be experi-
enced as “chemical.” - Within the communication process, children and the farmer
should retain a central place as symbols of purity, harmony with
nature and future.
Conclusions and Research Agenda
During the last 10 to 15 years, new management techniques such as
supply chain management, efficient consumer response, value-added part-
nerships, Total Quality Management and Integrated Quality Management
have been introduced in the agri-food business. These techniques focus
either on production management, on marketing management or both.
Changes in the working conditions of the agri-food business, such as
the desire of consumers to know the origins and production processes of
the products they buy, the need of retailers to increase the efficiency of
the channel, and the need of the primary producers to be assured of a
destination for their products, create tremendous opportunities for chains
on their way to develop competitive advantages.
The evaluation of consumers’ needs and interests to know the pro-
duction process and their ideal image of vegetables reveals several op-
portunities. The vegetable consumer is confronted with a dilemma. The
Conclusions and Research Agenda 263