June 09, 2014

How the U.S. Organic Food Industry can Benefit from Content Marketing

It’s been a tough year so far for Whole Foods. Shares for the organic grocer, which were trading at over $57 at the end of Q4 2013, have fallen to a mere $38—officially making it the worst performing stock of the year in the S&P 500.

So, what’s the contributing factor for the decline of Whole Foods? Competition in the U.S. organic food industry is starting to heat up, and it doesn’t’ appear to be slowing down any time soon.  Competitors such as Kroger, Fairway and Sprout are all capitalizing on strong consumer interest in healthy living. In fact,  the “United States Organic Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018” report indicates that the market will grow until 2018, with a CAGR of 14 percent.

Growth for Whole Foods has come to a halt as customers are turning to stores that offer cheaper organic products—a problem organic grocers around the country will face as the market continues to commoditize.

Marketers for organic food companies must capture the attention of consumers and set themselves apart from the rest if they want to remain viable. Luckily, content marketing can help. Below are some ways that content can be used to spread brand awareness and increase profits:

Go to the source: Dig deep into your supply chain and offer quality, unbiased information about where your food comes from. Take your readers on a tour of the farm where your tomatoes are grown. Show pictures and data samples from the soil. And don’t forget to interview the farmers, harvesters and transport teams that are responsible for the farm to fork process. You can do this through blog posts, website copy, pictures and video.

Bolster your credibility: Give your customers a reason to shop at your store. Post relevant information about the industry, and provide comparisons to other leading chains. Shoppers like to feel good about the food they eat, and providing a wealth of information will turn your website into a valuable resource for finding out news about the organic industry. This includes FDA updates/ compliance information, seasonal and weather-related issues and allergy assistance.

Give back to your customers: Use content to promote sales and in-store events, which will keep customers coming back for more. One great way to do this is to gamify your social strategy. The more you get your customers involved and engage with them directly, the more they will consider your store when shopping for food. 




Edited by Brooke Neuman




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