Marketing Truths Light the Pathway
By Robert Wheatley

We have a second home in a rural area of Southwest Michigan known as Harbor Country. Our place sits on a small lake in the middle of an apple orchard, surrounded by farms and vineyards. Not surprising… you can get fresh vegetables and fruits nearby, just harvested the day before – including an amazing array of Heirloom Tomatoes.

Last night we enjoyed a salad made with these tomatoes, combined with olive oil, scallions, Balsamic Vinegar and topped with some Stilton Cheese. Notwithstanding the combination and garnish, the tomatoes were absolutely eye opening. The taste experience was memorable and a substantial step away from the standard thin-flavored, hard and mealy texture of your average supermarket red tomato. So far apart is the outcome that I can predict an evolving market in the produce department for these special, unique tomato varieties.

It was a simply amazing taste encounter — juicy, fruity, flavorful, soft and pleasing on the palate. Sure they’re more expensive but as with anything, when volume grows prices eventually adjust accordingly. The standard tomato, bred for warehousing and transportation, can’t hold a candle to an Heirloom option.

So quality usually wins in the long haul. And what is remarkable always yields the fodder for talk value – witness this post. As more people hear about Heirlooms and try them, the surprise and delight on their faces will say it all, and the purchase behavior will begin to move. Why? Because of the following truths:

* We care ultimately about taste and flavor
* The value creation offered by an Heirloom Tomato is worth the price premium
* Word will continue to spread about the significant uptick in texture and taste
* More and more supermarkets will find benefit in buying local
* Local farmers markets will continue to flourish because they offer these products
* All markets sub-divide over time into unique segments that serve special interests
* Trial and satisfaction will fuel word-of-mouth

Implications…

America’s palate collectively continues to improve, grow and become more sophisticated. All markets, including commodities, will also evolve over time to offer improvements that meets the need for new, better and higher quality taste experiences. The gap is large enough here that the move isn’t so much a tomato line extension as a new category. Category creation is at the heart of successful marketing strategy. So what about branding the Heirloom? Can it be done? Who will do it on any significant scale? What do you think?