Abstract
Building the reputation of a local brand requires innovative agricultural marketing strategies in which product development, distribution channels, and communication with customers are challenges to be addressed. Especially, the construction of a brand hierarchy contributes to elevating the level of all of its layers and achieves an advantageous price scheme for the producing district. Furthermore, cooperation with food-product companies surrounding the production district by supplying the said agricultural produce as an ingredient of processed foods provides a way not only for agricultural produce to be consumed fresh, which is ranked in the upper layers of the hierarchy, but also for agricultural produce to be processed, ranked in the bottom layer, to be branded. The branding of processed foods results in a hike in the ingredient price, expansion of distribution channels, and progression of product development by utilizing managerial resources of the related food businesses around the producing district. Thus, the formation of a brand gives rise to improvement of the quality control level, acceleration of technical innovation, development of distribution channels, as well as encouragement of the new entry of related food businesses into the producing district, which lead to the enhancement of the local image and competitiveness, and eventually paves the way for the vitalization of the producing district.
