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WHEN YOUR BUSINESS is starting out , it only makes sense to market within your niche . Whether you ’ re fully organic , non-GMO , sugar free or gluten free , you need to be loud and proud to make that factor known . It ’ s how you set yourself apart , and it ’ s how you establish a clear brand identity with your consumers .
But after a time , you may begin to feel like you ’ ve hit a marketing wall — you start to get the sense that the once steady growth of your customer base has slowed or stalled , and that any new advertising campaigns are simply “ preaching to the choir .”
If this is where you ’ re at , it may be time to reach out to new audiences . It may be time to make a bid for the mainstream .
There ’ s no question that consumer interest in sustainable and organic “ green ” brands is growing rapidly , but there is still a long way to go in that regard . According to the USDA , the sale of organic brands accounts for just over 4 percent of the total market share of US food sales . While that ’ s a much bigger market share than the organics industry had 10 years ago — and that number is only expected to grow as the years go
Can niche products attract mainstrea
on — it ’ s still small compared to the market overall . What ’ s more , nearly half of that 4 percent is occupied by fresh produce , leaving only around 11 percent at the moment for prepared and packaged consumer goods .
According to Organic Monitor , a research and consulting company that specializes in the organics and sustainability sector , one of the major factors behind this relatively small market share is the fact that many
14 June 2015