Morning markets whether Saturday morning markets, local markets or farmers’ markets sell a wide range of delicious foodstuffs these days.
Some of these foods you could call gourmet foods because they are so well done and you may not find them even in the best supermarket delicatessens. These days it’s hard to find a stand-alone delicatessen where you can buy a range of specialised food products on display at local markets. On the morning markets the foods range from delicious cheeses, cured meats, jams,honey, preserves and speciality breads.
If you are going to come up with a food product for these community markets, what is it going to be?
Once you have selected your product, following the process outlined in the previous Idea Accelerator blog post, you think to think about the nature of your product:
Is there a product that can be instantly consumed?
Is it an ingredient for meals back at home?
Is it a fun products that customers will enjoy and give them a different experience to the regular food they eat?
The nature of your product is important because It will help you decide on how you are going to position and promote your product. Cured or smoked meats and fish, for example, can be used for entertainment, cocktails and snacks in the evening and before a main meal or even something that can add the zest to your Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast.
It’s important to look at what your product does for your prospective customer. Think of how many things your product does for your potential customers before you introduce or launch your product:
Does your product provide a new eating experience?
Will your product be enjoyed by adults and children?
Does your product brighten peoples’ lives?
Looking at the nature your product might sound like work but when you do so you will have a better understanding of how your product will be perceived by prospective buyers.
It will also help you position your product which is very important in today’s market where there are many similar competing products. Think about how many jams and preserves are available on community markets. What makes one stand out from another? Is the one made from an old family recipe or is it done in the old, traditional style where, for example, fruit is chopped up in chunks and made with the original ingredients such as molasses?
We will look at other important elements of taking your food products to local market in subsequent posts.
