Specifications include, but are not limited to: The goal of this project is to develop and test marketing and branding strategies that the AHC can use to raise awareness of hazelnuts in general and Midwestern-grown hazelnuts specifically. For example, Midwestern-grown hazelnuts have a lot of positive attributes that we know are important to LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) consumers, but which resonate most strongly, especially with consumers that don’t typically consume hazelnuts except in Nutella or coffee-flavoring is not known. Should growers and food businesses be emphasizing locally-grown, paleo, heart-healthy, sustainably grown, gluten-free, regenerative ag, etc.? Which consumers are most likely to purchase hazelnuts and what branding and marketing strategies will best resonate with them? In what form do consumer want to eat hazelnuts? Confections? Oil? Flour? Snacks? This marketing work is particularly important for oil. Hazelnut oil has even higher oleic acid than olive oil and can be used exactly the same way. How do we carve out market share from olive oil? The American Hazelnut Company is currently producing hazelnut oil from a blend of Midwestern-grown and Oregon-grown hazelnuts and selling it to 10 retailers in WI and MN. The oil is slotted by the grocers in the specialty oil section along with the pumpkin seed oil, grape seed oil, and myriad other specialty oils that consumers buy infrequently. Meanwhile grocery stores have whole sections dedicated to olive oil. What marketing messages for hazelnuts and hazelnut oil will resonate with consumers? By doing this marketing and market development work now on behalf of the fledgling industry we can help existing growers and set the stage for the coming expansion as new plantings are established. This project gets us one step closer to actualizing the vision of creating a local nut economy in the Upper Midwest. Our proposed project consists of three main focus areas. The first is on better understanding consumers in the Upper Midwest and what it will take to convince them to purchase hazelnuts and hazelnuts products. The second is gaining a better understanding of food businesses and their interest and barriers in using hazelnuts as ingredients. Focus areas one and two have recently been completed. The third is to use the lessons learned from the first two items to develop a comprehensive brand, product mix, and marketing program for the grower-owned American Hazelnut Company as a means to increase sales of locally grown hazelnuts.
