Public awareness of Oregon agriculture increases

Agriculture's public image in Oregon appears to be positive, public awareness of agriculture has increased, and Oregon-grown food products are very popular at home. Those are three conclusions drawn from the results of an industry survey recently conducted by the Agri-Business Council of Oregon.

An evaluation of the “Oregon Agriculture. Everywhere. Every Day.™” public awareness campaign found that agriculture enjoys a generally positive image, and that 78 percent of those surveyed seek out Oregon-grown products over those grown elsewhere. Research participants said their awareness of Oregon agriculture has increased during the campaign period of the past three years, and that they can more easily find information about Oregon agriculture.

Oregon Agriculture. Everywhere. Every Day.™ was launched in 2000 by Keeping Agriculture Viable, a coalition of industry professionals, and supported by the Agri-Business Council of Oregon (ABC). It is based on more than seven years of industry research and planning, and aims to generate support for Oregon agriculture by Oregonians. In the first three years, the campaign has spent $400,000 in funds raised through grants and industry contributions, and has realized value of more than $1 million through partnerships and sponsorships.

"For the investment the campaign has made, the results have been fantastic," says Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "For years Oregon has needed an industry-wide campaign to brand Oregon agriculture as positive and vital. Oregon Agriculture. Everywhere. Every Day.™ has been an excellent response. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is strongly behind this campaign and we encourage the industry to make sure it continues."

The campaign has included advertising on television, radio and newspaper; promotions and sampling in grocery stores and farmers markets; signage along I-5; promotions at the Oregon Garden; news stories; restaurant promotions and more. To date, total impressions (number of times the target audience saw the message) are more than 100 million. Research shows that 25 percent of respondents had sampled Oregon-grown products at grocery store promotions, eaten at a restaurant featuring Oregon-grown foods or seen roadside signs promoting Oregon agriculture. Ten percent recalled the Oregon Agriculture. Everywhere. Every Day.™ campaign slogan. The survey also finds that 56 percent of respondents recognized TV, radio, and newspaper ads associated with the campaign.

Despite a high interest in buying locally-grown and produced agricultural products, consumers say Oregon goods are difficult to find in supermarkets and restaurants. About 75 percent of focus group participants recognized the “Product of Oregon” logo and all said it would be a useful tool for grocery stores to identify products.

"We've begun to build the demand among consumers; now we need to connect consumers, retailers and producers to complete the circle," says Dick Severson, president of the Agri-Business Council of Oregon. "Consumers are saying, ‘if Oregon products are easy to find and identify, we'll buy them.’ We've made great progress in the past two years through partnerships with Safeway and other grocers. Now it's critical that the campaign continue to build consumer demand and retailer support for Oregon agriculture."

In addition to the "buy local" message, the campaign has emphasized Oregon agriculture's $10 billion annual contribution to the state's economy, employment of one in 12 Oregonians, and stewardship of the land. Compared to findings in a 1997 survey by the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Association and 1999 consumer focus groups, consumer awareness and belief of these messages is higher this year.

"We've used a 'buy local' message with consumers because that's the easiest thing for them to understand and act on immediately," says Marcus Simental, retired farmer, and a founder of Keeping Agriculture Viable. "But the campaign is far more than that—it is building awareness and support for all of Oregon agriculture, including those products consumers won't find in the grocery store, like grass seed and wheat. The goal is to support market, business and legislative conditions for agriculture so it can remain a strong and viable industry in Oregon."

Focus group participants attribute their growing awareness of agriculture to increased visibility by the industry. They give agriculture high marks for output, including producing a fresh, safe, quality product; contributing to the economy and providing jobs; and caring for the land. Issues needing image improvement are use of chemicals, and treatment and compensation of labor. Even with these two lower-scoring items, there was less mention and discussion of negatives this year than in the 1999 focus groups.

The research, conducted by Research Advisory/Market Decisions Corporation and Metropolitan Group, included a telephone survey of 201 randomly-selected Portland-area residents and two consumer focus groups. The telephone survey is considered accurate to within seven percent; the focus groups add anecdotal detail.

"It appears the efforts of the campaign the past three years have been very successful in educating the public about the importance of agriculture in Oregon," says Mary Stewart, executive director of the Agri-Business Council.

The fundraising for year four of the campaign is underway.

Based on the most recent survey, agriculture in Oregon is valued by the people of the state. Most of them are willing to show their support by buying local products.

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