Organic products have become increasingly popular over the years, as consumers become more and more interested in the health and environmental benefits of eating organic.
But who makes up the target market for organic products? Is it just a niche group of people interested in healthy eating, or is the target market much broader?
If you’re considering making organic products, whether they are food products or other types of products, or if you are considering carrying organic products in your store, you will want to know who your target customer is and what attracts them to organic options.
In this article, we’ll discuss who exactly buys organic and what motivates them to buy it even when it is usually more expensive than non-organic alternatives.
Who is the Target Market for Organic Products?
One of the best ways to understand the target market for organic products is to dive deep into people’s motivations for choosing organic products over conventional alternatives.
This is especially important if you are planning to make or carry organic products and need to design marketing campaigns to attract potential customers to your store or business. If your marketing campaigns and communication messages do not resonate with your target audience, they will likely not buy your product and will turn to an alternative.
So, why do people choose organic?
By answering this basic question, we can break down the target market for organic products into the following segments:
- People who are interested in eating healthy
- People who favor organic farming practices
- People who are interested in environmental sustainability
- People with allergies or food sensitivities
- People who are looking for natural and/or organic alternatives to conventional products
Let’s look closely at each of these segments of the target market of organic products.
1. People who are interested in eating healthy
One of the main reasons why people by organic is because they believe it is healthier for them. For this segment of the market, the primary objective is healthy eating.
They may also believe that organic food is more nutritious because it is grown in more natural conditions.
However, according to UC Davis, from purely a nutritional standpoint organic and non-organic foods are the same.
But what makes organic food more attractive to this segment of the market is the benefit it provides by avoiding the use of artificial pesticides and herbicides in fruit and vegetables as well as hormones and steroids in meat. This segment is also attracted to seafood that is organically grown or better wild-caught.
2. People who favor organic farming practices
Another group of people who are attracted to organic products is those who support organic farming practices.
Organic farming is usually done on a smaller scale, and it relies on more natural methods, such as using organic fertilizers like compost instead of chemical fertilizers.
This type of farming is thought to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than conventional large-scale commercial farming methods.
3. People who are interested in environmental sustainability
Many people who buy organic products are interested in environmental sustainability.
They want to support farmers who use methods that are minimally damaging to the environment.
They may also believe that organic products have a smaller carbon footprint than conventional products. Such people also tend to buy local because this means that the food doesn’t have to be transported over long distances thus further reducing its carbon footprint.
People who care about environmental sustainability usually also make non-food purchases following the same principles. For instance, they will opt for sustainable fashion instead of mass-produced clothes in a factory far away. And when given a choice, they will prefer environmentally-friendly green products over conventional products.
4. People with allergies or food sensitivities
People with allergies or food sensitivities are another target market for organic products.
They may be interested in organic foods because they believe them to be more pure and free of allergens and toxins.
Also, organic certification standards prohibit the use of certain pesticides and chemicals that are known to cause allergies.
5. People who are looking for natural and/or organic alternatives to conventional products
Finally, we should remember that food products aren’t the only ones that can be organic.
There is a growing market for organic cosmetics, clothing, cleaning products, and more.
People who are looking for natural and/or organic alternatives to conventional products may be interested in organic options for the same reasons as those interested in healthy eating or environmental sustainability.
And if they cannot find an organic option, they will turn to a natural alternative. This is very common when it comes to products used on our bodies. Common examples of natural products for the body include natural skin care products and natural hair products.
Organic Products: What Factors Influence Purchase Decisions?
Once consumers make a decision to purchase an organic product over a non-organic product, they go through a purchase decision process that helps them choose one organic product over another organic product.
To make sure that a consumer chooses your organic product instead of your competitor’s you need to fully understand the factors that influence purchase decisions.
When it comes to the target market for organic products, here are the top factors that influence purchase decisions:
- Quality
- Price
- Necessity
- Certification
- Availability
1. Quality
Needless to say, consumers expect organic products to be better in terms of quality than their conventional counterparts. One of the main reasons for buying organic is the belief that these products are healthier and safer.
Organic products also need to meet certain standards in order to be certified, which adds another layer of quality control. In general, organic products are subject to more rigorous testing and quality assurance procedures than conventional products.
2. Price
The price is often the biggest factor influencing the purchase of organic products.
Organic products can be quite a bit more expensive than conventional counterparts, sometimes as much as 50% more.
This is because organic farmers often have smaller farms and use more labor-intensive methods. They also don’t usually receive the same subsidies that conventional farmers do.
All of these factors make it more difficult and expensive to produce organic products.
However, many consumers are willing to pay the premium for quality organic products because they see it as an investment in their lives by eating better and living better.
3. Necessity
Not all organic products are created equal. Some are seen as essential, while others are viewed as luxury items.
For example, most people would view organic baby food as an essential purchase, while organic shampoo might be seen as a luxury.
This is an important factor to consider when marketing organic products. You need to make sure that your target market views your product as a necessity.
When deciding to buy organic or non-organic it is often a balance between price and necessity. A consumer interested in buying potatoes might look at the price of organic potatoes and ask themselves – “Do I really need organic potatoes?”.
On the other hand, the same consumer might not blink an eye when paying more for organic meat.
So before deciding what type of organic product to make or carry in your store, you should think carefully about whether or not your target market will see it as a necessity.
4. Certification
Organic products must be certified in order to bear the label. This certification process can be costly and time-consuming, but it is necessary in order to ensure quality and to give a guarantee to the consumer that the product is actually organic.
The certification process also gives farmers and producers a set of standards to follow, which makes it easier for them to produce quality products.
The additional layer of quality control that the certification process adds furthers the perception that organic products are better than conventional products.
And so consumers will look for the proper certification before confirming that the product is genuinely organic.
5. Availability
The availability of organic products has increased dramatically over the past few years as demand has risen. However, there are still some areas where organic options are limited.
For example, organic produce is often more expensive and harder to find in rural areas. This can be a factor when consumers make purchase decisions.
If your target market has limited access to organic products, you need to make sure that your product is available in the right channels.
You also need to account for the fact that your target market may be willing to pay a premium for your product if it is not easily available.
These are the main factors that influence purchase decisions when it comes to organic products. If you want to successfully target this market, you need to make sure that you understand these factors and how they apply to your target market.
Summary
The target market for organic products is both growing and changing. As more and more people become aware of the dangers of chemicals, pesticides and other harmful substances used in the production of conventional foods, they are attracted to organic alternatives. Organic farmers are also finding new ways to grow organic food such that prices are brought down to make organic food affordable to the masses.
The target market for organic food is changing because people have now started to look for organic products beyond food including cosmetics, cleaning supplies and even clothing. This is leading to many people adopting an “organic lifestyle”.
The primary motivation behind turning to organic foods is to eat healthy. People are looking to support organic farming practices by shunning artificial chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, etc.
Environmental sustainability is also a big factor that attracts people to organic as are allergies and food sensitivities.
When choosing one organic product over another, people often compare based on quality, price, necessity, availability and certification.
So, when you decide which organic product to make or carry you should take this complex decision making process into account. This will not only help you bring to market a product people actually want but will also help you craft marketing strategies that work.
By understanding the target market for organic products, you can make sure that your product is positioned correctly and that you are marketing to the right people in the right way.