Marketing of locally produced sustainable animal fiber products

Marketing of locally produced sustainable animal fiber products

Summary

Funds for the project were received in November of 2008, so this report covers a 4-month period.

Subcontract agreements have been signed and Human Subjects approval has either been awarded or review is currently ongoing at all three university partners. Project participants are being consulted on the questionnaire development and product development options for products to use doing the experimental auctions are being pursued. A PhD student at Kansas State University is being recruited to join the project in Fall 2009.
At this stage, project activities are focusing on product development and finalization of the survey instrument. Future reports will articulate results of data gathering and analyses.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Estimate the value consumers place on apparel products made from locally grown fibers and fibers grown using sustainable production methods.

2. Investigate the effects of labeling on premiums for Southern fiber products.

3. Identify and characterize the attitudes and motivations of market segments of consumers willing to pay premiums for products produced from sustainable, locally grown animal fiber.

4. Develop and communicate pricing, labeling, and marketing strategies to Southern animal fiber producers using sustainable production methods.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1) Socks for use in the experiment will be procured through purchases or custom-ordering.

This benchmark has not been met, but will be accomplished in the next few months. Meetings have begun with project partners to outline the product parameters. Additional conversations have been held with industry stakeholders, consumers of US wool, about the best ways to include the results project in their strategic planning for product development.

2) Approval for research with human subjects will be obtained from all three participating universities.

This benchmarks has been partially met, with exemption from review received from Texas State University and exemption from review anticipated shortly from Kansas State University. IRB at University of Delaware requires full review for this sort of experiment and will be completed by the end of spring

3) The survey instrument will be developed and pretested.

This benchmark has been partially met, with preliminary instruments being used for IRB approval and literature reviews of relevant theoretical topics for inclusion also completed. Pretesting will be conducted this summer.

4) The auction sites will be selected and the auction session will be coordinated.

This benchmark is not yet complete, but conversations among participants have narrowed down likely sites for the auctions.

5) A recruiting firm will be selected and hired to recruit participants at each location.

Several recruiting firms have been identified and quotes will be solicited by the end of April.

The following benchmarks will be met in 2009 and early 2010.

6) The auctions will be conducted.
7) The data will be analyzed.
8) The results will be used to create marketing materials.
9) The marketing materials will be placed online.
10) The results and marketing strategies will be shared with animal fiber producers, apparel manufacturers and other stakeholders in sustainable fiber supply chain.
11) The results will be used to create peer-reviewed presentations and articles for dissemination in academic forums.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

At this early point, peer-reviewed publications have not been generated. A press release about the grant generated a web article about the project and Texas State University purchased a one-page advertisement in Texas Monthly magazine that names the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program as the funding agency for research on “green economics”. This publicity garnered additional stakeholder support in Texas, with calls from producers seeking information about the anticipated results.

Collaborators: