Evaluating the Marketing Impact of a Regional Branding Program Using Contingent Valuation Methods: The Case of the Appalachian Grown™ Branding Program

The main objective of this study was to develop and test effective messaging and marketing efforts for the Appalachian Grown™ regional branding program. The study included the following activities: 1) A pilot consumer survey to design and evaluate messages and promotional materials to be used in the marketing campaign, 2) Pre and post intervention consumer surveys, and 3) Implementation of the marketing campaign in three stores in the region. The evaluation of the impact of the marketing efforts utilized contingent valuation methods. Our results indicate that consumers’ willingness to pay may be positively impacted by the implementation of in-store local food marketing campaigns. We also identified criteria of trustworthiness, including information about farm name and location, which local food marketing campaigns should consider implementing in the future