New Hampshire’s maple producers are stepping beyond their usual markets and exploring global opportunities. To support this effort, Marianna Chapman and Andy Chapman recently led a vision session with the members of the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association (NHMPA) during their 2024 Annual Conference in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
With funding from a USDA ACER Grant, the state of New Hampshire, in partnership with the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association, enlisted FEAST Global to conduct a market analysis and develop a global expansion strategy for the New Hampshire Maple industry, all under the professional umbrella of the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association.
This vision session during the 2024 NHMPA Annual Conference was a crucial part of the strategic planning process. At FEAST Global, we rely on a wide range of market, production and consumer data which we overlap and analyze for our market analysis and strategic planning projects. However, equally important is the data we receive through personal feedback from individual suppliers, including their self-assessment of strengths, weaknesses, personalities, and interests. Without considering these aspects and listening to their feedback on our initial ideas, it is impossible to gain industry alignment and buy-in necessary to achieve the sales results and return on investment that are possible based on the data.
In this case, the NHMPA membership reached nearly unanimous agreement during this vision casting session and the subsequent Q&A forum. Following the conference, the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association reported an all-time high in member engagement and new membership commitments in their post-conference industry survey.
Since the conference, the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association has approved FEAST Global’s full market analysis and global marketing strategy and has begun implementing the recommendations in that report. Among those next steps are involvement in two trade missions and participation by six companies in an upcoming buyers mission in Boston, where companies will meet buyers from over 15 different countries all around the globe.
FEAST Global not only provides strategic research and planning but also executes programming that brings suppliers within the industry together to create broad industry unity and momentum. This united approach helps ensure that the entire industry can leverage their collective strengths, achieving results that exceed industry standards for return on investment within a much shorter timeline.
One of the key elements of the New Hampshire Maple marketing strategy is industry-specific export readiness training and coaching sessions as well as a system to ensure that trade leads are matched to suppliers quickly and with backup industry support to insure a high sales closing rate. Success in international markets requires export readiness, which involves understanding shelf life, packaging, labeling, and logistics. FEAST Global provides the technical support needed to navigate all of these complexities, helping our clients get ready to meet international demand. This comprehensive approach not only prepares producers practically, but it also instills confidence in their ability to compete globally.
For new exporters and industry groups, the journey into new international markets can be daunting. FEAST Global supports the entire process, from understanding the possibilities and setting a vision to engaging in the process to achieve that vision by aligning their production, marketing, training, and coaching. Ultimately, we create best-fit buyer matches that lead to impressive new export sales volumes.
The New Hampshire Maple industry, new to export promotions as a collective industry, possesses a premium product that requires a clear understanding of what makes them special to be competitive against well-funded and established global mega brands like Canada Maple. By helping the entire industry work together to highlight their unique qualities, FEAST Global helps them stand out in the global market.
This case study demonstrates how strategic market positioning can elevate an entire industry. For stakeholders in various agricultural sectors, our approach showcases the potential for achieving higher prices and greater recognition for quality products. This is about marketing beyond locality or lowest price point; it’s about clearly understanding your value and then finding markets that truly value your product. Increased demand and higher prices don’t just benefit suppliers, but build economic opportunity within entire communities on both sides of an export sales transaction, a model that can be applied across a variety of commodities, specialty crops and value-added products.
At FEAST Global, we’re passionate about turning agricultural products into international success stories. Our approach is not just about strategy but about building unity and momentum within industries to achieve impressive results. If we can achieve this unity and momentum for the New Hampshire Maple producers, we can do it for you, too. We invite you to explore how FEAST Global can help you achieve your highest value in the global marketplace. With offices in India, Southeast Asia and Latin America, we invite you to contact us to request more information or schedule a discovery call.