Certification programs provide farmers a method to distinguish their products within a commodity group and increase marketability. These programs may create a value chain within the food system to help growers differentiate their product, realize premiums, and create a reliable market. While value chains and certification programs in the food system have been evaluated for market access, quality standards, or sustainability ideals, the strategic communications used by certification programs to engage the buyers in the food system have not been discussed.
This case study explored the strategic communications used by two certification programs. The first was the Certified Angus Beef program, a certification program for Angus beef started by the American Angus Association in 1978 and the second was the Ohio Proud program established in 1993 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to provide certification for products grown or processed in the state.
The strategic communications implemented by the two certification programs to reach potential buyers in the food system were identified in this study by looking at the principles of strategic communication which consisted of strategies, messages, and tactics to reach the targeted audiences. The identified strategic communications were analyzed in the context of buyer and seller relationships contained in the relationship communication model developed by Andersen (2001) from channel communication studies in manufacturing. This study extended the theories involved in the model beyond those identified in Andersen’s article (2001), which focused on elements from classical rhetorical philosophy, to communication theories providing more application for the practitioner interested in developing and evaluating strategic communications for value chains and certification programs.
The Andersen (2001) model showed three phases of the relationship-building process as pre-relationship, negotiation, and relationship development with the corresponding communication tasks of awareness, persuasion, and commitment. This study extended the Anderson (2001) model’s relationship-building process to include identified communication theories with each phase of the process: pre-relationship phase and information theory, the negation phase and information-processing theory, and the commitment phase and contingency theory.
Based on the theoretical analysis of the strategic communications, the Ohio Proud program communication strategies were in the awareness, or pre-relationship, phase of the relationship-building process. The communication strategies were unidirectional and indicated the Ohio Proud program started the awareness necessary to start the pre-relationship phase to create an entry point for farmers.
The Certified Angus Beef program communication strategies were in the commitment, or relationship development, phase of the relationship-building process. The communication strategies were bidirectional and indicated a mature communications relationship with the buyers in the food system regarding their product.
The application of the Andersen (2001) relationship-building process model with the extended communication theories was beneficial to identify and analyze strategic communications for a certification program for potential buyers in the food system.
This model with the extended communication theories could be used by agricultural communication practioners in planning strategic communications for to reach potential buyers in the food system. The long-term benefits could be an established value chain available to farmers to create a reliable market and premiums for their product.