Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse and clarify the strengths and opportunities that local food producers possess and can use to position themselves and to promote the customer's value creation process.
Research questions: 1. What value-creating factors can local food producers utilize to meet consumer demand and expectations? 2. How can local food producers convey their value offer through relevant marketing channels? 3. How should local food producers position themselves on a competitive market?
Method: This study is of a qualitative nature and the empirical data has been collected through eight semi structured interviews with nine respondents. The respondents consist of six local food producers and three experts on the subject. The study has been conducted with an abductive approach, which includes both inductive and deductive elements.
Conclusion: Based on the study's results, three strengths have been highlighted which characterize the industry. Firstly, they possess a unique value offering, secondly they have close interactions with their customers, thirdly they are making conscious choices in the current climate, which attracts the modern consumer. In order to be able to position themselves in the market, they should utilize the possibilities of digitization, make use of the personal interaction and collaborate between producers.