Buying local is a worldwide trend, and companies operating in SA may need to change their strategy and their brand image if they hope to continue to attract consumers, warns marketing and communications company McCann Erickson.

Starbucks and Hellman's were two companies that had embraced this trend and were reaping the benefits, said Rob van Rooyen, McCann Erickson's strategic planning director. "The trend started globally with consumers supporting local farmers and their produce, and has now spread to requiring businesses be more personal and relevant to communities," he said last week.

New York-based branding firm BBMG found the number of people reporting that it was "very important" to them whether a product was grown or produced locally jumped from 26 percent to 32 percent in the past year alone.

Mitch Baranowski, a founding partner of BBMG, said: "It's not just a small cadre of consumers any more."

Working to develop a brand

Van Rooyen said: "You would think after years of working to develop a brand that a company like Starbucks would not open coffee shops without the Starbucks name, yet that is exactly what they have done."

Starbucks intends opening three stores in Seattle that will not carry their logo. Bags of the company's coffee and other products will be rebranded with that coffee shop's name, which will be based on the neighbourhood in which it is situated. The first is 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.

"The shops are meant to reflect a more local feel, as consumers are more likely to support their local coffee shops, especially if they believe it benefits their area," said Van Rooyen.

The rebranding is hoped to provide a boost at a time when retailers, including Starbucks, are suffering from slower foot traffic and lower profit.

Pretend to be community orientated

Hellman's has found that its "The Real Food Movement" ? a campaign promoting local produce ? has been successful. "People are even taking the time to calculate what investment is being made in the community by locally owned businesses versus non-locally owned businesses," said Van Rooyen.

He warns against companies pretending they are community orientated when in reality they are not interested.

"It's not enough to put Proudly South African logos all over everything; the consumer will not be convinced," he said.

Business Day