Why traditional is so attractive

Stop promoting your product. Start promoting your process.

New research suggests a powerful way to stand out in a cluttered market is to share how you make your product, not just what it is.

Consumers perceive traditionally made products as having better quality and being better for society.  For example, chocolate described as being made with a “traditional” process was believed to be of higher quality by research participants, and they were willing to pay 10% more than when a “standard” process was used.

When told that wine from Northern California was made using a “traditional fermentation method” using “a clay pot atop blocks of ice”, people again thought the wine was higher quality and were more willing to buy than when a “standard fermentation method” using a “steel tank with built-in cooling rings” was used.

Why “traditional” works

The allure of traditional processes is seemingly grounded in people’s desire for cultural preservation. It’s a reaction to negative aspects of modernisation, and a throwback to simpler times. By promoting your use of traditional methods, you can signal your commitment to societal continuity.

According to the researchers: “Brands can use the traditional aspects of their production method to give a moral undertone to their operations that will translate into higher quality perceptions by consumers. This communication strategy should highlight how the traditional method protects cultural heritage, such as skills, knowledge, and techniques that have been used for a long time, without being restricted to some manual intervention.”

Before you rush to promote your process, the research highlighted three considerations:

1. It doesn’t work when you reveal you’re doing it because your competitors are. In this case you’ll be poorly perceived as a follower.
2. It doesn’t work for multinationals. A large multinational promoting its traditional methods simply won’t be believed by consumers.
3. Traditional doesn’t have to mean ‘handmade’ or manual. As the wine example referring to clay pots demonstrates, there can be equipment and mechanisation involved. However, handmade does carry a particular cache with buyers.

How to talk about your process

Lindt does a great job of promoting their difference in the cluttered chocolate market. Despite being a multinational, some of the messages on their website will give you a taste of how to talk about process. For example:

• “…unrivalled care and unparalleled skill that goes into each chocolate”
• “…fresh from the kitchen”
• “…brought to you by our passionate Master Chocolatiers since 1845”

The key is to look at what you do in a fresh light. Stop taking your process for granted and start celebrating why it makes your product unique.

This article originally appeared in Smartcompany. 

_{Ref: Wilcox, Keith & Laporte, Sandra & Ward, Gabriel. (2023). How Traditional Production Shapes Perceptions of Product Quality. Journal of Consumer Research.}