You need to understand locavores and their motivations before you can develop a locavore program for your organization. This lesson gives you an understanding of locavores and the local food movement as well as several other audiences that might be likely to sign up for a food-motivated hunting or fishing class. The lesson also introduces the concept of personas and how you can use them to develop and market your program.
Locavore Exercises
This exercise introduces workshop participants to the different audiences that may be drawn to their locavore hunting and angling programs and starts the process of building personas to represent various target audiences.
Live, virtual Q&A sessions will be held in the fall of 2021. As each session is completed, the video will be added to this site.
Here's the live Q&A Schedule, if you are interested. We hope to see you there!
How many personas should I have?
There is no magic number. As many as there are different types of people interested in the activity you are promoting. If I were going to have a rule of thumb I would say at least 2, and I would hesitate to go over 4 unless I really saw over 4 distinctly different types of people.
If at all possible, your personas should be based on surveys, focus groups, or some other research or experience with your target audience(s).
Can I use the same personas as the lesson/video?
Sure! If you don't have any research to base alternative personas on, that is probably the best way to go. BUT customize them for your state. Use common names for the area you serve, use local towns, schools, businesses, lakes, public hunting areas etc., in your persona.
How do I determine if I need personas for hunting, fishing, or both?
First, if you are only promoting fishing or hunting you will only need personas for that activity. If you are promoting both, your true locavore personas for both activities might be very similar if not identical. They could also be different if previous activities like paddling or hiking steer some people toward hunting or fishing.
Again, if at all possible, your personas should be based on research or verified by research if they are based entirely on hunches.
I completed the “quick version” of the persona. Should I complete the “full version” now?
I would complete the “quick version” during the workshop and work with it until you draft your locavore plan. If you think your decision maker will need a more complete description to approve a program, I would flesh out my personas at this point. If your decision maker won’t require that level of specifics, add the research to complete your personas to your proposal and complete them as part of your program.
Where do I get the information for my personas?
Ideally the information is 100% research based. In the process of completing the exercises in this workshop we recommend that you adapt the information we are providing with your personal experience, knowledge of your state and any research you have available.
PowerPoint for What is a Locavore - Locavore.guide
You need to understand locavores and their motivations before you can develop a locavore program for your organization. This lesson gives you an understanding of locavores and the local food movement as well as several other audiences that might be likely to sign up for a food-motivated hunting or fishing class. The lesson also introduces the concept of personas and how you can use them to develop and market your program.
Sample Personas of Likely Locavores
Personas are fictional characters, based on research representing the various user types of a product or service. Personas will help you to understand your users’ needs, experiences, behaviors, and goals. Creating personas can help you step out of yourself. It can help you to recognize that different people have different needs and expectations.
These documents contain a variety of sample personas that could be useful in developing your locavore program.
Information on the VALS profiling system
VALS segments US adults into eight distinct types—or mindsets—using a specific set of psychological traits and key demographics that drive consumer behavior. The US Framework, a graphic representation of VALS, illustrates the eight types and two critical concepts for understanding consumers: primary motivation and resources. The combination of motivations and resources determines how a person will express himself or herself in the marketplace as a consumer.
Locavore Surveys done as part of Locavore.Guide 1.0
These documents summarize part of the research done in the development of the original Locavore.Guide website & workshop. The information could be very valuable in your efforts to understand locavores and build personas for your locavore program.
Articles on the Locavore Movement
An article by Keith G. Tidball, Moira M. Tidball, and Paul Curtis from the Journal of Natural Sciences Education, Volume 42, 2013. The article describes the local food movement and how it might serve as a source of new hunters and anglers.
Keith Tidball, Moira Tidball, Lincoln Larson, Paul Curtis, & Rich Stedman's presentation on the locavore movement from the 2016 International Hunter Education Association Conference.
2014 Article from The American Conservative describing the locavore trend.
Organic/Whole Foods Consumer Demographics
People interested in organic, whole and/or sustainable food are excellent candidates for locavore hunting/angling programs. These articles offer a better understanding of that market segment.
Marketing to Diverse Audiences
Marketing is vitally important when planning and delivering programs for diverse audiences. Many of these ethnically diverse audiences do not have a connection with Extension. Given this fact, they are much less likely to respond to indirect marketing techniques (brochures, flyers, radio spots, etc.).
A technique called personal marketing can help bridge this gap. Adapting marketing strategies from the business world, this fact sheet provides strategies for more successful marketing through direct, personal marketing techniques.
Survey of Indiana Hunt Fish Eat Graduates
Survey of Indiana Hunt Fish Eat graduates. The information here can be useful in helping you build a persona.
The results of a post-program survey of Indiana Hunt/Fish/Eat graduates.