The Food Hub Project from an Open Marketing Perspective -Part 1-

Hello everyone. I am Hayashi, the representative of Monosus.
Because of my schedule, I write this series while I'm on business trips to Thailand, so it's inevitably influenced by a tropical atmosphere.
This time, we are working in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, where winter is still in full swing.
Using the Food Hub Project as an example, I would like to delve deeper into the concept of Open Marketing.

In the previous article, we discussed how to practice Open Marketing:
At the core of the company (team),

• For social issues that will make the world (community) better,
• Explain the necessity and propose solutions.
• We aim to achieve this together with our customers.

I told them that it is important to have these values.

The Food Hub Project is an initiative launched by Monosus in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, together with the Kamiyama Town Office and the Kamiyama Tsunagu Corporation, to connect agriculture to the next generation.
In this article, I would like to talk about the Food Hub Project's activities from the perspective of open marketing, so I would recommend that you read my previous article for more details about the Food Hub Project's activities.

For those of you who don't have much time, I'll give you a brief summary:

(Social issues in Kamiyama)

A lack of agricultural workers has led to an increase in abandoned farmland, and even if efforts are made to increase the number of new farmers, farming that caters to the mass consumption market is not profitable and it is difficult to maintain a livelihood.

(Proposal of a solution)

We have our own farm, restaurant and bakery to connect small-scale producers in the town with local consumers.
We will create a "food hub" that will function as a grocery store, a processing and manufacturing center, and a test kitchen, and by linking and circulating small-scale production and consumption, we will create a system that supports agricultural workers.

This is the Food Hub Project's initiative.

This time, I would like to focus on how these initiatives will be carried out.
I would like to talk about how we will achieve this together with our customers, the people of Kamiyama .

I would like to make it clear in advance that the Food Hub Project is a company that was established less than a year ago and does not currently operate restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, or other businesses.
The complex, called "Kamaya," has hub functions such as a test kitchen.
It will open this Friday, March 3rd.

Through the Food Hub Project, we not only propose the idea of Open Marketing to our clients as a web production company,
We are trying to take on the challenge of putting this into practice in our own way.

Solving social issues by solving customer problems.

The Food Hub Project is not a global brand.
It goes without saying that it is rooted in the local community.

What is the Food Hub Project trying to achieve?
By having the people of Kamiyama eat Kamiyama's agriculture, we can pass it on to the next generation .

On the other hand, it is important to create an economic cycle within the region, such as through local production and consumption (the Food Hub Project calls this "local production and local food").
If people get involved in abandoned farmland and take care of it as satoyama, that would be good. Anyone who has a connection to any area that is facing the problem of depopulation, not just Kamiyama, would know that.
I think everyone feels this to some degree.

However, when I think about my own life and the life of my family, it becomes extremely inconvenient to rely only on local products.

In other words, there is a clash between what one really thinks and what one says.

In situations like these, people almost always prioritize their true feelings.
Only a very small percentage of consumers are willing to sacrifice the convenience and quality of their own lives in order to consume products locally.

In other words, "We will work on local production and food, support agriculture in Kamiyama, and pass on farmland to the next generation."
I think that simply insisting on this goal will make it difficult to solve problems together with local residents.

In order to solve social issues that I feel are problems together with my customers,
We believe that we must also solve the customer's own problems at the same time .

To go a little further,
It is important to build a system that solves social issues by solving customer problems .

For example, I think there is a common understanding that eco is important.
That being said, it is unlikely that there are many people who would make eco-friendly expenditures that are significantly lacking in economic rationality.
Without resolving the dissatisfaction (=issues) with everyday energy expenditures, or at least keeping it to the same level,
I think it will be difficult to get customer consent.

Also, if there is no benefit to the customer in having their problem solved,
Because the original funds will disappear, even if they once agreed with us,
This makes it difficult to build lasting collaborative relationships.

When viewed from this perspective, there are many food-related issues facing the people living in Kamiyama.

• Although there are local grocery stores and roadside stations that sell vegetables, if you want to make a large purchase, you have to travel more than 30 minutes each way.
• Kamiyama used to be home to a popular wood-fired bakery, but since that store closed, there are few stores selling bread in the area.
• Although there are a few restaurants that serve lunch, there are almost no restaurants open in the evening, so the options for dining out with the family or chatting at an izakaya are extremely limited.
  

To put it more simply, "I want to do fulfilling shopping closer to home" and "I want to be able to eat delicious bread easily."
"I want a restaurant in my neighborhood where I can eat out with my family." "I want to drink at a local izakaya."
These are the kinds of worries that the people living in Kamiyama have been plagued by.

Solving or alleviating this problem is the local food initiative.
I believe that this will overlap with supporting agriculture in Kamiyama.

Today I gave an analytical overview, but next time I will talk about the Food Hub Project, which will share its challenges with the people of Kamiyama.
What are you trying to do to move things in a slightly better direction?
I'd like to talk a bit more from an Open Marketing perspective.

P.S.
If you have a chance to visit Shikoku or Tokushima, please be sure to stop by the restaurant "Kama-ya" and "Kamapan & Store" run by the Food Hub Project.