Profiling the strategic marketing activities of the organisations of producers of organic products in Bulgaria

Ivanka Popova

Abstract: Bulgaria has a relatively small, but fast growing sector of organic production. The agricultural area under organic plant growing has tripled in more than two years – to reach 161 thousand ha in 2018 – of which 89 thousand ha of arable land and 33 thousand ha of perennials. The number of organic producers has almost doubled during the same period, reaching 7000 farms. This study examines the strategic marketing activities that organic producers’ organisations perform, as well as the level of implementation of these activities by their members – producers of organic products. For the purposes of the survey, a questionnaire has been developed, through which a consultation is conducted with the managers of the selected organisations. This questionnaire aims to gather information on the degree of implementation of marketing strategies by the organisation of organic producers. The study found serious gaps in the implementation of strategic marketing activities in the investigated organisations of organic producers. Activities that are the basis of the overall process of marketing management (operating information system, market segmentation, developing a profile of the target market, quantifying marketing goals, building a system to control the implementation of marketing strategy) are underestimated (in whole or in part), which calls into question the quality of those being implemented. It is necessary to direct efforts and investments in improving the marketing management of these organisations by inter alia functioning of a leading unit, such as marketing department in the management of business processes in these organisations.

Keywords: marketing strategy; organic producers; organisation of producers; strategic activities

Date published: 2021-09-13