Regional Food Branding

Next month a well known branding guru from Melbourne will be coming to Tropical North Queensland to run a series of workshops with the food and agri-food tourism industry to develop a regional food brand. It is something that has been talked about for a several years and now the time has come.

When you think of areas such as Barossa, Margaret River and Yarra Valley, you immediately think of an indulgence of fresh regional gourmet food and luscious wine. How did that happen? The people of the regions worked together to share a mindset of values and behaviour that created a language to clearly describe their region and its produce, and defines its point of difference. They have persisted over the years and have successfully marketed their regional brand nationally and even internationally.

So what does this region have that is unique and sets us apart from all the others? Everything! Whereas other regional brands tend to revolve around wine, olives and cheese, our region has a very diverse range of unique fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices, seafood, coffee and nuts; the list goes on! With the contribution of regional food and tourism champions at workshops held in Cairns, the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast and Mossman where the uniqueness of each area will be identified, a very different regional branding is set to emerge.