Branding of cut lilies in Uonuma city, Niigata prefecture

Abstract

This study was carried out to clarify the current status of cut lily branding and identify the effects of and issues associated with branding in the geographic area of production to examine the significance of branding for the production area and producers. The easing of restrictions on the import of lily bulbs from the Netherlands in 1990 has contributed to an increase in cut lily producers nationwide. Young farmers in the city of Uonuma (formeriy Horinouchi), Niigata prefecture established "Uonuma-Sanzan." a cut lily brand, to compete with producers in other areas. This branding has been conducted by the formation of regional linkages on three different scales. The first is an international linkage for the procurement of bulbs on a global scale. The second is a domestic linkage of production areas for the outsourcing of high-quality bulb production, and of targeted markets separated by product class. The third is a local linkage of production areas for cut flower production and delivery. Through the formation of such regional linkages. Uonuma-Sanzan lilies have become more voluminous, well-balanced, and luxurious with larger buds, thicker leaves, and thinner, shorter, and firmer stems compared with other lilies on the market, all contributing to the brand's positive reception and high market value. In the seven years since the establishment of the brand, sales have increased through the new addition of lower-class products and the stratification of products. The Uonuma-Sanzan example shows the possibility of differentiating products that are not uniquely developed in an area through the innovation of methods of procurement from distributors, the development of bulb refrigeration technology, improvement of cut flower production processes, and the systematization of delivery and sales processes. Such individual approaches may not always be impossible to imitate in other production areas; however, the results of this study suggest the possibility of establishing a certain barrier to entry through the linkage of such approaches, which leads to the achievement of high value-added production.