Title: Perceptions on differentiation strategies for horticultural products marketing in North America: a qualitative analysis of managerial lessons

Authors: Carlos Demaret-Carvalho; Rajagopal

Addresses: EGADE Business School, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – ITESM, Calle del Puente, 222, Col. Ejidos de Huipulco, CP: 14380, Delegación Tlalpan, Distrito Federal, México ' EGADE Business School, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey – ITESM, Calle del Puente, 222, Col. Ejidos de Huipulco, CP: 14380, Delegación Tlalpan, Distrito Federal, México

Abstract: Conducting an empirical research through in-depth qualitative interviews during a practitioner agribusiness congress in Irapuato, Mexico, the authors have identified strategies of product differentiation from different members of the Mexican export horticultural industry and discuss the continuous and proactive use of private agrifood standards as a mean to create innovative and sustainable competitive advantages from the lower levels of the supply chain, despite the idea that it is difficult to introduce strategies of differentiation when the members of the chain are far from the consumers.

Keywords: product differentiation; marketing; agribusiness; private standards; horticultural products; certification; competitive advantage; USA; United States; differentiation strategies; Mexico; agrifood standards.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBCG.2015.075277

International Journal of Business Competition and Growth, 2015 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.152 - 168

Received: 05 Mar 2015
Accepted: 19 Jul 2015
Published online: 09 Mar 2016 *

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