Competitor Analysis

For a project in my PR Publications class, I am required to create a business card and a letterhead for an organization that interests me. I chose The Earth Café and Deli. I was also asked to create a Pinterest board to analyze The Earth’s competitors. This blog post seeks to analyze the competition that The Earth faces.

The Earth’s main competitors in Norman are Natural Grocers and Sprouts, which are both fairly close to The Earth. Another competitor could be Whole Foods, located in Oklahoma City.

The two things that set The Earth apart are its deli and the fact that it is locally owned. Whole Foods does serve food on premises, but it is hardly a deli. It has the feel of a cafeteria or buffet, with less human interaction. The employees of The Earth are also a breath of fresh air. Unlike the other stores, The Earth does not serve meat.

I think that The Earth needs to emphasize its friendly, laid back atmosphere and urge (but not too much) its customers to support local business. The Earth does not use a lot of advertising, but neither do its competitors here in Norman. I think since it is locally owned, The Earth could be more involved in the community. Perhaps they could set up a booth on campus sometimes and serve cheap smoothies to students during finals week. This would let people try the goods as well as spread the word. I don’t think The Earth should emphasize the meat thing too much, though. In Oklahoma, people love their meat, so I would leave that to be a surprise. Overall, I think that The Earth needs to be involved locally and continue promoting the benefits of a natural foods lifestyle.