The Artisan Label
November 15, 2011 by Nina
A recent USA Today article examined the use — or perhaps more accurately, overuse — of the word “artisan” in marketing campaigns. More than 800 companies are following this trend. Tostitos has an Artisan Recipes tortilla chips line; Starbucks sells Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches; and Wendy’s serves an Artisan Egg Sandwich.
When exposed to “artisan” ads, I never thought twice about the word or what it actually meant. Merriam-Webster defines it as “one that produces something in limited quantities often using traditional methods” — which, to me, doesn’t exactly fit a chain restaurant like Wendy’s.
So what is it about this certain label that appeals to consumers? As most marketers know, it’s all about perception. To many, a product touted as artisan is perceived to be more gourmet, fresh, homegrown and/or exclusive — resulting in a higher cost.
Domino’s used an opposite approach with its recent “We’re Not Artisans” campaign by poking fun at the snobbery associated with the term and emphasizing their low prices.
With so many “artisan” products clogging the market, does the label still retain its original meaning by describing a gourmet product — or should marketers be called out on this food foul?
Nina Laureano is a public relations intern at Costa DeVault and is a senior at Stetson University majoring in family enterprises with a minor in marketing. Writing this blog post made her hungry.
Dominoes pizza box for its "Artisan Pizza" promotion
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