Food festivals, food marketing and the re-inventionof a rural community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the effectiveness of food as a marketable entity and a marketing platform. In addition, this narrative provides an illustration of how a rural Australian community re-defined itself in response to unanticipated changes in the immediate economic and political environment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a conceptual review and observations of a rural food festival in Australia. Framed by a review of academic and practitioner materials in the public domain, it highlights the value of food as both a marketing platform and a catalyst for community capacity building, born out of perceived necessity to protect farming land from competing interests, in this instance, from the mining industry. Observations about the festival were made over a 9-month period as the author acted as a volunteer consultant to the Festival’s organizing committee. Findings – The value of food is further re-stated in both its material and symbolic functions as an effective commodity that supports a variety of marketing platforms that appeal to consumer markets. The food festival is an example of a comprehensive marketing entity with elements of preservation marketing, education, tourism, product and service innovation, community capacity building and relationship marketing. Food security emerged as a strong consumer desire across a global landscape. Underlying the success of the food festival itself is the fundamental value of food as a plastic commodity that can be harnessed to a multitude of social, economic, political, religious and cultural goals.