The Contribution of Marketing and Branding Efforts in Food Exports: Evidence from Panel Data

摘要

This paper examines the relationship between food-related trademark activity, approximating for branding and marketing efforts, and food exports for the 48 contiguous states of the US over the period 1999–2015. We find a strong and positive relationship between these two variables. Further robustness checks, including an instrumental variables approach, provide evidence that marketing and branding activities contribute to food exports. With respect to food export policy our results point to providing incentives to the private sector (cooperatives, farmers, firms) to pursue marketing and branding efforts.