PROMOTION OF LOCAL PRODUCTS IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The aim of this work was to determine the relationship between the promotion of local products and regional development. An attempt was made to compare the opinions of inhabitants of the Podlasie, Lublin and Podkarpacki regions regarding the forms of promotion, accessibility and the related frequency and motives for purchasing regional products. The study used the diagnostic survey method with an original questionnaire, by means of which 1128 respondents from three regions of eastern Poland were eventually examined. The methodological procedures allowed to calculate the sample, where the confidence interval was set at 0.95, the fraction size was 0.50, and the maximum error was 0.05. The Student t test, ANOVA statistics and the Pearson correlation test were used in statistical analysis. The analyses have shown that inhabitants of eastern regions emphasize the importance of regional products - 44.48% of respondents buy local products several times a month. According to respondents, it is best to promote regional events, such as fairs and markets using TV and radio advertising. Statistical analysis demonstrated that respondents' gender influenced the perception of various forms of advertising. It was shown that "curiosity and uncommonness" of local products is one of the main reasons for purchasing them at regional fairs. The authorities should continue to focus on promotions not only at national but also international level.