Marketers use artisan label to evoke more sales

— -- There was a time when the word "artisan" meant something.

These days, the word — which used to mean hand-crafted — is showing up on just about anything edible. There's Domino's Artisan Pizza. And Tostitos Artisan Recipes chips. Starbucks has Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches. And just rolling out: Fannie May's FM Artisan chocolates at $50 for a box of 25 pieces.

And 1-800-Flowers, which owns Fannie May, is even thinking about extending its new artisan line into popcorn.

Anyone feel the urge for an artisan chuckle?

Marketers know that consumers buy into this artisan imagery. More than 800 new food products have christened themselves artisan something-or-other in the past five years, reports researcher Datamonitor. While fewer than 80 new foods dubbed themselves artisan just four years ago, the number more than doubled to nearly 200 in 2010.

"The word artisan suggests that the product is less likely to be mass-produced," says Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director at Datamonitor. "It also suggests the product may be less processed and perhaps better tasting and maybe even be better for you."

For most marketers, laughs Russell Weiner, chief marketing officer at Domino's, calling something artisan is "an excuse to charge a lot of money." Which is why Domino's says it went the other way — sort of.

"We're artisan in quality, but not in price," Weiner insists.

Its new line of Artisan pizzas — each box signed by the employee who made the pizza — was rolled out at $7.99. But a closer look at these rectangular, premium pizzas shows they're really about the size of medium pizzas that, on special, sell for $5.99 each (when you order two.)

The box itself pokes fun at the artisan label. "We're not artisan," it says in big red letters on every box. "We don't wear black berets, cook with wood-fired ovens or apprentice with the masters in Italy."

Domino's is calling its new pizza artisan "with a wink and a smile," says Weiner. "We're not taking ourselves too seriously."

Others, however, are taking the artisan stuff very seriously:

•Chips. Sales of Tostito Artisan Recipes chips are so good that Frito-Lay is looking at expanding the line, says spokesman Chris Kuechenmeister. But not, he concedes, into Cheetos.

•Sandwiches. There are veggie artisans, too. Starbucks rolled out a Veggie & Monterey Jack Artisan Breakfast Sandwich this year.

•Candy. Each piece of Fannie May's new hand-painted artisan chocolates "looks like a work of art," says David Taiclet, president of the gourmet food group at 1-800-Flowers. "People eat with their eyes."