Posts Tagged ‘customer relationships’

Preservation through production

By admin, November 2, 2010

“Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms,” says Jim Sherraden, manager of Hatch Show Print, one of America’s oldest working letterpress print shops. In business since 1879, Hatch Show Print is located in downtown Nashville, TN.

Step through the door and soaring above you are posters, floor to ceiling, all done by hand, on a letter press with wooden and lead type. To be exact, everything is done by hand. Hand cranked, hand inked, hand trimmed and packaged by hand. And then says Sherraden, “…we call the customer from a rotary telephone.”

Hatch is a working museum with artifacts from the turn of the century. As you’ll see from this video, what they’re really about is “preservation through production.” If you love music, just one visit will convince you that that’s true.

You’ll see posters ranging from Bessie Smith to the Beastie Boys and every genre in between. But what really stands out is that the shop is home to a who’s-who of country music history, which makes sense since Hatch Show Print has been making posters for the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame for years. The same type is used today as was 70 years ago.

And isn’t this like farming, where the land, the traditions, the history and the craftsmanship are preserved by keeping farms in production? Even with all the technological advances and innovations in agronomy and machinery, farming is still a hands-on endeavor that requires patience and passion. The same values that go into making the art of Hatch Show Print.

One poster at a time, one field at a time. Passion and determination is what keeps traditions alive. Farming is no different. Without it, it’s just another industry.

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Seeing Innovations Up Close and Personal.

By Chris Jurewicz, September 23, 2010

Someone get this guy a glass of water. That’s what I was thinking as Joe Kelsay, a sixth-generation dairy and crop farmer in Indiana, spoke to a group of Canadian agriculture media this week.

The temperature was 35°C (or 95°F) in the Whiteland, IN region on Wednesday as Kelsay took a group of 13 media on a tour of his farm. He spoke with pride and passion about his operation for close to 90 minutes and, yes, his throat was getting a little dry by the end.

Kelsay with media

Joe Kelsay speaks with Canadian ag media near Whiteland, IN.

This was, however, the perfect conclusion to the 2010 Innovations in Agriculture media tour, which AdFarm organized for one of its clients, Dow AgroSciences.

Kelsay’s family has been farming on the land for more than 150 years and was granted the Hoosier Homestead Award in 2009. To qualify, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years. The farms also have to consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of products each year.

Reporters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec were thrilled to spend some time with “Dairy Joe” and to learn about how he has ensured his farm remains relevant in an ever-changing industry. Kelsay spoke about management practices, conservation efforts, innovations and even marketing – his tour ran the gamut.

And, just as the conclusion of the Innovations tour was impressive, so was the start – and everything in between.

The group kicked off the trip with a tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. The tie between innovations in automobile design and technology – and that of innovations in the agriculture industry – was not lost on this group.

The Indy Motor Speedway is a must-see in the region. Each year, around 300,000 people gather on the speedway grounds for the annual race. Next year’s race will mark 100 years of the Indy 500 (if they can fit 400,000 people on the grounds, I bet it will happen!).

The link to innovations continued on Tuesday, as the media toured the ever-expanding Dow AgroSciences headquarters in Indianapolis. The day was spent looking at the challenges and opportunities the industry faces over the next few decades, which will see the global population increase significantly.

Dow’s headquarters is under construction and will see thousands of additional square feet being added over the coming months. This was the first time a group of Canadian journalists was given the chance to see the work in progress.

A final element of note during this tour was a popular visit to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, which markets itself as the largest children’s museum on the planet. For a tour about innovation, this was a perfect fit.

Thank you, Indianapolis, for a great visit. Now, if you can, please send some of that heat up north.

What agricultural innovations are you most-impressed with or excited about?

Chris Jurewicz is a PR Specialist in AdFarm’s Calgary office. You can follow him on Twitter @chrisjurewicz

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197 Miles of Respect.

By Les Kahl, September 3, 2010

At AdFarm, we take great pride in the relationships we have with our clients. We very much consider those relationships to be partnerships and we treat them that way. This past weekend, myself and 3 other AdFarmers, together with our client partner Agrotain, ran the Hood to Coast relay.

Crisp and cool at 8 am on beautiful Mt. Hood

Crisp and cool at 8 am on beautiful Mt. Hood

Hood to Coast is a 12-person relay race that starts at Timberline lodge on Mt. Hood and spans 197 miles to Seaside, Oregon, on the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the skill level of the runners, the race takes a team anywhere between 17 and 33 hours.

Dan Danford gets us off to a quick start

Dan Danford gets us off to a quick start

We finished in just over 30 hours.  An activity like this is a real test of stamina and patience. It’s not only physically trying but for the most part of that 30 hours you are crammed into a passenger van with 6 other people – five of whom are as sore, tired and smelly as you are. The sixth person - the driver - might not be as smelly, but is at least as sleep deprived if not more, with the pressure of keeping the van between the lines for those 30 straight hours.

Developing a bond
Now, this kind of human experience would be difficult with your closest and most intimate friends. Our team was made up of business associates from across the country.

Some team members off to meet a finishing runner

Some team members off to meet a finishing runner

On paper what we had in common was the company Agrotain International. We all work for or with this company. We were all professionals and knew how to handle social situations; some of us had met before and others were meeting for the first time. At our pre-race meeting on Thursday evening, we were a professional group familiarizing ourselves with each other. And then we ran Hood to Coast.  By 2 pm on Saturday afternoon, we were a very different group. We had cheered each other on, pushed each other through, and picked each other up. We were swelling (and smelling) with pride. Proud of our team and proud of our teammates.

Bill, Dan and Les. First of 3 legs complete

Bill, Dan and Les. First of 3 legs complete

We were more than business associates; we were friends with a common bond and a new sense of trust. I believe our business partnership will be stronger for it as well.

A strong and united finish on the beach - 30:08:27

A strong and united finish on the beach - 30:08:27

What are some unique ways you or your company have gone about strengthening bonds and building relationships?

Les Kahl is a creative director at AdFarm with a longtime respect for teamwork. Follow him on Twitter @les14 .

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The Art of Interpersonal Communication Goes Beyond Technology.

By bob wilhelm, April 30, 2010

I just spent three days at the National Agri-Marketing Association conference in Kansas City. Many of the attendees at this yearly event come from the marketing and communications industry. Lots of business people at the conference were talking about the latest challenges in communications and marketing.

Lots of interesting topics were presented in the seminars. Lots of experts and professionals were milling about – and certainly there was lots and lots of conversation.  But…with each other?table talking

One evening, I spent an enjoyable dinner with a group of AdFarmers –  we were joking about the pervasiveness of Twitter. “If you haven’t tweeted about it, it hasn’t really happened!” At one point, we all were sitting around the table, looking at our individual hand-held devices.  No one speaking. Later that night, I was at the wonderful annual Brownfield party. Standing at the bar, I found myself surrounded by 4-5 people, all of whom were either on their cell phones or their blackberries. No glances at nametags to see who was who. No conversation. Back at the hotel, I found myself with five people in the elevator. Silence.  No one glanced up from their smart-phones long enough to do anything more than press the button for their floor.

All this at a professional conference where everyone could at least offer camaraderie, and at the most a great idea, some business or a job offer!

This is where it gets personal.

My point: don’t forget that e-mails and blogs and tweeting and Facebook, while important, aren’t as important as the interaction and networking – the personal communication — you can do at a gathering.  As marketing professionals, we’d give anything for a venue at which we could personally meet and talk with targets or prospects. So, when you’re face-to-face with people – talk with them. Build contacts and network.  Talk about issues and ideas.  Find out what others are thinking.  Put together your thoughts and try them out on people.  Get their input. Walk away with at least five people to whom you want to send a follow-up note (and yes, e-mail is just fine for that!) Summarize for clients or prospects or your colleagues the key things you learned.

Sure digital and social media, cell phones and blackberries, blogs and websites are incredibly important to us as marketers and as communicators. And that importance will continue to grow. But after you leave such an event, you’ll find that the most value you received was not through a screen or a device – it was through the people and the ideas and the conversation and the networking available at the event.

And that’s so much better than keeping your face pressed to your iPhone!

Where do you think technology fails us when it comes to maintaining business relationships?

Bob Wilhelm uses his vast experience to provide every single AdFarm client with personalized, strategic, and second-to-none service. He can be reached directly at Bob.Wilhelm@adfarmonline.com.

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Four key steps to bridge the farm relationship gap.

By colin n. clarke, March 24, 2010

Consolidation in the agriculture industry is well recognized – be it manufacturers, distributors, retailers, or farm entities themselves. There is no question that North American agriculture has been steadily evolving.Bridge-photo

As the ag industry has evolved, so has the business engagement among farmers and agribusiness. Where one time local dealers were present every 20 miles, a “local” dealer may now be 60 miles down the highway or further. So how is a manufacturer to build and maintain customer relationships when local is no longer really local?

Farm customers are relying more and more on digital tools to help them search for products and equipment. The process can be quick, or it can be exhaustive, but the truth is, farmers do their homework. Trouble is, manufacturers have not kept pace with farm customers’ quest for relevant information and farmers are left frustrated and disconnected. So the problem compounds. Local is no longer local, and farmers are struggling to find helpful, relevant information on products and equipment.

So how can a manufacturer remedy these problems and build a closer relationship with the farm customer? Bring digital to a local level. Here’s how:

1) MORE testing and trial results in MORE locations. Farmers rely on testing and trial results for data, but every farmer has different needs and they will be suspect of posted results unless it closely matches their situation. Soil type, growing season, annual rainfall, rotation, pest pressure and fertility are all highly variable. On-farm cooperative tests and trials of equipment and products in more locations will allow manufacturers to break down that “suspect” barrier.

2) Open forums for peer reviews. Farmers trust their fellow farmers. No question. Word of mouth has been and will continue to be of huge value to farmers as they seek out information on new equipment and products. Manufacturers need to create digital forums where farmers can share their experiences and encourage farmers to post their experiences.

3) Search engine friendly. Manufacturer websites are rarely designed with the customer in mind. Often company-centric, the information shared is generally corporate in nature and backed up with heavy digital brochure ware. Build your site from the ground up and address the farm customer’s needs first. Think ahead on what farmers will be searching for and search engine optimize your site so you can provide outstanding, relevant information on the first click.

4) Customize for my farm. With more testing and trial results and peer reviews and product information organized in a way the farm customer can use, take ease to the next level and allow the user to “customize for my farm.” Provide the farmer an easy option to take ALL results right down to their zip code. Comments, forums, data, testing, results, local dealers and other allied support. Bring it all home and make it easy, “For my farm.”

Agriculture continues to evolve and relationships are evolving right along with it. Farmers are adapting and making great use of new and existing digital tools. Today a farmer can stump Google in 10 seconds flat. By bringing digital to a local level manufacturers can close the widening information gap and begin building new relationships with this progressive customer base.

What manufacturers do you feel are doing a great job of using digital to help put the farmer first? Any who are faltering?

 

Colin is a senior strategist for AdFarm who enjoys the deep dive into marketing strategy. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke.

(Photo courtesy of Alyce Lee on Flickr)

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