Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’

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Brave New World of Marketing Grain

By admin, May 30, 2012

ND crops marketing specialist advises growers to understand markets and contracts.

With new market opportunities opening up across the Canada/US border, producers face new challenges.

In a recent interview broadcast on CTV Saskatchewan’s Farmgate, Dr. Frayne Olson, Crops Economist/ Marketing Specialist, North Dakota State University Extension Service says that price volatility is causing the most frustration for growers globally.

Dr. Olson advises that farmers both in Canada and the United States “have to pay attention to what’s happening…to spend more time studying and understanding what the influences are that are impacting the markets and commodity prices. Pay attention to those on a regular basis.”

1352740_wheat_fieldKnowing the cost of production is something marketers have been emphasizing for years. However, it is even more critical when growers are trying to determine a good price and achieve the kinds of profits they expect.

Growers looking to forward contract their cereals need to be aware of exactly what the contract is for.

“I tell farmers to be very careful, to read and understand what the contract provisions are,” Olson says. That means asking a lot of questions to completely understand the expectations and terms of the contract. More information is available here.

Does the average grower understand the implications of marketing grain? Let us know what you think.

Ron Wall was born in Saskatchewan, lives in Missouri and writes from both sides of the border.

Posted in Marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Five take homes from AdFarm social media strategy session

By Jane Robinson, June 17, 2011

I admit it. Social media confounds me a little. I’m a little old world, old school. As a writer, I love the feel of a freshly sharpened HB on crisp 24 lb bond. I love the end of the work day/week when the tech tools fade into the background for a few hours or days. I don’t even have an HD television (yet).

We humans find comfort in routines, and our very nature means we revert to doing things the way we always did. It’s the easiest route. When change pulls us into a new, often unknown realm, it takes some time. Some require more time than others. And I admit it has taken some time for me to begin to “get” the role of social media.

This week, I got a little smarter about understanding social media, in the context of marketing communications, after AdFarm Guelph hosted the agri-food community to showcase Josh Lysne in an informal session on how social media fits into marketing communication strategies.

June-15-Social-Media-Guelph blog pix

Here are five new things I learned about social media:

1. Social media is more about communications than it is about tools.

2. Social media is one part of an integrated communication plan.

3. If you don’t know why you are doing social media, you are wasting your time.

4. Social media starts with a strategy – an opportunity or perhaps a hurdle to overcome.

5. Social media requires the same discipline as any other communication tactic.

Perhaps the best information I walked away with to move me along the social media change continuum is that social media is not a brand new (see also strange and unknown) communication model. What we already know and practice in communications applies equally to new tools like social media. Create a relevant message, send it to an appropriate/interested audience, check that the message was received and, based on feedback, adjust the conversation as necessary.

For more information about social media strategy, contact josh.lysne@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Digital/Online | No Comments »

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A House of Cards

By Shaun Crockett, April 18, 2011

It’s no surprise I’m a big fan of our new business cards. (I have a lot of blood sweat and tears in them) Last week, at the NAMA 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference,  I found out a lot of other people like them too.

But it wasn’t easy to get there.

One of the best things about AdFarm is, we know who we are. We know what we do and the space we operate in. We aren’t trying to be everything to everybody. We focus on all things ag.

I had lots of ideas that died on the cutting room floor, good ideas too. But that’s just the way it goes. AND THAT’S OK. Our chosen direction did what the others didn’t; it showed our unique and close perspective to agriculture while encompassing the breadth of it. Yes there are more outlets than we show, but upon reprints we plan to encompass those areas.

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It’s great to produce work that embodies a brand and resonates with the audience. How are you making sure your brand doesn’t get lost in the weeds?

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If you run into me at any events say hi. I’ll drop you a card, and I’ll bet you like them too.

With his passion for learning and smart design sense, Shaun Crockett is finding the right solutions for Adfarm clients every day. He can be reached directly at Shaun.Crockett@adfarmonline.com

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It’s time for agri-food to step out of the comfort zone

By admin, April 13, 2011

There’s no doubt that Canada’s agriculture industry is facing as many challenges as there are opportunities. So what’s the plan? If you ask David McInnes, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute CEO and policy expert, we need to take a logical, strategic approach that is system based, not value-based.

Speaking at the OnTraceability 2011 Conference in Cambridge, Ontario, earlier this month, McInnes outlined what this plan consists of.

Report Cover

Canada's Agri Food Destination Report

In summary, he maintains that in order for Canada’s agri-food sector to successfully maintain a reliable supply of good, responsibly produced food, there needs to be a much better understanding of how all of the players are connected. This means understanding how farmers manage productive ecological systems, the value chain that links the farm gate to consumer plate, how research and innovation delivers new technologies, and how health, transportation and environment intersect and interact with the agri-food sector.

This is an amazing opportunity for marketers and communicators to play in a much bigger sandbox.  So here’s the question: as marketing specialists and advocates of agriculture, have we been preaching to the choir too much? In other words, we’ve got great stories to tell but maybe we’re telling them to the same people over and over.

Maybe it’s time to challenge ourselves and our clients to look past the farm gate and include at least one or two references to other aspects of the food system in upcoming communication pieces – issues like health, the environment, or communities.  Sure it’s a challenge to step out of our comfort zone, but it’s time. It will help us understand how we are all linked and dependant on each other as we work to reach the food system destination we all know we need.

What do you think?

Kay Schaltz is always up for a good story. You can reach her at kay.schaltz@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Food Production, Marketing, Perspectives, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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CAMA talks about inbound marketing

By Warren Fick, March 22, 2011

The world of online, inbound marketing is not a crazy place. It’s a world of facts, planned options and organized, analyzed data. And at a recent CAMA lunch hosted in our Calgary office, Woodruff Schweitzer’s Sam Hudson was its perfect pitchman.

New ways to pitch and connect

Through his work on the client side of our industry, Hudson became a discerning consumer of great client service. Now, as a Woodruff account manager, Sam supports both ag and non-ag clients with what he learned – which currently includes encouraging them to use online marketing to solve problems. Specifically, he talked to the CAMA audience about attracting traffic, converting traffic, converting leads and analyzing data – the process of online, inbound marketing.

It’s perfectly suited, explains Hudson, to a marketing world where “serving is the new selling” and where marketers and communicators act as “Brand Butlers.”And while it’s true that the mechanics of “Brand Butlership” are new, the theory would have been no surprise to ad pioneers like Leo Burnett who famously stated, “Advertising says to people, ‘Here’s what we’ve got. Here’s what it will do for you. Here’s how to get it.’ “

Woodruff Schweitzer's Sam Hudson

Woodruff Schweitzer's Sam Hudson

Following through and following up, online

In the process of attracting people to a client’s product or service, Hudson spoke at length about the “online lead machine.” The language is a great analogy, with its implications of a great churning, mechanical beast that consumes raw materials at one end and delivers a fine, finished product at the other. Online, he explained, it’s a process divided by landing pages, contagious content and lead management – a process that uses software to score leads, nurture leads and finally to integrate them using the CRM tool of choice.

And how does inbound marketing for business-to-grower (B2G) companies work for his clients? It’s something that has been very functional for a long time, says Hudson. Unfortunately, “…we don’t always see lead generation as a process. We think instead in terms of a seasonal cycle and campaign.” But he has faith that will change, slowly.

At the end of the day, Hudson acknowledges that finding and working with leads is still faithful to the “Kenny Rogers Principle”:

Knowing when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, and when to walk away.

Any lead generation secrets or Kenny Rogers stories you’d like to share?

Warren Fick adores Facebook. His big picture thinking gives our clients a unique face in agribusiness. And he writes. Contact him directly at warren.fick@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Ag Events, Digital/Online, Events | 1 Comment »

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