Marketing | Market Place Blog

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 @ClarkeAgWorld or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke.

(Photo courtesy of Alyce Lee on Flickr)

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing | 1 Comment »

Tags: Agriculture, consolidation, customer relationships, Digital, equipment, farming, manufacturing, SEO, word of mouth

The one staff member every agency needs.

By Lexie Bexson, March 17, 2010

In an agency, we’re all a team. No one could survive alone, whether you’re an art director, copywriter, account manager or first-year intern who gets stuck mounting things on foamcore – everyone is important.

But there is one role that is often overlooked that can be so valuable – a role that is often responsible for preventing unwanted client issues and huge embarrassments – and it’s a proofreader.

ING Typo

The trick to proofreading is that almost anyone can do it. They just need time, focus and a relatively strong understanding of the English language. In an agency environment, so often is this important step over-looked. And while we might get away with it sometimes, the day when an ad goes out with a miss-spelled word, or a duplicated phrase, or cut-off logo – is a day we want to avoid. Even worse if the client finds it before you.

Ouch.

It can happen so quickly, a rush project, copy sent from a blackberry, a deadline at 3:00 p.m. – and *poof* a print ad appears with a glaring spelling error and it feels like it’s pointing right. at. you.

I once did a travel ad for a local client, trying to make a rush deadline into a daily paper (which I still have, btw). It left my desk approved by the client and in good shape. But when production was sending the ad to the paper, a tiny typo appeared by the travel deal to Great Britain. It read: Londong – starting from only $899.

Boy, did I hear about that one.

There isn’t always one person to blame, we all touch the ad before it goes out the door – but there is only one way we can make sure it doesn’t happen. Proofread. Twice. Just to be sure.

Have any proof-reading disasters to share?

With her keen mind for strategy Lexie is an idea machine with an eye for a good solutions when she sees it. You can contact her directly at Lexie.Bexson@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Marketing | 2 Comments »

Tags: agency, client service, deadline, proofread, team

What Avatar can learn from agriculture.

By Warren Fick, March 15, 2010

Why should a box office-busting, technologically ground-breaking Hollywood movie listen to the world’s oldest profession about anything? Well since Avatar didn’t sweep the 2010 Oscars or even manage the Best Direction awarded a true agriculture classic like The Grapes of Wrath , just think of it as a little neighbourly advice.

Do these 3-D glasses make my crop look big?

James Cameron had a pretty clear picture of what Avatar was going to be, over a decade before the rest of the world did. But the technology was lagging, he decided. So he seeded. And waited. In the end, Mr. Cameron didn’t harvest the bumper crop of Oscars he had hoped for, and any farmer could tell him why.

Avatar learning #1: Technology will take you only so far.

Farmers who grow crops know that geography and weather are huge factors in determining their success. They can research and ask questions and make informed decisions about seed. But in the end, growers who have the best land and who luck into the best weather conditions, win.

Daddy, tell me a story.

Avatar looks better than any movie has a right to, unless it’s also a $237 million US epic about a computer generated world in outer space. But at the end of the day, there’s a certain amount of value lacking if the movie doesn’t tell a great story. You could do better, Mr. Cameron. And you wouldn’t have to go to Pandora for the premise.

In fact, the next time you’re stuck for a riveting storyline ask a rancher about preg checking cows. Or a farmer about the anxiety of losing a wheat crop to fusarium head blight . Or sit at a business meeting where US soybean growers struggle to understand how they can compete in a global commodities market.

Avatar learning #2: Real life breeds real drama.

You can’t make up the kind of drama that comes from generations of winning and losing in agriculture. You don’t need to. If we’re facing Avatar Two, the writers should buy a farmer a coffee. Then just sit back and really listen.

Take off your 3-D glasses and let’s hear about one of the bazillion other ways Avatar can learn from agriculture. If you’re in animal science and can discuss flying dragons in 140 characters or less, tweet @adfarmtweets.

Warren Fick has no Facebook photo, just a silhouette. 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 Culture, Digital/Online, Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

Tags: Agriculture, Avatar, farming, learn, movie, technology

Good commercials don’t have to be budget busting — just have a fitting and unforgettable message.

By Melissa Sawatzky, March 10, 2010

My boyfriend and I faithfully check out the World’s Best Commercials from The London International Awards every year, and so this year we headed to the theatre hoping for some good laughs delivered by the boundless-budget beer companies and ground-breaking concepts put forth by agencies from around the world.

Coins Spilling from a Jar

I suppose whilst mentioning good laughs, I should give credit to BBDO in São Paulo for their hilarious, albeit slightly disturbing, Dog Fish commercial – it features a likable surfer dude and his special pet (you guessed it, a hybrid dog and fish) as they gallivant through their bizarre yet cozy life. However, even the tagline ‘Anything you imagine’ doesn’t quite clear up what the message in this advertising is, nor would I have ever recalled it was for Volkswagen.

But the campaign that really stood out this year for us was a fairly simple yet shocking take on Alzheimer’s Disease by Colenso BBDO in Auckland, New Zealand. You know the almost unbearable Candid Camera joke show by Just for Laughs they play on? This awareness ad is basically a spoof on that, where people end up in laughable situations for the viewers to enjoy. Then all of a sudden the goofy pranksters and laugh tracks fade and you realize the person is in that situation because their mind is playing tricks on them – one of the very sad effects that Alzheimer’s has. I highly recommend you check out all three of them: Car, Restaurant and Changing Room.

Strong message + strong connection to what your company does = wicked ad

The reason I want to make special note of this campaign is because it’s one of the occasions where advertising not only carries a heavy impact (your heart might hurt as you watch), but it also connects the viewer so strongly to the unique experiences of Alzheimer’s and sends a clear, unforgettable message about the disease. I’m doubtful you could ever describe the ad to someone and not be able to recall what it was for, whereas in the Dog Fish commercial I mentioned the brand could’ve easily been a different car maker or even a company in a whole different industry.

Do you agree?

Kudos to the Alzheimer’s association and BBDO in New Zealand for challenging people to briefly live through what the disease might be like and to think hard about it. I believe it’s an effective (World’s Best) ad, and even more importantly, an effective message.

Let us know what you think about these ads or share your own favourite commercials here.

Melissa works in Account Services at AdFarm and is always looking to share, learn, and spurn ideas with others. Contact her directly at Melissa.Gottlieb@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

Tags: advertising, campaign, Marketing, message, TV commercials

Three problems more pressing than your social media strategy.

By Jacob Edenfield, March 3, 2010

For some companies, social networks are kind of like monsters under the bed. Instead of thinking about the great upsides, these folks worry about over-sharing by employees, losing control over intellectual property, damaging their brands, losing productivity, fielding sensitive questions, unleashing embarrassing secrets and all manner of other bumps in the night.

But when you think about it, none of these things are any more of a threat because of social media. They stem from deeper business problems. And deeper business problems make prime fodder for snarky conversations on social networks.

So, while I believe it’s a great idea for every company to have a social media policy and a functioning understanding of the various channels, there are sometimes more pressing matters than choosing the right Twitter handle.

If any of the following apply to you, it might be time to work on something other than your Facebook Fan Page.

1. You’re leaky

If your company holds onto private information as well as a sieve holds onto water, the problem might be your employee training or internal security practices.

Journalists will tell you most of the whistleblowers and leaks they talk to are people who feel they’ve been silenced or punished for disagreeing with something they find objectionable. Fixing the problem might be as simple as training employees and managers on how to better voice and field complaints. It might also mean fixing what I call confidentially overload – or overusing confidentiality and secrecy to the point where they lose their seriousness. Product development memos are confidential. Birthday party memos probably don’t need to be.

2. You create customer service horror stories

If you’re a regular feature on The Consumerist, social media shouldn’t be your top priority. You may want to review your procedures before you start fielding complaints on the public stage. It’s a proving ground everyone can see, so if you say you provide great service, it needs to be a promise you can keep.

Handling customer issues can make or break your brand. And if you do a bad job, you’re undermining all your other efforts. That’s just as true online.

3. You ignore and/or take legal measures against your critics

If this applies to you, you’ll find your entry into social media a bumpy ride. Odds are there’s a flotilla of critics just waiting to take shots at you. And while I think you should absolutely face your critics wherever they may be, you need to figure out how you’re going to do it first.

Letting your lawyers do your dirty work only gives your critics an incredibly effective us vs them story to tell. Half-hearted apologies feel just as fake to those who receive them as to those who give them. Fighting emotion with pure fact works against everything we know about the human brain.

Honest dealings are the second most valuable currency online. The most valuable is reputation, and you’re not going to make a very good one if you can’t deal with disagreements.

Anything else?

Sometimes we all miss the forest for the trees. Take a step back and see if you can think of some other fundamental business problems that prevent companies from finding success in social media. I came up with three. Let’s see how many you can come up with in the comments.

Jacob can do horrible, unspeakable things with words. But he’s chosen to use his powers for good, not evil. Follow him @jacobedenfield or contact him directly at Jacob.Edenfield@adfarmonline.com.

Photo courtesy of http://jesshillis.com

Posted in Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

Tags: business problems, complaints, critics, leaks, Social media, social networks

The Freshman Years — is technology more important than an idea?

By Shaun Crockett, March 1, 2010

I am an art director. I went to school and learned all the cool programs — the ones that are now obsolete. I did all the faddish type treatments of the day -- the ones that are now outdated. But the thing I did in school that is still relevant was learning.

Even though I’ve finished my years of classrooms and homework assignments, The learning never stops. Technology is passing everyone by, you can’t keep up, you are lucky to hang on. The tools we use today didn’t exist 3 years ago. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle.

The other half, or dare i say larger portion is the idea behind it.

New software, new tools, new filters in photoshop, are only a click away, but the one thing you can’t click a button to get – is an idea.

An idea, a concept – a good one, will be relevant for years to come. Don’t believe me? Take a look through an old Communication Arts sometime, and revel in the genius of those who have walked before you. Those ideas are the result of constantly looking at the word, taking in all you can, and distilling it to that idea – that nugget of connection – that makes it great.

I take refuge knowing that the great designers such as Goodby, Bogusky and Sullivan didn’t always have the stellar idea, they started out in the trenches learning long after the bell rang.

Here is a blog that shows you virgin ads done by designers. Some are better than others, but they are always learning, and I bet their next ad will be even better. I challenge everyone to always be curious and never stop learning.

And, you can check it out on facebook, too.

I’m not saying that the tools aren’t important.

But they are a small cog in the machine of advertising. A bad idea sent across the cosmos through your twitterbookblog account isn’t going to help you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Good ideas will elevate you – bad ideas will cripple you. Our culture is quick to point out a wrong move and hang you for it. Those tools you were so excited about using are now the ones hammering your coffin shut.

Without an idea worth sharing, the tools don’t matter.

How are you making sure that the technology doesn’t overshadow the idea?

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

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

Tags: design, online marketing, Social media, technology

Don’t Let Your Marketing Fall Down…in the Last Four Feet

By Colin N. Clarke, February 22, 2010

Marketing communications, in simplest terms, helps put a customer or prospect in the right frame of mind to buy. It can educate, inform, advise, recommend, encourage, scare and influence a prospect, but it cannot make them buy. At some point someone or something (e-commerce for example) has to close the sale. A recent presentation by Datacore Marketing describes this as “The Last Four Feet.”

The Last Four Feet represents the final steps that a customer takes as they approach the sales counter (or online checkout). Without question this is the most important part of the process. Can you close the sale? avoidance300

Marketers place great emphasis on campaigns to the end-user or customer. Significant, sometimes huge budgets are invested to help put the target audience in the right frame of mind to buy. But too often, after marketing communications has done its job with the customer, the process falls down at the sales counter.

Picture a customer who receives direct communications on your product, investigates online, reads the reviews, talks to their friends and decides “I want to buy.” They enter the “store” to purchase, approach the checkout, and the salesperson (or process) says, “Have you seen the features on alternative product #2 over here?” At that point, in the last four feet, all of your marketing communications efforts are shot down by one missed communication.

So how do you avoid losing your customer at the sales counter? Here are four sure-fire steps that will help with “the last four feet.”

1) Educate your sales channel first – before any external customer communications begin. Be sure products and processes are easily understood (this applies to e-commerce too).

2) Let the channel in on the process early, ask for feedback and implement suggestions that will strengthen the relationship with the channel. If using e-commerce, be sure to test the checkout process to make sure it is intuitive and without distraction.

3) Involve the channel in the product or campaign roll out. Give the channel an active stake in the process that encourages their engagement. A kickoff event, an incentive, an interesting (but not burdensome) program.

4) Reinforce the sales process within your marketing communications. Suggest to the customer in your messaging the easiest route to purchase while reinforcing the same “easy route” to the channel audience.

Marketing communications can put the customer in the right frame of mind, but it can’t ring the till by itself. Include a solid channel strategy to make sure your marketing investment isn’t lost at the sales counter.

Have you ever dropped out of a sale at the counter? If so, what could the marketer have done differently?

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.

Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

Tags: AdFarm, channel strategy, e-commerce, marketing planning, marketing strategy, sales

When target marketing backfires — for the best.

By Katie Pinke, February 15, 2010

I grew up reading my Dad’s Sports Illustrated; except for the swimsuit issues my mom would hide or toss into the burning barrel. Once out on my own, I found that for a much higher subscription cost I got MUCH more from reading about sports than reading about cleaning, organizing, recipes and fashion in traditional womens magazines. So I gave in and purchased an SI subscription in my twenties. Now as a thirty-something, I’m still reading it weekly.

My assessment of Sports Illustrated ads has always been that they’re for the beer-drinking, sports fan man who isn’t thinking about his wife and family while he browses the magazine.

My perception changed last week.

I turned to what looked like, and most definitely was, a Valentine’s Day card. Being the wife who had not bought her husband a Valentines Day card yet I was intrigued…

P2082757_Rev

When I opened the card and read the inside message I found a true Valentines card written for a male reader to give to his wife. The copy referenced a planned spa weekend for her in Las Vegas where she could pick any of the following weekends to go.

P2082759_Rev

I assumed it was from a Vegas casino promoting their spa. Until I peeled it off…

P2082764_Rev

The tagline read “Spas for her. Sports for you”.
On the back was a complete listing of sporting events for the husband to attend in Vegas while the wife goes to the spa. It is a part of the “Only Vegas” campaign.

My husband recently mentioned that he would love for us to go to Vegas so the card baited me. It is a direct flight and affordable for us to get to from the prairie in which we live. And while I have not yet booked our trip to Vegas on one of these targeted weekends on this ad, I will.

While we always have a target audience in mind with advertising there are peripheral audiences that we end up reaching, much to our surprise, with measurable results we are not expecting. The “Only Vegas” campaign can chalk me up to one of those unexpected conversions – along with a happy husband who is thrilled his wife reads Sports Illustrated.

What marketing campaigns have connected with you – even though you weren’t the target audience?

Katie Pinke is AdFarm’s leading connection-maker, travels across North America promoting our brand and is the first point of access for new prospects into the exciting world of AdFarm. Katie can be reached directly at Katie.Pinke@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Marketing | 2 Comments »

Tags: advertising, Marketing, marketing campaigns, target marketing, Valentine's Day

Microsite or parasite? Top 3 mistakes when going viral.

By Lexie Bexson, February 10, 2010

We’ve all been in the room when someone pipes up with the “let’s do a microsite!” idea. Let’s face it…we all say we want it, but do we really?

Going viral is one thing, but when your great online idea turns from a microsite into a parasite, it can evolve into a tactical dead space leaving you thinking “what are we going to do with this thing”?

Hosts of these now-dead sites float around the online world. Once upon a time they lived a glamorous life as a flashy contest, fun interactive game, or a brand alter-ego.

So how can you recognize the signs that your great microsite might transform into a wasted domain, cluttering up google search results? Here’s how.

Problem: One-time use

Your microsite is a side-dish designed to compliment a larger, more robust marketing campaign. This is a classic, so before rushing into a one-time tactic, think about if it can serve a future purpose. Can it still function later? Is this site part of your brand identity, or just an idea to add zing to an overall plan? Often these “zingers” have a shelf life and once they expire, they sit untouched until someone gets a domain renewal email.

Problem: No link home

Does your microsite link to back to your corporate website? Can people follow a natural trail back home? Giving visitors a path home can be a great way to add shelf life to your site. Microsites usually have a visual appeal that’s different than your corporate mega-site, they have interactive content, and often less rules about their functionality. So they are great spaces to keep alive, if you can keep their content fresh, relevant and part of your brand identity.

Problem: The 5 second rule

Is that how long it takes for someone to soak up the content of your microsite and leave? Because if it is – you need more content. Think more along the lines of a satisfying “all you can eat buffet” and not a “drive-thru window”. Give your customers an experience and some options – like playing a game, downloading an app, printing off a coupon – and drive them somewhere after they visit. Afterall, people don’t admit it, but they love wasting time online.

What microsites do you visit for great content?

Lexie Bexson is an Account Manager at AdFarm. You can reach her directly at Lexie.Bexson@adfarmonline.com

Links: http://www.squidoo.com/bestmicrosites

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing | No Comments »

Tags: campaign, microsite, online marketing, viral

Is the economy affecting your approach to client service?

By Shawna Robinson, February 8, 2010

With the recent economic downturn affecting everything from housing markets to lending rates, I found myself wondering if the intangible things – like client service – are affected as well. And the answer is inevitably “yes”.

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The services clients request are changing.

Budget cuts in North America have been rampant. Marketing budgets have taken a big hit, which means many clients have had to do without, or get creative. And creativity can come in many forms. Exploring synergies across tactics are crucial. Being forward thinking one, even two quarters out – not annually – makes for faster response time to market fluctuations and consumer shifts. Agriculture as an industry especially knows that today, many growers are being equal parts cautious and reactionary. And many clients may even opt to take some basic services in-house to capitalize upon their own resources and flexibility to meet the daily grind of internal stakeholder requests.

When budgets change how do your responsibilities evolve?

As an agency, the responsibility to participate is never waived. That means:

1. Work hard to educate the client on their brand(s) and how to maintain them. An agency is hired to develop and build brands for our clients. One measure of your ability as a communicator should be to articulate the brand attributes so clients know enough not to erode or compromise the asset they’ve trusted us to develop.

2. Keep your eyes on the strategy. When work goes internal, so too can focus. If you are serving as a strategic partner, help your client maintain a clear line of sight to the desired end result. Offer suggestions to tweak the roadmap along the way to help your client from veering off course.

3. Be nimble. Serve your client with a specialized and experienced skill set. Wherever possible, if your expertise is required – even outside the usual process for getting work done – be responsive to clientsneeds.

4. Be honest. We are all on the same team with our clients, carrying the same brand torch. Make sure you’re doing your part to not let the flame go out.

As we move into more reliable economics and our industry continues to grow, we may discover that through these unique times, new ways of serving our clients will open doors to new relationships and new opportunities.

How do you see the future of client service changing?
Shawna Robinson is an Account Manager at AdFarm. She can be reached directly at Shawna.Robinson@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

Tags: budgets, client service, economy, Marketing