2011 is a Wrap
Predictions abound for 2012, and they make for interesting reading. Last spring I wrote an article, “What are the major trends in agri-marketing?” that appeared in Agri Marketing magazine and I...
View ArticleIs your website ready for a mobile world?
Based on our research of producers, we know that roughly half of them have smartphones. In both the ag and rural lifestyle sectors, mobile is used for reasons ranging from market calls to “second...
View ArticleMarketing Strategies for the Contemporary Purchase Process
Remember the traditional sales funnel diagram from Marketing 101 class? A lifetime of brand messages that prepare the consumer for the moment they might intersect with a want or need. Systematically...
View ArticleAdapting Strategies for the Contemporary Purchase Process
A fundamental shift has occurred in the thought process that rural lifestylers go through before they buy products. This new process is really a continuation of the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, where...
View ArticleDethroning the Click-Through King
It’s rare that I attend a client meeting where the topic of digital advertising effectiveness is not part of the conversation. Marketing departments need to prove ROI, and it’s our job to assist...
View ArticleWe’re All Looking for Better Analytics
I think we touched on a hot topic earlier this week when we sent out our latest Agribranding article entitled “Dethroning the Click Through King.” As a result, we’ve started some great discussions with...
View ArticleDigital Ag: How to Talk to Producers Online
The first time we published this article was in November of 2009. Every tactic within this article has evolved but some surprising core truths remain steady. For fun I’ve left my original references in...
View ArticleFarmers Gain Ground on Communication Technologies
The industry has widely accepted that a media mix to reach farmers needs to include a digital play. However, divvying up that digital budget can be tricky, so it’s important to review the research that...
View ArticleIs post impression tracking a better way to view campaign success?
Generally speaking, people don’t click on ads, yet our industry clamors for the click-through report at the end of every campaign. This disconnect has bothered me for some time. I wrote about this a...
View ArticleNew Research Confirms a Media “Mix”
What is the best way to reach farmers these days? According to the 2012 Ag Media Channel Study released in August, it looks like traditional print and broadcast media still play critical roles in the...
View ArticleThe Twinkie Effect: Even a Sponge Cake Has a Story
A plethora of recent headlines and articles featuring the return of America’s beloved Twinkie is a PR practitioner’s dream for achieving earned media and building buzz around an upcoming product...
View ArticleStorytelling Is at the Center of a Changing Communications Landscape
Aside from my kids, most people would not call me old. But having entered my career just prior to mainstream use of digital and social media, I guess you could say I am from the “old-school” of...
View ArticleWebsite Conversion Optimization
There aren’t many books I bother reading twice – mainly because there are too many new ones stacked up for me to rehash anything that is older than six months. However, I recently re-read Conversion...
View ArticleHashtag Fail
I was watching TV with a friend this weekend when we saw a commercial that ended with a logo, website and hashtag. My friend, an adult with a graduate degree, said, “Did you know that you can scan...
View ArticleHow to be the Smartest Person in the Field or the Room
After spending a day and a half at the Western Corn Belt 2014 Precision Ag Conference, I’m pretty sure farming is more complex than rocket science. What do you need to master? Drainage. Drought....
View ArticleFive Digital Trends for Ag Media
Media budgets tighten, yet the pressure for engagement and ROI grows. New tools on the consumer side, like programmatic buying, promise better targeting, and data provide insight into what makes...
View ArticleWhat Ag Marketers Need to Know About Digital Trends
We can’t help but notice trends in consumer digital media. Every time we go online we’re part of the rapidly changing digital media equation. Where’s ag media in terms of the trends? We’re adopting...
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