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Eckert AgriMarketing Newsletter (click here for directory of past newsletters)
May 2006
“Advertising has lost its power to put a new brand name into the mind,” according to the book. “Advertising has no credibility with consumers, who are increasingly skeptical of its claims and whenever possible are inclined to reject its messages.” The book goes on to give many examples of how popular brands have been developed with little or no money spent on advertising, as well as examples showing how some well-known brands tried to develop new products, but depended too strongly on advertising alone. Laura and Al certainly make some good points, substantiated with much data. While I don’t believe that we can totally eliminate advertising from our budgets, I would suggest that you might want to purchase this book to help you review your own strategies. Speaking of your personal strategies, last month, I asked you all to complete a survey about your current use of press releases in your marketing mix. The survey deals with how effective press releases are for your situation. I’d like to share a few of the preliminary results. Almost 30% of the respondents have been sending press releases for over ten years, with 60 % of the farms sending four or more releases a year. A resounding 70% of the respondents say that their releases are used by the media either “always” or “frequently.” Are you achieving those kinds of results? Would you like to see more information about what other farms are doing to promote themselves? Everyone who participates in this survey will receive a copy of all of the results-so all you need to do is take a few minutes to take the survey, and you are part of the “in-crowd.” Click here to take a short survey regarding your use of press releases to promote your farm. (Everyone is invited to respond, even if you have not used press releases in the past.) Jane See America Week May 13-21
So far, I’ve heard of two groups that are using this opportunity to promote local awareness for agritourism. Click here to see what the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association is doing to encourage tourism professionals to learn about their agricultural partners. In addition, the Yakima Valley Visitor’s & Convention Bureau (Washington state) has invited me to speak at their first agritourism conference later this month, The conference is planned to celebrate tourism awareness in an area rich with agricultural heritage. What is your area or group doing to promote agritourism efforts during "See America Week"? I’d like to know. Just hit the reply button on this email and tell me what you are doing. P.S. I can't help but quip: If you didn't know already that tourism requires long hours, note that "See America Week" is actually 9 days long! Survey on Corporate Events Only those who participate in the survey will have access to the final report. Please click here to participate in the survey on Corporate and Group Events. Garden Patch in the Suburbs
Right there in the suburbs of Chicago, Garden Patch Farms has an opportunity for folks to still visit the farm, and even pick their own fruits and vegetables. Thousands of people enjoy this “farm oasis” every year. When Garden Patch Farms asked us to create their new website, we learned that Earl’s two brothers both retired a few years ago, and sold their portions of the family farm to make way for subdivisions. In an interview about that time, Earl told a reporter, "My father lived here until he was 86 years old. If I'm so fortunate to live that long, I'll be here too. It keeps your mind active, trying to figure out what to do next." Garden Patch Farm in Homer Glen is a high density orchard and farm with a great impact on the local community. To learn more, visit http://www.gardenpatchfarms.com |
I just returned from the National Agri Marketing Association annual conference where the keynote speaker was Laura Ries, from Ries & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia. Her general session topic was “The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR,” based on her book by the same name which she co-authored with her father, Al Ries. The book brings up some interesting principles that really reinforce what I discussed in last month’s newsletter about press releases.
If you are part of your local tourism effort, you may already be participating in some way. If you’d like to know more about "See America Week" and to get some useful resources, visit their website, 
This month, we’d like to introduce you to a busy little
20 acres in Homer Glen, Illinois, Earl
and Merna Hiller’s Garden
Patch Farms.
