Super Bowl Ads

Amanda Nolz

evg_1218637303Whether or not you’re a fan of football, I’m sure that many of you took part in a Super Bowl party last night. I met up with some college friends to watch the game, laugh at the commercials and eat lots of food! Although I’m not an avid football guru (I always cheer for the underdog), I LOVE watching the commercials because I feel there is something to learn from corporate business that have millions of dollars to utilize their creativity and market their products. I heard that one commercial during the Super Bowl costs $3 million for 30 seconds! Amazingly, I heard that Budweiser had seven minutes of commercials.

Fox Sports on MSN provided the Top 10 Best and Top 10 Worst commercials of the evening. If you missed the event, let me recap: Budlight, Doritos, Bridgestone, Monster, Career Builder, Coke Zero, Cash4Gold and Hulu took the top spots. Be sure to take some time to view these advertisements.

When thinking about marketing, it’s important to remember brand enhancement. Some of the commercials were funny, creative and artistic, but I didn’t remember the brand name after it was over. Some of the best marketing strategies are simple and clean. You don’t need $3 million to be successful in your own marketing efforts, but you do have to be smart and creative. So what are your best and worst marketing experiences? Have you ever flopped? Did your product take off after a certain campaign? Curious minds want to know…

Advertising

NCBA’s New Youth Focus

Amanda Nolz

grosetaandy5b15d_lg_vert1After spending a week at the 2009 Cattle Industry Convention, I’m pretty excited about the new focus on the youth in agriculture. 2008 NCBA President Andy Groseta was incredibly driven to invest in the cattle industry’s youth, and he accomplished those goals in three ways: NCBA’s Young Producers Council (YPC) and NCBA Youth Public Speaking Contest and the Team Marketing Contest.

The average age of an NCBA member is 60 years old, and Groseta thinks now is the time to engage in the beef industry and make an investment in the future of this industry. During the YPC meeting, Dustin Dean from Texas was named as the chairman, and Steve Yardley from Utah was elected the vice chairman. Committee chairs were elected for various positions to sit in during meetings and serve as YPC’s vote. Without a doubt, the meeting was charged with energy and passion as young people stood up to give speeches. There is a definite need for a voice in this generation, and I think NCBA nailed it right on the head with this one.

In addition, the public speaking and team marketing contests were a great way to take advantage of our generation’s competitive edge. 18 contestants, ages 9-19 were involved in the speaking portion. I listened in on the 10 and under division of the public speaking contest, and I was thoroughly impressed with the topics including: the benefits of the beef checkoff, antibiotics, downer cattle and the life of a rancher. One little boy from New Mexico got up and said, “The best part in the life of the rancher is riding in the pastures with my dad; the worst part is scooping all the crap.” Too cute for words!

My hat goes off to the NCBA leadership for investing in agriculture’s youth. Congrats to the young people for taking part in these growing organizations and contests.

Beef

Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Chuck Zimmerman

Ft. Worth Stock Show RodeoThis is rodeo action at its best. It’s the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. I got checked in this afternoon in time for the matinee show. If I ever tried this I would wind up being a broken mess of bones. It sure provides a good opportunity to practice shooting photos in extreme conditions though.

I got checked in at the media center with some very nice people and am looking forward to an opportunity to interview show manager Brad Barnes tomorrow.

I’m just getting my bearings for the main activity that I’m here for which will start tomorrow. I just tested the great working wireless in the Watt Arena which will be the site of Wednesday evening’s Drive Green Utility Tractor Show.

It’s a beautiful day in Ft. Worth.

Farm Shows, Livestock

Portable Farms Has Laughable Message

Chuck Zimmerman

This is so wacky that I had to let you know about it. It almost sounds like a neat idea on the surface. But then you realize this guy has bought in to that wacko UN study that said that somehow livestock farts are contributing to global warming. You know I usually post an image but I just don’t think these folks need any more publicity than me just letting you know they exist. Where do these people come from and why do people buy in to this stuff?

Colle, Davis, Inventor of Portable Farms(TM), http://www.portablefarms.com/ launched his invention June 2008. Since then, he has received interest from people in all 50 states and 126 countries. His new invention offers a simple solution to the problems of world hunger and poverty. “We have taken what nature has done naturally for billions of years, automated the process into a simple system and put it in a small space,” Davis is quoted as saying.

Their lighthearted corporate logo states, “Fish Don’t Fart,” to attract attention about their message about eating fish rather than beef to save the world from gas emissions from cattle.

Wackos

ARC Has New Board and March Annual Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Agricultural Relations CouncilIt looks like there’s new life being breathed into the Agricultural Relations Council. I’m wondering if anyone would like to sponsor AgWired coverage of the annual conference? If so, please let me know.

The Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) announces its 2009 board of directors and its annual conference, set for March 12-14 in New Orleans.

The 2009 ARC Board includes: Deron Johnson, Rhea+Kaiser Marketing Communications, board president; Mace Thornton, American Farm Bureau Federation, first vice president; Katana Ewbank, Alpha Scouts, second vice president; and Bob Giblin, consultant, immediate past president. Directors include Mark Ingbritson, Rhea+Kaiser Marketing Communications; Amy Keith McDonald, McDonald Marketing Communications; Carroll E. Merry, Countryside Marketing; Janice Person, Monsanto; and Mike Opperman, Charleston/Orwig.

After maintaining a low-profile over the past few years, ARC is moving forward with a renewed direction to meet the needs of public relations/public affairs practitioners across the country. “We are excited about this new team and eager to rejuvenate and invigorate ARC in 2009 and beyond,” says Johnson. “We now have retained Gardner & Gardner Communications, an association management firm, to manage the organization and are dedicated to growing the organization in members as well as in professional development.” Read More

ARC

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Electronic futures trading of Hard Red Spring Wheat coupled with trades of Hard Red Winter Wheat Index Futures hit a new daily record high on Friday, Jan. 23, of 7,494 contracts at MGEX (Minneapolis Grain Exchange or Exchange). The volume topped the former electronic volume record of 7,363 contracts traded set on December 10, 2008.
  • BASF and Cibus announced that they have reached a significant research milestone for developing CLEARFIELD Production System plants in Brassica winter oilseed rape and in spring canola. Cibus’ patented Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS) was used to enhance the tolerance levels of spring canola plants to BASF’s popular CLEARFIELD herbicides.
  • CNH Capital unveiled a new global Web site that will meet the specific needs of its customers in all regions of the world.
  • Monsanto’s new collaboration with GrassRoots Biotechnology Inc., is expected to discover and deliver more desirable traits through the seed by expanding the benefits of Monsanto’s research and product portfolio for its farmer customer.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Talking About Photography

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast-206 - Pro PhotographyChildress, TX is home to one great photographer and that would be Russell Graves, RussellGraves.com. I spent a half day with him yesterday and feel like I learned a lot from the experience.

    Childress, TXI know that a lot of AgWired fans are pro photographers themselves or at least have a real interest in taking pictures so I hope you’ll really enjoy getting to know Russell and listening to our conversation about his work. Russell also teaches high school ag technology classes. He has a passion for his home state and looks at his work as a way to chronicle the rural lifestyle he grew up in so that current and future generations will still be able to enjoy it captured in pictures. If you take time to look through his pictures I’m sure you’ll see many that will make you think, “I’ve seen that same picture before (in your own life).” He could probably live anywhere he wants but he chooses to raise his children in a country environment and I applaud him for that decision.

    Russell and I talk about equipment, software, work flow and why we love what we do and do what we love. I think this is a great conversation and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for listening.

    You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 206 (35 min MP3)

    Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Russell Graves - ZimmCast 206

    The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

    Audio, ZimmCast

    Camel Sighting

    Chuck Zimmerman

    CamelWhen you think of Texas, you think cowboys and cattle but . . .

    On my way back from Childress yesterday I saw a bunch of these off of Highway 278 so I had to stop. They were just grazing around. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a camel farm.

    So that’s just one of the unique sights on this trip so far.

    Uncategorized

    Visiting With Russell Graves

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Russell GravesMeet Russell Graves, RussellGraves.com. He’s a professional photographer whose work I absolutely love. I’m on a layover in Ft. Worth, TX and he was gracious enough to take some time to meet with me to talk “shop” today.

    We’re going to record an interview here in a few minutes for tomorrow’s ZimmCast. The drive up here from Ft. Worth was beautiful. It’s a little breezy today but sunny and warm enough.

    We did a little drive around on some property that Russell manages and I got this shot of him there.

    More to come tomorrow.

    Uncategorized

    Cattle Industry Convention Concludes

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Cattle Industry Convention is just wrapping up. Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, and I, have been sitting side by side as the CBB and NCBA conduct their annual business meetings. Some of us think we should call our table the “Rod Smith Memorial Media Table.”

    CBB/NCBA Annual Meeting

    My coverage has focused once again on the activities of the Beef Board as the Beef Board Blogger. If you’d like to learn more about what they did, you’ll find it on BeefBoardMeeting.com. Media are invited to download audio and pictures which you’ll find many links to there as well as committee agendas and minutes.

    It’s been a great convention here in Phoenix. I’m headed on to Ft. Worth today and will be spending time at the Ft. Worth Stock Show doing a little more Drive Green blogging for John Deere.

    Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

    Cattle Industry Conference