Steve Rhea Immersed in China

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve Rhea in ChinaSteve Rhea, Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications, is seated on the right here at the China Marketing Summit. I’m going to interview him about this trip for next week’s ZimmCast. I hope that he remembers how to speak English or I’m going to have to brush up on my Chinese.

Brand globalization is a hot topic, but U.S. companies looking to expand into China must understand some stark differences between the economies, including the distribution of wealth in China vs. the United States. “The majority of wealth in the United States is concentrated among older Americans, which is very different from China where the most prosperous – the country’s first generation of entrepreneurs – are under the age of 35,” said Steve Rhea, president of Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications, who recently returned from a five-day summit in Beijing and Shanghai. “Understanding this is imperative to building the right relationships and marketing strategies necessary to break into the burgeoning Chinese marketplace.”

Rhea & Kaiser was one of six U.S. agencies that participated in the China Marketing Summit, which took place Nov. 5 – 9. Participants represented the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India and France, and a wide range of Chinese businesses including mega-retailers, Internet service providers and hotel chains. “We became immersed in the everyday world of Chinese business,” said Rhea, who also was a featured panelist during the summit. “We walked away appreciating the dichotomy that still exists in China – modernization vs. traditional values, consumerism vs. ideology and individualism vs. collectivism.”

Agencies

Farm Futures Editor In Charge

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Futures Management SummitThe executive editor of Farm Futures magazine is Mike Wilson. He’s also the emcee for the Farm Futures Management Summit.

Here he is directing traffic at the podium.

I’ll be travelling with Mike next month to the International GreenWeek Show in Berlin, Germany. Mike’s on the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. We’ll also be attending the IFAJ board meeting that takes place there every year.

Mike, it looks like you’ve put together a great conference here in St. Louis. Thanks for having me in.

Publication

A Full House At Farm Futures Management Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Futures Management SummitAs I said in a previous post, this is a full conference. The first ever Farm Futures Management Summit has brought in a great crowd.

An interesting note is how many young people are here, some with their parents. Transitional farm management has already been discussed and it’s obvious that some of these farmers are thinking ahead and looking at conferences like this one as a way to help train the next generation.

We’ll be breaking up into smaller breakout sessions here shortly so although there’s a lot of people here they’ll have plenty of opportunity to interact with the speakers.

Publication

Willie Vogt Explains The Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Futures Management SummitMany of you probably know Willie Vogt, Farm Progress Companies. He’s helping out here at the Farm Futures Management Summit registration desk (right). Willie is keeping an eye on all the activity and as he describes it, the roller coaster is over the top of the hill and on the down slope.

You can hear that comment and a lot more in my interview with him just a few minutes ago. Willie talks about how and why they’ve put together this event and the re-introduction of Farm Futures magazine just a couple years ago. You can download the full interview with Willie here: Listen To MP3 Willie Vogt Interview (8 min MP3)

Or you can listen here immediately: willie-vogt-interview.mp3

Just in case you might be interested, this is my first interview using my iTalk Pro on my iPod.

Audio, Publication

Farm Futures Management Summit Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Futures Management SummitHello from the first ever Farm Futures Management Summit in St. Louis, MO. Boy do we have a crowd here. Over 170 farmers are attending this conference.

I’m helping out with some audio/visual stuff for publication owner, Farm Progress Companies. As you can see from the banner here, the Summit is sponsored by the United Soybean Board and AgriGold.

This event has a very intensive program and I’ll have some pictures and some interviews for you before it concludes tomorrow afternoon.

Publication

Excel-ent Website

Chuck Zimmerman

ExcelAccording to Meatingplace.com “Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meat Solutions has launched a new Web site for its Excel Fresh Meats brand.”

You can find the latest news releases or learn more about their beef or pork products.

Food

MarCom Awards For Osborn & Barr

Chuck Zimmerman

Osborn & Barr CommunicationsOsborn & Barr did pretty good at this year’s MarCom Creative Awards.

More than 5,000 entries were submitted by companies, organizations and educational institutions throughout the United States and several foreign countries.

O&B received the highest award, Platinum, in the Video/Film/Self-Promotion category for the O&B agency reel, a compilation of the various advertising, public relations and digital projects the agency has produced in the last year set to music. In the Public Service/Pro Bono/Marketing Piece category, O&B won Gold with its VIP Client Event Invite to Quidam Cirque Du Soleil. The award-winning projects were products of collaborative work from several O&B creative team members among the agency’s five offices.

“We are honored to be recognized by the MarCom Creative Awards. The companies and organizations that enter this competition submit quality work and truly innovative concepts,” said Cheryl Bergeron, vice president, creative director. “O&B is proud of our creative team, and pleased to see them rewarded for their outstanding work for the agency and our clients.”

Agencies

Second Chinese Joint Venture For Pioneer Hi-Bred

Chuck Zimmerman

DupontActually Dupont made the announcement for it’s subsidiary, Pioneer. The first joint venture was back in 2002 – Shandong Denghai Pioneer Seeds Co., Ltd. This one was just announced.

DuPont today announced that its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., has formed a joint venture with one of China’s largest seed production companies, Dunhuang Seed Co. Ltd., to provide top-performing corn hybrids to Chinese farmers in the spring market.

“I’m excited about the opportunities for the Pioneer business in China and the increased productivity that we can bring to Chinese farmers,” said Paul Schickler, vice president, Pioneer International Operations. “This partnership brings together two strong seed companies and combines their strengths to benefit the agricultural industry.”

Dunhuang Seed contributes extensive local field seed production experience. Pioneer’s strengths are in developing products that meet farmers’ needs, providing agronomic advice to its customers, and post-harvest seed conditioning expertise. With this unique combination of strengths, the JV is poised to offer Chinese farmers the highest quality seed and some strong new hybrid corn products for the spring corn market.

Wang Da-he, chairman of Gansu Dunhuang Seed Co. Ltd., said, “The comprehensive cooperation between the two parent companies is a complementary one, which will upgrade China’s corn seed sector and its commercialization process, and meanwhile lay a solid foundation for further development for both Dunhuang Seed and Pioneer.”

Agribusiness, Seed

Communicating The Syngenta Message

Chuck Zimmerman

SyngentaI spoke with Travis Dickinson, Vice President of Marketing for Syngenta Crop Protection, at the recent NAFB convention. He was there to talk about their AgriEdge and AgriSure products.

As usual I wanted to talk about how the company is communicating their message to farmer and dealer customers. In particular I asked him about their website strategy and how well that was working: nafb-syngenta-dickinson-soundbite.mp3

Travis says that the company plans to continue to utilize the communications mechanisms available to it and do so more efficiently and effectively. You can download the full interview with Travis here: Listen To MP3 Travis Dickinson Interview (5 min MP3)

Or you can listen here immediately: nafb-syngenta-dickinson.mp3

Agribusiness, Audio

IFAJ 50 Year DVD

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAF 50th Anniversary DVDYou can still obtain copies of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists DVD. It commemorates 50 years of the organization. We celebrated that birthday in Norway earlier this year. Thanks to IFAJ Treasurer Marcus Rediger for the reminder.

I know they’re free to members but maybe if you ask them nicely they’ll let you have a copy even if you’re not. It’s all about trying to help create awareness and interest in this great organization. I’ve got a copy and think it’s very well done.

The IFAJ has launched a special DVD to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Material for the DVD was gathered during the 2005 congress in Switzerland and provided by member countries. It features national delegates and agricultural journalists talking about globalisation and important issues from their viewpoint. “All stress the meaning of a world-wide network for the exchange of information, opinions and questions,” said producer and IFAJ treasurer Markus Rediger. He hopes the DVD will help promote the IFAJ and share its vision as an organisation striving towards a more professional approach.

IFAJ