I hadn’t really thought of what we’re doing here at ZimmComm this way but a recent comment from one of our reader/visitors got me to thinking. He said, “You guys have got one heck of a good suite of sites going yourself.” A suite of sites (blogs). A suite of ag blogs. Is that what we have?
We’ve got 4 of them. AgWired, DomesticFuel, World Dairy Diary and AgNewsWire.AgWired.com. Does that constitute a suite? And if it does what’s the next logical step?
If you plan to stay in Clive, IA you may want to consider an alternative to the Country Inn & Suites if you need high speed internet access. For the second time in the last month their internet access has gone out. But thank you Panera Bread (University Ave). Free Wi-Fi. Although I did order an I. C. Mocha Cappuccino and a french bread roll.
Of course then you have the Panera “atmosphere.” If you can get past the too loud music then you’ve got all the conversations around you. First I heard a lady asking her husband (I think) if these people on computers here were blogging and wasn’t that something about having a two way conversation on a computer? Right next to me is a group of 4 women who saw me firing up my Dell and then they made some very under the breath remarks about the poor person who would come here to use their computer. Snicker, snicker. Of course then they’ve moved on very loudly to denounce Pat Robertson, anyone who owns guns, people who don’t understand Jesus and those arch conservative religious right people against abortion. I wish they’d wisper. It’s pretty busy here tonight though and not a lot of choices of where to sit.
As a good friend of mine says, “Onward and upward.”
I’m jumping the gun just a little with this post but it’s the only time I have until later today. Here’s another reason to get “Jazzed” about NAMA. Now’s the time to join if you haven’t already. Hey, if you join then you get the “member” rate for convention in April. To provide a little incentive NAMA is holding a contest to encourage you to join or recruit someone else to join.
Have you been wanting an iPod? Now’s your chance! New members who join NAMA between January 1 and April 20, 2006 will be entered into a drawing for a 30 GB Video iPod. In addition, existing NAMA members who recruit these new members will also be entered into the drawing.
The drawing for the iPod will take place at the Trade Show Closing Reception on Thursday, April 20. Start recruiting members today and take home your new iPod after the conference.
Special thanks to AgWired.com for sponsoring this promotion!
Your chances will be much better than the lottery. If you win I will provide you with a free class on installation and use. Of course I’ll subscribe you to the ZimmCast right away.
You know you want to join NAMA. You know you want one of these hot little gadgets. Now you know what to do – Join NAMA.
It’s time to get “Jazzed” about the April NAMA convention if you’re a company that wants to reach the movers and shakers in the agrimarketing world. I’m not just talking about attendance now. I’m talking about exhibiting in the NAMA Connection Point. We’re going to have an exciting show this year with a lot of fun activities. For example, there will be chances to win iPods!
AgWired will be blogging the event and I’m planning on having live blogging demonstrations from my booth. Plan to spend a few minutes and learn a little more about this new media thing.
I just found out that NAMA has employed the services of one of the best to help with the Connection Point. Diane Johnson, will be soliciting sign-up for the show, exhibitor communication, and onsite coordination of the trade show. She will also be coordinating the special events in the trade show. Diane is going to do a great job. You may already know and love her from her work with the Livestock Publications Council and Ag Media Summit.
If you haven’t exhibited at NAMA before then this is the year to do it. The location is great and we’ve got some exciting events planned to make it a good one. Feel free to contact Diane to sign up: 817-232-1872.
I think this is the most exciting time in agricultural communications that I’ve ever seen! I’ve been involved in presentations and discussions today in the Des Moines area that I wish I could have recorded. The questions being asked and the options to reach farmers being discussed are revolutionary. Speaking of revolutionary how about this announcement from Osborn & Barr Communications?
Recognizing the impact of today’s media technology and its impact on delivering innovative solutions, Osborn & Barr has redefined the role of its media department.
Wow! “today’s media technology,” “impact,” “redefined.” There’s more . . .
The media staff provides interactive solutions and ideas on strategic tie-in opportunities in addition to strategic advertising planning and placement to ensure that brand building and brand maintenance maximize the effectiveness of communications. As data and metrics allow media professionals to better pinpoint specific vehicles and methods to target niche audiences, media departments have an increasingly important role in the successful execution of communications plans as well as the growth of clients’ businesses.
“interactive solutions,” “niche audiences.” I love it.
“Twenty-five years ago, when there were only three networks, it only took an average of five hits with a television spot to reach your target audience,” explains Joe Osborn, president of Osborn & Barr Communications. “Today, target audiences are fragmented, and it is critical to develop and analyze data to segment audiences according to viewership and readership. We research new, efficient ways to reach the target audience and motivate them to the desired response.”
“audiences are fragmented,” “segment audiences,” “new,efficient ways to reach the target audience.” Right on Joe!
So without speculating on what all these things mean (call me, I’ll speculate with you), how are they going to get this done? For one thing they’re bringing on new staff to help them reach these objectives.
Courtney Floresca joined Osborn & Barr as media supervisor, bringing her expertise in management, planning, research and sales for national accounts. Well versed in sales strategies and sales goals, Courtney analyzes and negotiates buys based on efficiency, selectivity and environment. She has 13 years of advertising experience on the agency and media sides of the desk, including many successful years in television and radio sales.
Nancy Schiera was hired as media team leader for Osborn & Barr. Her experience in planning and developing regional and local marketing plans for home products is an asset to Osborn & Barr’s growing home products and services segment as well as the agency’s John Deere account. As an account executive and senior media planner and buyer for Gish, Sherwood & Friends in Nashville, Tennessee, Nancy negotiated network, cable, radio, outdoor and print for clients such as Carrier and Bryant Air Conditioners and Furnaces. Prior to that, Nancy was a senior media buyer for Leo Burnett U.S.A. in Chicago, Illinois, where her clients included such well-known brands as Ameritech, Amoco, Kellogg, Hallmark and Maytag.
McKenzie Francis was hired as a media assistant. McKenzie has worked in account management and sales for Clear Channel radio in St. Louis, where she was responsible for establishing and servicing accounts, securing sponsorships for station events and scheduling advertising campaigns.
I’m going to make a couple of remarks about Keith Good. The post before this is Keith’s weekly Tuesday farm trade and policy post that he’s been doing for months on AgWired. However, it’s his last one (although I’m thinking we haven’t heard the last from him).
Keith mentions this in his last post. What he doesn’t go into detail about is the fact that his personal business has grown due to his blogging and his daily e-news publication! Keith is in demand and the demand was built by his courage and abilities to try something that very few have been doing (yet). You can’t read Keith in newspapers, magazines or hear him on radio or see him on tv. He’s a web publisher and a great success story. Web publishing of good content (text, audio, video) is the new media we are all seeing happen right before our eyes and agribusiness is part of the revolution.
Before Keith started FarmPolicy.com he wasn’t widely known as an expert on farm policy. He started small and patiently posted good content day after day. Although I’m not sure of his exact start date I think he’s been blogging and writing for at least a year. Keith is a shining example of how to do it right. I think we can all learn a lot from that.
Keith, we here at ZimmComm apppreciate your contributions to AgWired. Our readers have benefited and we’ll miss the regular post but we’ll keep an eye on your site and point people your way when we can.
If you’re not subscribing to Keith’s daily e-news just visit FarmPolicy.com to get started. As one of his subscribers says, “Farm Policy is the first email I read in the morning. As a congressional staffer who does Ag issues, I find it essential.”
As domestic ethanol production continues to grow, agricultural observers can quickly and easily see many of the potential benefits: increased investment in the rural economy, the environmental benefits of using a renewable fuel, and increased demand for corn, which can lead to higher incomes for corn growers.
However, New York Times reporter Matthew L. Wald, in an article published in yesterday’s paper, provided a look at a potential downfall of increased corn based ethanol production: global hunger.
According to Mr. Wald, “The rising corn prices may be good news for farmers, but they are worrying some food planners.
“‘We’re putting the supermarket in competition with the corner filling station for the output of the farm,’ said Lester R. Brown, an agriculture expert in Washington, D.C., and president of the Earth Policy Institute. Farms cannot feed all the world’s people and its motor vehicles as well, Mr. Brown said, and the result is that more people will go hungry.”
The Times article also included the perspective of Joachim von Braun, the director of the International Food Policy Research Institute who noted that “the mouth of your car is a monster compared to your family’s stomach needs.”
On the other hand, the Times included the view of Nick Young, the president of an agriculture consulting firm, Promar, in Alexandria, Va., who indicated that, “it was an exaggeration to say that nonfood use of crops will make the world’s poor go hungry, but he added that the use of vegetable oil as a substitute for diesel fuel had already driven up the price of canola oil.”
As ethanol use continues to grow, it’s likely that media reports covering various aspects of the industry will continue to grow as well.
***
As it turns out, today will be my last guest post at AgWired.com. Activity surrounding my Email newsletter, FarmPolicy.com, continues to grow and requires more time and attention.
I have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to blog at what I consider to be the best ag related blog on the Internet. It has been a wonderful experience. Thanks for reading.
Keith Good writes The FarmPolicy.com News Summary, an Email newsletter containing a summary of news relating to U.S. farm policy which is published most weekdays. For more information, go to www.FarmPolicy.com.
Ever had a crisis? Want to know how to manage one? Well now you can. The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City is holding a forum on the subject at 3pm on January 27. It’s titled “Crisis Management in the Ever-Changing Agribusiness Arena.” The forum will be hosted by Hosted by Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., 2555 Grand Blvd., 24th Floor, Kansas City, Mo.
SHB Partners Chris McDonald and Mark Anstoetter, together with Rick Thaemert, a senior partner at the public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard, will discuss crisis readiness and the elements of effective crisis management plans, including dealing with the media; complying with required notifications under the law; and preserving evidence that might be relevant to pending or threatened litigation. FBI Special Agent Craig Watz will discuss the government’s role and provide a short update on the bureau’s agroterrorism initiatives and the 2nd Annual International Symposium on Agroterrorism slated for September 2006 in Kansas City.
The 1.5-hour program will begin at 3 p.m., with a reception immediately following. Parking for the event will be available in SHB’s parking garage at 2555 Grand Blvd. Visitor parking is plentiful on the fourth, fifth and sixth levels of the facility. Take the parking garage elevator to level “L” and follow the walkway into the building. The registration table will be on the left as you enter the SHB lobby. Upon check in, please have your parking ticket validated and someone will then escort you to the 24th Floor Conference Center.
RSVP by January 24 to Agricultural Business Council Chair Gina Bowman-Morrill at GinaB@kc.rr.com or Tamy Brown at tnbrown@shb.com, (816) 474-6550, extension 20572.
The National Agri-Marketing Association is reminding you about the call for nominations for two of their annual awards. Here’s the information:
The deadline for submitting nominations for the Agribusiness Leader of the Year and the NAMA Marketer of the Year awards is January 20, 2006. Both awards will be presented at the 2006 Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show, April 19-21 in Kansas City.
The Agribusiness Leader of the Year award honors an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas. Nominees do not need to be NAMA members. Download the Agribusiness Leader Nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/agbusapplication.pdf.
NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing directly to ag producers. Nominees MUST be NAMA members. Download the NAMA Marketer of the Year nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/mktrapplication.pdf.
The issue of rural internet access is a very important one in agricultural marketing and communications today. Last week I posted the full presentation made by Tim Ganschow, Agristar Global Networks, at the Gateway NAMA meeting. I’ve selected a couple of segments from Tim’s talk for you in this week’s ZimmCast. I hope you enjoy it.
You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: 
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio or subscribe in iTunes.
