Podshow Obtains $8.85 Million

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

I know this is a blog about agricultural marketing and you’re wondering why Chuck keeps pushing podcasting. It’s because I can see how valuable this tool is! Besides our very own ZimmCast, you can listen to the MBIC Report or CornTalk (see our sidebar to the left). These are weekly programs that open-minded agricultural organization leaders are having us produce. Doubt they have listener? Don’t. Their files are structured so that I can measure how many times they’re downloaded by the people who use the standard MP3 file link and there are additional downloads from subscribers who are using podcasting software. They have listeners. It’s not big numbers yet but the people who listen “want” to listen! That’s important. They can also listen whenever and wherever they want to.

Still doubting that podcasting will ever become “something?” How about this little news item from CNET News.com:

Privately held PodShow has received $8.85 million in strategic investments from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital and Sherpalo Ventures, the company said Tuesday.

That’s not a small investment by anyone’s measure!

Podcasts

AGCO & NASCAR Put Agriculture In High Gear

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

Actually their headline was that Challenger, Caterpillar and NASCAR Put . . . but my title space only has so much room.

Many companies do it. Gotta love those race cars and their fans. It’s a publicity machine! This time AGCO announces their sponsorship of a NASCAR race car in agreement with Bill Davis Racing. Pretty sweet looking machine, eh?

I wonder what the “metrics” are on this investment. How do you measure the value of the sponsorship? Is it just how many stories it generates? How many fans see it at a race or on tv? How about measuring how it impacts your target audience? A little customer research? Does sponsoring the car contribute to new sales for AGCO? Does it affect buying decisions? Inquiring minds want to know this kind of thing. Anyone have any research on the effectiveness of sponsoring race cars?

DULUTH, Ga.-Aug. 5, 2005–The Challenger(R) brand, which already graces a full line of quality tractors, combines and hay tools, will soon make its appearance in a whole new venue–on the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP racing circuit. Through an agreement with Bill Davis Racing, the Challenger brand is a new associate sponsor on the No. 22 Caterpillar(R) NASCAR race car, driven by Scott Wimmer, through the end of the 2006 racing season – and, in addition, is the primary sponsor on the No. 23 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP entry, driven by Johnny Benson, in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this October.

“We are pleased that Challenger has decided to join us as one of our sponsors for the 2005-2006 racing season,” says Bill Davis, team owner and president of Bill Davis Racing. “We approached them because we believe they have the same drive and ambition toward their goals as Bill Davis Racing has towards winning on the track.”

For more information contact Cheryl Thompson.

Agribusiness

Need An Agriblogger?

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

I’ve never been to San Francisco for some reason but that’ll change later this week. I’ll be attending the Blog Business Summit. Call it blogging professional development. Want to see what I’ll be learning? Check out the schedule here.

I’ve been speaking with a growing number of people in agricultural communications who are interested in this topic. If you can’t attend my class at the NAMA Agri-Marketing Boot Camp Thursday or go to an event like the Blog Business Summit, then give me a call. I’m available for consultation and blog design and implementation. Call it agriblogging? Agribloggers-R-Us? Personally, I like to think of it as the coolest public relations tool to come along in a long time!

Uncategorized

New Checkoff Board Appointments

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, was in an appointing mood this week. He made quite a few appointments. I’m just posting the new ones. You’ll have to visit their website to find the re-appointments.

National Dairy Board

Newly appointed were: Ronald L. Koetsier, Visalia, Calif., (region 2); William R. D. Anglin, Bentonville, Ark., (region 4); Donna L. Sharp, Bath, S.D., (region 5); Carl F. VanDen Avond, Green Bay, Wis., (region 6); Bradford A. McCauley, Viola, Wis., (region 6); Douglas D. Nuttelman, Stromsburg, Neb., (region 7); Carl A. Schmitz, Wadesville, Ind., (region 9); Joyce A. Bupp, Seven Valleys, Penn., (region 11); and Ronald R. McCormick, Java Center, N.Y., (region 12). Debora A. Erb, Landaff, N. H., (region 13)

Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board

Thomas S. Jones, Arkansas; Ross Jenkins II, California; Carlyle W. Currier, Colorado; Roger L. West, Florida; Timothy J. Shaw, Idaho; Terrell D. Handke, Daniel J. Kerschen and Kenneth L. Stielow, Kansas; Charles L. Miller, Kentucky; Charles J. Bassett, Missouri; James R. Almond, Montana; James J. Eschliman and Lyndell W. Whipps, Nebraska; John P. Woods, New Mexico; Margie B. Hande, North Dakota; Bob Drake and Andrea D. Hutchinson, Oklahoma; Randall P. Meabon, Pennsylvania; Edward T. Blair, South Dakota; Robert L. Bruner, Daniel Dierschke, Bryant W. Fisher; Daryl Owen, and Lavine G. Sartwelle, Texas; and William W. Oliver, Virginia.

Appointed to represent importers are Ronald G. Allen, Greg L. Benedict, Joakim A. Holzner, John J. O’Carroll and David W. Palmer.

For more information you can also contact USDA News, 202 720-4623.

Ag Groups, USDA

World Dairy Diary Public Now

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

This isn’t new news to many of you but we post all Talking News Releases that our company produces and add them to our RSS feed. Today we publicly began promoting “World Dairy Diary,” the official weblog of the World Dairy Expo. Since it’s a TNR it includes links to sound bites. We distributed to our list of ag journalists (print & broadcast) here and internationally as well as our national database of radio station reporters and through PR Web. Feel free to check it out. BTW, sponsorships are currently available.

WORLD DAIRY EXPO BLOG SITE TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE EXPO INFORMATION

(Holts Summit, MO) The 2005 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin is reaching out to the global community with an on-line daily information source to provide the latest news and promotional materials about the event and the dairy industry.

“World Dairy Diary” at wdexpo.org was created and is being maintained by ZimmComm, an internet communications company based in Missouri. President Chuck Zimmerman explained that Expo officials were looking for a new way to get information out to people about the event.

“World Dairy Diary” is what has become known as a web log, or blog,” Zimmerman said. “Since a blog is just simply a website that is easy to update, it is getting more popular as a communications tool to provide information, pictures, audio and even video on an immediate basis.” (full release) Word document

For more information contact me! That’s Chuck Zimmerman.

Audio, Farm Shows, World Dairy Expo

New Prez For TFI

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

Sometimes it pays to be the vice president! Sometimes you do make it all the way.

Washington, D.C. – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced today that TFI Senior Vice President Ford B. West has been tapped by TFI’s Executive Committee to serve as TFI’s president effective Sept. 6. “With more than 25 years experience in service to the fertilizer industry, Ford is uniquely qualified to lead TFI’s advocacy efforts,” said TFI Chairman and J.R. Simplot Company
President and CEO Larry Hlobik. “Ford understands the fertilizer business and has built the kind of long-standing relationships with key policymakers and allies that will greatly benefit TFI’s future efforts to promote and protect fertilizer.”

For more information contact Kathy Mathers, (202) 515-2703.

Ag Groups

New Media Showing Biggest Growth In New Report

Chuck Zimmerman August 16, 2005

Thanks to an alert from Mediapace, who learned about it on Media Daily News, I learned of a new communications industry book you might want to look into. It’s the “Communications Industry Forecast – 2005-2009” by Veronis, Suhler, Stevenson, an investment banking firm that invests heavily in media companies.

I didn’t invest the $1,995 for the report but according to the article on Media Daily News, the report says that the media industry has “effectively reached a “new order” that shifts power to consumers from advertisers, and to new media from traditional media.” It also quotes the report as saying “Ad spending in the new media–which VSS defines as cable and satellite television, satellite radio, business-to-business e-media, consumer Internet, movie screens, and video games–is growing at double-digit rates, while traditional media are rising only at single-digits. As a result, VSS projects that new media will account for 26.3 percent of all ad spending by 2009–an estimate some new media pundits might find conservative, given the rapid shifts in digital technologies.” Like most reports I assume they don’t break out farmers. However, when I compare farmer media usage studies I see a lot of similarity with the general consuming public. The higher a farmer’s income the higher their use of the interent becomes too!

One thing that I think should also be noted from the report is that even “traditional” media is experiencing growth. We’re just a media rich and using kind of society!

Media

Promoting Ethanol At The MO State Fair

Chuck Zimmerman August 15, 2005

First it was hot and dry and now it’s cool and wet. That’s the way it goes at the Missouri State Fair. In the Missouri Corn Growers Association CornTalk program this week, summer intern Rachel Nivens talks about what the organization is doing, including promoting ethanol and displaying their flex fuel Chevrolet Tahoe. They plan to present Missouri Senator Jim Talent with an appreciation award on Thursday as well.

You can listen to CornTalk here

CornTalk is a weekly podcast on AgWired that you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

Ag Groups, Corn, Podcasts

Brewing Beer To Keep Blogging?

Chuck Zimmerman August 15, 2005

I know I’m going to get in trouble for this post. But it’s a good story. This is the kind of stuff you can find when you use the Google RSS news feeds by the way.

On the Daily News Online from Botswana there’s a story with the headline “Barefoot wife brews beer to make ends meet”. This lady, Ditsele of Maunatlala in Tswapong North , does exactly that. She learned how to brew beer at a young age and is supplementing her family’s income. What are the chances that I could convince Cindy to start brewing so I can keep blogging?

Uncategorized

Producer Panel At NAMA Boot Camp

Chuck Zimmerman August 15, 2005

In just a few minutes I’m going to be on a conference call with the panelists for Wednesday evening’s NAMA Boot Camp producer panel. They’ll give attendees an opportunity to “Hear first hand how to effectively communicate with the end user.” Featured guests will include lifestyle and large operators.

Panel Guests: Brian Bogue, Bogue Farms; Michael Amigoni, Amigoni Family Vineyards; Larry Oltjen

I’ll be blogging to and from the event so stay tuned.

NAMA

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