The MoKan NAMA Chapter held its latest monthly meeting May 6 at Jack’s Stack in the Freight District of Kansas City, Mo. Approximately 50 members heard the feature presenter, Dr. Jennifer K. Martin, Hall Family Foundation Professor.

Dr. Martin’s presentation discussed non-verbal messages that you may be sending an audience that could distract from your message. Martin says people receive information through 1) kinetic and physical means, 2) emotional and facial expressions and 3) hearing and verbal communication, in that order. Martin also suggested videotaping yourself giving a presentation, to best evaluate your non-verbal communication.

Following the lunch meeting and presentation, the MoKan chapter drew a $50 cash door prize, which was won by Heather Koehler of AdFarm.

Future MoKan NAMA events include the MoKan NAMA Golf Classic on June 25 at Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, Kan., with check-in starting at noon. The July MoKan NAMA meeting will be on July 8, and feature Jason Stark, CEO of Sway Online discussing the Return on Investment of Social Media Marketing.

Thursday, May 21, 2009 ~ 1:00 p.m.
How To Spread Innovation Across A Willing-But-Distracted Organization

Surveys show that top managers of global corporations are convinced that innovation and creativity are critical to the future success of their companies. However, these same managers are sometimes slow to implement the training, tools, and process changes needed to support the spread of innovation throughout their organizations. While their intentions are good, the ever-present demands of customers, investors, and other stakeholders just keep getting in the way. What can you do to move innovation from your organization’s wish list to the top of its to-do list? Fleishman-Hillard Director of Innovation, Kathie Thomas, offers a lively, interactive session, packed with proven tips and strategies on how to inspire and promote innovation in a well-intentioned, but distracted, organization.

This practical workshop is designed to help you:

• Identify your company’s innovation hot button
• Enlist senior management support
• Successfully pollinate innovation throughout your organization
• Build awareness and inspire employee engagement
• Create easy-to-use tools
• Evaluate results

You’ll come away equipped to develop a practical roadmap for nurturing a climate of creativity that consistently converts fresh thinking to competitive advantage.

To register please visit https://payment.nama.org/webinar.htm. Cost for the Webinar is $35.

Audio presentations from the 2009 Agri-Marketing Conference will be available by May 11. Attendees of the conference will receive a code, when the presentations are ready, to download sessions at no cost.

We’re received many great comments about the speakers including Scott McKain, Andy Cohen, and David Okerlund. The Agricultural Speakers Network is taking their commitment to NAMA one step further….for every speaker they provide for NAMA member companies, they’ll issue a credit to NAMA usable on future speakers for NAMA events. And to top that…if the person booking the speaker mentions “NAMA” they’ll be given a $20 gift certificate for Starbucks Coffee on their first booking.

If you attended the conference and have not yet filled out the Agri-Marketing Conference Survey, please take part in the survey at www.nama.org/amc/survey.htm.

Lessons from a small town entrepreneur

Building on his early experiences in Crothersville, Indiana, keynote speaker Scott McKain offered up the premise that ‘nothing has to be a commodity.’ Even when a Supermarket came to his town, his parents’ grocery store continued to compete, although offering less selection and, in some cases, higher prices. The reason? Scott discovered the distinction of personal service offered by the Mom and Pop store.

After citing more examples of ‘commodity products’ being successfully marketed (water, coffee, money), Scott suggested three powerful and synergistic destroyers of distinction: copycat competition, more and better competitors, and too much familiarity.  He mentioned that familiarity does not so much breed contempt as it does complacency. Customers begin to take you for granted.  And if all three distinction destroyers exist for a company, brand or product, that company, brand, or product will only be able to compete on price. Creating distinction is the key to surviving and thriving.

The Progression toward Distinction, says McKain, is the movement from sameness to differentiation to distinction. He stated that clarity, creativity, communications, and a customer experience focus – in that order – are the four cornerstones of distinction. Using examples from movie entertainment, major corporate brands, and personal experience, Scott had the audience’s full attention and participation.

Wrapping up on a personal and emotional note, Scott told the audience to ‘Make every day count,’ and ‘Don’t miss the good stuff.’ It was a very touching finish to an informative, engaging, enthusiastic, and thoroughly enjoyable presentation.

Many thanks to the American Business Media, Agri Council for sponsoring the Opening General Session!

When you think differently, magic happens

Magic is entrancing, entertaining, and delightful. After a magic trick, everyone asks, “How did he do that?” Magician, marketing guru, and sought-after speaker, Andy Cohen demonstrated his sleight-of-hand abilities to help audience members challenge assumptions and perform their own magic.

“We need to look at our assumptions and challenge them,” says Cohen. We often think that our assumptions are truths. However, if we consider that assumptions are only beliefs, we gain new insights that can lead us to more actionable choices. For example, it’s assumed that advertising drives the brand. The challenge: customer experience drives the brand. This, then, provides more opportunities for improvement.

Cohen was an immediate hit with the audience, as he used illusions, plus personal and professional experiences, to illustrate how long-held notions about customers and marketing models may not be what they seem. He even taught a simple trick, the French Drop, where a coin seemed to have disappeared. However, if you watch the other hand, instead of the misdirection, you would see that the coin simply dropped. Of course, it never really disappeared. This is why Cohen suggests we ‘Follow the Other Hand.’ It’s also the title of his most-recent, best-selling business book.

Summing up, Cohen told the audience about the World’s Greatest Secret. And that secret is you! It’s your knowledge and how you use that knowledge. He urged people to incorporate their passions, leverage their strengths and apply their values. This is when the real magic happens.

Special thanks to Syngenta and John Deere for helping bring the marketing magic of Andy Cohen to NAMA members.

For the second year in a row, students from the University of Florida took first place at the Student Marketing Competition sponsored by Monsanto. The competition was held April 14-16 in Atlanta, GA.

The University of Florida marketing team had 20 students involved with this year’s project to market “SunFruit,” a grapefruit hybrid that does not interact with medications. The team spent the last several months doing market research, writing the marketing plan, and developing a presentation.

The top six marketing teams this year were: First place, University of Florida; Second place, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Third place, Purdue University. Other finalists included: The Ohio State University; North Dakota State University; and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Students decide on a project and develop a plan to successfully bring the product or service to the marketplace. In developing their marketing plan, students follow the same practices and principles used by today’s marketing professionals. Teams submit a written plan summary prior to the competition and then make a formal presentation of their marketing plan to a panel of judges at the competition. The judges’ panel consists of marketing and agribusiness professionals.

Overall, 30 student NAMA chapters participated in the marketing competition. The competition is part of the annual Agri-Marketing Conference. Over 315 student members attended the conference.

See below for a complete list of all Student Awards and Scholarship Winners.

Scholarship Winners
$4,000 Successful Farming/Fergie Ferguson Scholarship
Jenna Nicole Green, University of Florida

$1,000 Colle+McVoy/New Holland Scholarship
Bret Herndon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

$1,000 MoKan NAMA Scholarship
Lacey Altwegg, Kansas State University

$1,000 ABEF Scholarships
Laura Witte, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ellen Leibbrandt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sarah Butterfield, The Ohio State University

$500 ABEF Scholarships
Laura Larson, Iowa State University
Jodi Marshall, University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Darrin Rahn, Iowa State University
Brenna House, Delaware Valley College

John Deere Signature Award
5th Place – University of Wisconsin-Platteville – $500
4th Place – University of Nebraska-Lincoln – $500
3rd Place – University of Wisconsin-Madison – $1,000
2nd Place – Iowa State University – $2,000
1st Place – University of Florida – $3,000

Outstanding Student Chapter
First Place – Iowa State University
Second Place – New Mexico State University
Third Place – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Fourth Place – Illinois State University

Outstanding Advisor
David Englund – AIB College of Business

Chapter Improvement Awards
Chapter Management – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chapter Programs – Iowa State University
Membership Recruitment – Iowa State University
Fundraising/Financial Management – New Mexico State University
Chapter Communications – Iowa State University
Career Development – Iowa State University

Outstanding Professional
Andrea Brossard Martin, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Andrea was nominated by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Outstanding Professional Chapter
Heartland NAMA Chapter
Heartland was nominated by Illinois State University

Kayla Ammann of Highland, Illinois, has been selected by the IAA Foundation Trustees as the recipient of the 2009 Heartland NAMA Steven Hammerschmidt Scholarship in the amount of $1,500.

Kayla grew up on a small grain and hog farm in Highland, Illinois with her parents and younger sister. She is currently attending the University of Illinois with a major in Ag Economics/Agribusiness where she is actively involved in Sigma Alpha Professional Sorority, Alpha Zeta Honors Fraternity, Collegiate 4-H and also working as an intern for the State 4-H Office. After graduation, Kayla would like to work for a farm management company, and eventually move back to the Highland area and become a local 4-H leader.

On June 18, 2009, the IAA Foundation will host a recognition luncheon for the 2009 scholarship recipients. Scholarship recipients, in addition to meeting with the IAA Board of Directors and donors, will attend an information session learning more about careers in agriculture and agri-business. The luncheon will be held at the Illinois Farm Bureau building in Bloomington. Steven Hammerschmidt was a long time agri-marketing professional with GROWMARK, Inc., and a Heartland Chapter leader.