ABEF Silent/Online Media Auctions

Find a home for that special edition wildlife print or even those sports tickets and surplus company logo jackets. Or give a media package or services, and support the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) at the same time. How? By contributing to the annual ABEF Silent Auction.

The primary goal or mission of the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) is to provide today’s agri-business students the tools they will need to succeed tomorrow.

Century Club

Investing in the Century Club provides the opportunity to step forward and help advance the future of agribusiness. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and the Century Club support is totally dedicated for investing in scholarships for tomorrow’s leaders.

The Century Club’s goal is to have today’s agribusiness leaders contribute $100 for today’s youth.

Membership in the Century Club is on an annual basis.

Club members who renew prior to the Agri-Marketing Conference will have an “ABEF Century Club” sticker on their name badge and be recognized on the Century Club sign in the Silent Auction area and in other conference materials.  You will also receive an invitation to attend the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Recognition Luncheon hosted by the ABEF.  The annual membership contribution is $100.

You can be a part of this select group of individuals committed to enhancing the opportunity for tomorrow’s leaders. Don’t be left out, sign yourself up now! Visit http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=6&pg=1.

The AgriBusiness Educational Foundation (ABEF)  is pleased to announce that Osborn & Barr has made a major contribution to the Foundation’s current fundraising program targeting Ag advertising agencies — A.S.A.P. (Agencies Supporting ABEF Programs). Osborn & Barr’s $5,000 gift will be used to help support ABEF college student scholarships, the National Student NAMA Marketing Competition, and other programs benefiting students and young professionals in Ag marketing. A.S.A.P. is an on-going program in support of the Foundation’s VISION2020 initiative to raise $4 million by the year 2020.

 “A wealth of employment opportunities exist in agribusiness, and it’s promising to see so many talented students who are serious about pursuing a career in this industry,” says Michael Turley, CEO, Osborn & Barr. “It’s rewarding to be involved with farm tours, summer internships and scholarship programs that not only educate, but spark in our youth a true appreciation for agriculture. Our involvement with A.S.A.P. is one more way we can do our part to support agribusiness and its future leaders.”

 Mick Sibbel, Chair of the Board of Trustees for ABEF, commented, “The A.S.A.P. initiative was developed to bring Ag ad agencies together to build financial support while becoming advocates for ABEF. Osborn & Barr’s commitment to the program is very much appreciated and will help us continue much-needed programming to develop the Ag marketing and communications leaders of tomorrow.”

 Agencies who sign up for A.S.A.P. follow certain guidelines in support of ABEF. In addition to an unrestricted gift to the Foundation ($500 to $100,000), agencies agree to provide information about ABEF to clients, employees, and suppliers, asking for their financial support of the Foundation. Agencies may also match employee contributions.

 “The agricultural landscape is ever-changing, and while we may not know the challenges that will come in 2020, we do know that our future depends on what we do today,” says Turley. “At the end of the day, we all want agriculture to thrive and prosper for years to come. We are proud to form an alliance with other Ag marketing and advertising agencies through ABEF and A.S.A.P.”

 Interested agencies can get more information about ABEF and A.S.A.P. by contacting Michael Gustafson, Deer’s Landing Communications, at 217-251-3659 ([email protected]) or Jenny Pickett at NAMA office at 913-491-6500 ([email protected]).

VISION2020 is a new initiative that seeks to raise up to $4 million over the next 10 years for college student scholarships, student and young professional development programs, and support of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Student Program. Funding may also be made available for outreach to high school juniors and seniors, promoting careers in Ag business, marketing and communications.

The Badger NAMA Board of Directors has been working hard over the last few months to create new and innovative ways to show its chapter members value for their membership dollars. From relevant speakers and networking sessions to interactions with student members, 2012 is going to be a great year for Badger NAMA.

Badger members have been offered a unique opportunity to share their expertise with the future of our profession – the NEW Badger NAMA Mentor Program. They have developed a program that will benefit students and professionals in a directed, yet flexible way.  It’s designed with the busy professional in mind, and the program can also be considered a recruitment tool.  Interested Badger members should send a request for additional information and/or application materials to [email protected].

Region I hosted a Best of NAMA event on February 14 at the Wine and Cheese Pavilion in the 2012 World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA.  The 40 – 50 attendees enjoyed wine, cheese, and other drinks and snacks while networking and listening to a brief speaker.  Best of NAMA Awards were distributed to winning companies/agencies representatives who attended.  Visit www.nama.org/amc/bon/reg1win.htm  for a complete list of winners.

National Ag Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.  Every year, Producers, Agriculture Associations, Corporations, Universities, Government Agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.

Join us in Washington D.C. for three special events to honor and celebrate just how amazing American agriculture really is!  Notable activities include: Morning Coffee event with invited guest Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture; Meet and Mingle Luncheon with congressional staff; and a National Celebration of Agriculture Dinner with featured speaker Ted McKinney, Director, Global Corporate Affairs – Elanco Animal Health.  To find out more information or to register for  D.C. activities visit http://www.agday.org/media/pr5.php.

To download the invitation in an Adobe .pdf format visit http://www.agday.org/AgDay2012postcard.pdf.

Approximately 40 NAMA members and guests gathered at the Cattle Industry Convention on February 1 in Nashville, Tennessee for a producer panel.  “Marketing to Producers” focused on general marketing and targeted social media and trade show marketing.  The panel, moderated by Gary Cooper with Southeast AgNet was comprised of Laurie Lickley, Jerome Idaho; Kevin Kester, Parkfield, California; and Jason McCann from Miller, Missouri.  You can listen to interviews with the panelists on AgWired.com.

Special thanks to the Great Plains, Midsouth and National NAMA for co-hosting this panel.

For details on a reception co-hosted with AAEA that will take place on March 2 in conjunction with Commodity Classic in Nashville visit http://www.nama.org/chapters/nama.htm.

Checkout the Breakout Sessions for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 18-20, in Kansas City and get registered today!

How Do Different Generations of Farmers Use Media? (Session 1 of 2)
Thursday, April 19 ~ 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Problem: While the average age of farmers is still middle 50’s, there is an influx of young farmers making their way back to the family farm. Many are college graduates and have new ideas regarding not only farming, but how they want to receive information that is necessary for their operation. Technology adoption – smartphones, iPads, social media, etc. – is on the rise  in agriculture and the younger generation is leading the way. The challenge for agri-marketers is how to effectively reach not only farmers in their 40’s and 50’s who may be the primary decision makers, but also reach the emerging decision makers  in their 20’s and 30’s as the media landscape starts to shift. The first step in finding a solution is to understand how different age groups use and experience new technology and emerging media.

This session will focus on the latest research on media usage as well as new technology adoption, and then hear directly from farmers of different genrations who are using (or not using) these tools and vehicles. 

Moderator: David Parker, Vice President, Instructional Services, Adayana
Panelists: 3 producers that will represent different generations

Consumer Influences on Ag Communications
Thursday, April 19, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Changes in consumer attitudes and our food system have altered the landscape. With foodie culture, food choice, sustainability, local food and social media taking the stage, the strategies, tactics and messages of the agricultural system have evolved. Organizations, marketers and individual farmers and ranchers are constantly looking for the best ways to communicate with credibility and trust.

During this session, you will learn about research and projects from the Center for Food Integrity and a case study from Illinois Farm Families about building and retaining agriculture’s share of voice in the conversation regarding our nation’s food supply.

Charlie Arnot, CEO, Center for Food Integrity
Lori Laughlin, Illinois Farm Families

Creating a Creative Environment: The Awesome Art, Power, and Discipline of Jamming!
Thursday, April 19, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Unfortunately, too many managers today adopt a lackluster  attitude about teaching creativity skills to their people.  They believe that if it’s not an inherent part of your mental make up, you’re just going to have to struggle along without it.  How wrong they are!

We have gone from the gentle evolution of change into a hurricane of unrelenting change and chaos.  The new millennium MANDATES an ability to reinvent oneself at the drop of a hat, embrace thinking out of the box, and to become comfortable. . . feeling uncomfortable.  To some, this can be a daunting task. But for others, it is a way of thinking and working that brings new life into tired souls. If you prefer the latter, you’re going to love this workshop.

What you will learn
·        How to conduct your own jamming sessions
·        The 7 different types of creativity
·        How to personally nurture your own creative growth
·        How to nurture creative growth in your staff
·        How to become a “Vision” painter
·        The danger of psychosclerosis
·        How to understand the linear and intuitive techniques of creativity
·        Creating a perpetually creative work environment

How To Wrangle Market Share From Your Competitors
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The world’s top economists are predicting a dismal 1-2% average growth through 2015. So, the only way to grow your organization is to take market share away from your lazy competitors. Ross Shafer will show you how progressive companies are getting 15-25% growth; even when their available market is stagnant or declining.

The Take A Ways:

How do you get more share? You must capitalize on your competitors’ weaknesses. Because the Internet and social media publish such vast public information and conversation, Ross will teach you how to discern what they are doing right or wrong – see what kinds of innovations and best practices they are using that you may not be – and discover what their customers are responding to.  He’ll also coach you about your own Internet Reputation Management to make sure you keep the share you’ve already earned.

You’ll also learn to deliver more urgency and empathy to retain and hold onto customers ….find our more about “crowdsourcing”… and how to adopt contarian thinking tactics to blaze new profit channels.

Ross Shafer

Ross is one of the most sought after Keynote speakers and seminar leaders on the subjects of Customer Empathy, Personal Motivation, and Business Relevance.

Understanding How Media Companies, Agencies and Clients are Evolving to Reach Today’s Farmer (Session 2 of 2)
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We know that the profile of today’s farmer is changing and with that their media consumption- how and when they like to receive information.  The challenge for marketers is now how to effectively reach a younger demographic while still capturing the core, older farmer audience who represent the majority of decision makers.

In this session you’ll hear from a roundtable of senior media, agency and client leadership on how they see the media landscape shifting and how they are rethinking their business models and plans to accommodate this shift.

Explore how to determine the best market contact strategy.  How will the role of traditional print and radio change going forward? What role does interactive and social media play? How can the offline and online world work together? What types of information are better suited for different media channels?  And finally, discuss what lessons ag communicators and marketers can learn from the marketing world at large.

Moderator:  Curt Blades, National Sales Manager, Successful Farming
Panelists: Pat Rosner, V.P. Director of Integrated Media, Osborn & Barr
Stephanie Liska, CEO, Beck Ag
Charlene Finck, Editor, Farm Journal Media
Jason Ward, Brand Manager, BASF

Marketing Metamorphosis: How Smart Marketers Use Digital Marketing to Accelerate Customer Acquisition & Retention
Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

The digital revolution has totally transformed the way brands retain customers.  Inefficient one-size-fits-all marketing communication has given way to more effective one-to-one customer engagement strategies that are fueled by data and enabled by interactive marketing technology.

In this session, Joel Book of ExactTarget will show how innovative companies like Scotts Miracle-Gro and others are using digital marketing-anchored by email, social and mobile, and websites – as the backbone of a cross-channel life cycle marketing strategy to acquire, engage, grow and retain customers.

You’ll learn to fuel conversation about your brand and attract new customers… how to leverage customer data and CRM… and how to use email to drive repurchase behavior.

Joel Book

Joel Book is a Principal in the Market Research & Education Group of ExactTarget, a leading provider of software solutions for cross-channel marketing and customer service communications.

Regarded as one of the top digital marketing strategists in the country, Joel applies more than 35 years of experience in database marketing.

No stranger to agriculture, he grew up and worked on his family’s 3,000 acre farm in Illinois before leaving for the University of Illinois where he earned a B.S. in Marketing Communications in 1976. And from 1984-1990, Joel was Vice President, Marketing Services at Farm Journal where he led the launch of the company’s database management services business in 1985.

He is a member of the Direct Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association, and has been recognized by the Sales Lead Management Association as one of the top 50 most influential people in sales lead management.

Sell it Like You Mean It
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

If you’re looking to get your sales team’s year off to a great start, create a mid-year jolt, or help your team to finish your year off with increased momentum, this energizing session can help. It’s an hour full of winning ideas to re-energize your sales staff and take their desire and  commitment to new heights.  Whether you have a team of high producers that have flat-lined or your whole team needs to crank it up, you need your sales force to out-think and outperform the competition and win big in the sales game.

Walter Bond will teach you how to overcome objections,  incorporate storytelling, establish yourself as an expert, so your reps will stop “selling” and actually influence your customers to buy.  Mr. Accountability believes some sales people are born but most of them are made.  The strategies you’ll learn in this session will inspire your sales team to produce at another level.

Walter Bond

The Political Landscape and Impact in an Election Year
Friday, April 20, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

The 2012 election season is setting up to be a pivotal year for agriculture and agricultural issues, from farm bill legislation to trade bills and biofuels. This session will feature representatives from each of the Republican and Democratic parties presenting their views regarding issues important to agriculture in an election year. The speakers will present opening statements and then answer questions from moderator Tom Steever, Brownfield Network and the current president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Moderator:  Tom Steever, Farm Broadcaster, Brown Network

To register for the Agri-Marketing Conference visit  http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=38