Spring 2010 Media Usage Study By: Kristi Moss

1. The New Ag Media Model:
Conventional + Contemporary Strategies
K r i s t i M o s s

2. www.paulsenmarketing.com
Participating in the conversation—it was the
hottest media buzz-phrase in 2009 and continues Conventional Media Model
to be a hot topic in 2010. So what does it mean? It
means that the direction of ag media is changing
dramatically, and more clients than ever are asking
for guidance.
Clients and marketers alike are accustomed to
ing
Ma
s
eb Site
rtis
ga
one-way marketing and being in total control of
Direct Mail
zin
e
Adv
es
the message. We’ve successfully built brands,
(1.0) W
&N
ner
ew
Rad
awareness and familiarity through the traditional
TV
Ban
sp
ail
io
ap
s
E-m
Ou
outlets of print and broadcast media. A typical log
ers
tdo ta
or Ca ws
two-way marketing conversation involved trade Dea Sho
de
lers Tra
shows, key influencers and dealer support. The Key In Mouth
of
fluen Word
conversation occurred during the consideration ces
and purchase phases of the buying process, and
the marketer was able to maintain some control
of the message.
That was then. Now, two things are
occurring simultaneously:
1. A younger generation of decision-makers
wants to receive information differently than Contemporary Media Model
the older generation.
2. Customers are more involved in our
marketing strategy; they are joining the
conversation at the awareness and familiarity
Mag
levels. Social media makes controlling the
azin
g
isin
es &
message a challenge at every level. We
rt
Mail
dve
New
ng
need to work harder to stay on message
eti
A
Direct
Radio
spa
ark
ner
TV
through the entire buying cycle of
eM
Po
Ban
pers
E-
ne ds
dc
bil
ws ee
awareness, familiarity, consideration,
as
Soc
Mo
let F
ts
ial ter SS s
Me R
purchase and use. dia s how
Gro d eS
ups Tra
of Mouth
Blogs Word
Dealers
Twitter
Two-way Communication Ag Con
ference
Webinars s
You
Tub
One-way Communication S ites e
Web
(2.0)
1

3. www.paulsenmarketing.com
Successful Farming and NAFB both completed fantastic
research in 2009, which essentially tells us that we are
marketing to two different audiences:
“My father will turn a magazine over
and leave it on the counter for me to A conventional audience: the older farmer, 50–69 years old, who still
prefers to receive information primarily in print and broadcast. For
read. If I see something of interest, the most part, this person is still the decision-maker, and we need to
I will email it to him.” continue to reach him through the tried and tested methods we are
accustomed to using.
- Barbara Downey,
• Media is less interactive
Cattle Rancher
• Moving toward a two-way “conversation” with brands
• Consumer is not in control
• Media defines the message
A contemporary audience: the younger farmer, 30–49 years old, who
is very comfortable with digital media. This person grew up in the era
of instant gratification and wants to participate in a social media
conversation. Radical changes occur with this audience, which is
quickly gaining the purchasing power of the older demographic.
Connect with us online: • Media is more interactive
• Based on two-way “conversation” with brands
• Consumer is in control
• About
• Media must participate in the message
• Chemistry
• People Different audiences require different media strategies
• Work Armed with this knowledge, Paulsen hit the road to talk to producers
• Services about this paradigm shift. These non-quantitative interviews brought to
light some interesting perspectives, with responses closely matching
• Blog
the NAFB research.
• Paulsen Post
Print and radio maintain their places as primary information sources
• Contact for producers. But there can be no doubt that digital media is growing
exponentially, with e-newsletters the most widely accepted medium.
Essentially this means that while a magazine and an e-newsletter are
read differently, both have their place in the marketing mix.
2

4. www.paulsenmarketing.com
Multi-generational farms and
succession planning
Many of our interviews involved multi-generational farming
operations. We were interested in learning more about how “The information you get on the
purchasing decisions are made. Internet is the same, but it doesn’t
In nearly all cases, both generations had decision-making
soak in as well.”
power over certain segments of the operation. This
reinforces the importance of marketing to both age groups. - Ken McCauley,
Not surprisingly, depending on age and role, those decision- Corn and Soybean Producer
makers want to receive information in different ways.
Digital media is supplementing traditional
Interview Group 1 (1:52) media, not replacing it
Forty-five-year-old Barbara Downey’s family owns a 550 While digital media is gaining strength, there is still
head cow-calf operation in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Her something to be said for the power of print and broadcast.
father makes the large capital purchase decisions, but she Producers like the look and feel of magazines and print,
and her husband have some say. and the mobility of radio.
Barbara Downey - Interview (0:13) Interview Group 2 (0:44)
3

5. www.paulsenmarketing.com
Ken McCauley, a 59-year-old from northeast Kansas,
realizes that the same information is being provided in
different ways. “I still get more out of it, if it’s on paper.
The information you get on the Internet is the same, but it
doesn’t soak in as well.” Mary Ann Kniebel, a 48-year-old
cattle rancher from Kansas, agrees, “We’re not going to
give up print media, because it’s just easier to read.”
Interview Group 3 (0:29)
While e-newsletters are a preferred source of information
for her, Downey says, “There is something to be said for a
magazine. They are always in our shop office. It’s an easier
format to read. You have to know what you want when you
are on your computer.”
MaryAnn Knieble Interview (0:40)
Not surprisingly, media usage varies greatly by age
and gender. The women we interviewed are all very
involved in farming and ranching operations. They are
comfortable with daily computer usage and perhaps
more apt to receive and accept digital information. Kniebel
agrees print and radio are the best ways to reach her,
but she’s finding e-newsletters to be a great source of
information, too. She reminds us, “If it catches your eye,
you can follow the link and find out what you want. ”
Barbara Downey - Interview (1:20)
The source of information is more important
Older producers are making the transition
than the channel
to digital
E-newsletters and blogs have become an accepted form Some older producers have already made the transition,
of digital engagement. Most producers may not be able citing ag Web sites as the primary source of information
to name the e-newsletter, blog or publishing company, but and assistance in purchasing decisions. Mark Caspers,
they identify particular editors or writers as trusted sources a 46-year-old producer from Auburn, Neb., likes the
of information. easy access that ag Web sites provide, and he finds
the social network of the blogosphere to be helpful in
purchasing decisions.
4

6. www.paulsenmarketing.com
“So many things are happening in agriculture to put us in a defensive position. Our consumers are
receiving misinformation; they fall prey to the consumer groups that want to put us out of business.
”
- Leon Corzine, Corn and Soybean Producer
Using social media to manage ag issues
Debbie Lyons-Blythe, a cattle rancher from central Kansas,
spends nearly two hours a day online and dedicates the
majority of her time there to advocacy. While she says
digital messages are the best way to reach her, she knows
that agribusinesses need to market differently to her
parents, who might click on a pertinent e-newsletter but
are far more likely to read a magazine.
Mark Caspers Interview (0:51)
Bob Worth, a corn and soybean farmer from Lake Benton,
Minn., finds he has more time to spend on his computer
than to read magazines. He loves the accessibility his
laptop brings, but is quick to point out that his radio is on
“all the time.” Kniebel advises Web designers that a good
site “needs to flow well and information needs to be easy
to find.”
Debbie Lyons-Blythe Interview (0:58)
Nearly all the producers we interviewed told us that
educating the general public and average consumer on
ag advocacy issues is extremely important. Regardless
of age, producers seem to grasp the power social media
holds for issues management, and they agree social
media holds a great opportunity for agriculture’s voice.
Lyons-Blythe realizes that social media allows her to talk
to people to whom she wouldn’t otherwise have access.
She adds that connecting with people who don’t
understand agriculture is key. Activists use social media,
Interview Group 4 (0:56) and agriculture needs to have a strong voice, too.
5

7. www.paulsenmarketing.com
Debbie Lyons-Blythe Interview 2 (1:18) Ken McCauley Interview (2:45)
Beyond issues management, most did not see social
Older producers are making the transition to
media becoming a viable marketing tool, at least in the
digital count.
short-term. McCauley is not convinced marketers will have
the same access as individuals within the social platform.
Leon Corzine, a fifth-generation farmer from Assumption,
Concerned about social sites cluttered with marketing
Ill., does not use Twitter, but expects to do so in the future.
messages, McCauley thinks there are still better ways to
The 60-year-old tells us, “So many things are happening to
talk to consumers. He expects social media to refine itself
put agriculture in a defensive position. Our consumers are
over the next few years and isn’t sure of the role marketing
receiving misinformation or a lack of information.”
messages will play in that refinement process. A self-
proclaimed magazine and radio guy, he still considers print
and broadcast to be the best way to talk to producers.
Though our primary goal was to discuss media usage,
we discovered that the way capital purchases are made
differs, too. Merri Post and her husband have owned and
operated a dairy farm near Chandler, Minn., for 18 years.
They recently saved thousands of dollars on a skid steer
purchase—even with travel and expenses added in—by
thoroughly researching the buy.
Leon Corzine Interview (0:40)
McCauley finds Facebook to be a valuable tool for
building relationships with landlords. He admits the
Internet is changing the way we do business. Realizing it’s
important for producers to take an active role in educating
consumers, he says the social platform is the best way to
reach more people. McCauley farms 4500 acres with his
son, Brad, age 31. Brad has also begun to build business
relationships through the Internet.
Interview Group 5 (1:26)
6

8. 605.336.1745
As agrimarketers, we can’t be afraid to try new things.
Digital media is scalable and can be a cost-efficient
media to test. If a client is hesitant to transition to digital
“I have my laptop with me and I get a lot messaging, start small to build their comfort level. And be
of my information off the Web sites. careful not to sell digital media on analytics alone. While
tracking is great, analytics programs can differ greatly,
I listen to ag radio all the time.
” causing confusion that could create a trust problem.
- Bob Worth,
Traditional media should remember that broadcasters,
Corn and Soybean Producer editors and writers always have been and always will be
your most valuable assets. They are the trusted advisors to
whom producers look for relevant information. The people
and the information still exist— we just have to put the two
together in as many ways as possible.
I believe that digital media in agriculture will come
full-circle. Tracking and analytics will always be a great
Key observations from the study: feature, but branding and message association will
become as important in digital media as it is in
1. We are talking to two different audiences, and our traditional forms.
marketing plans need to reflect those differences.
In multi-generational farming operations, both Paulsen Marketing is passionate about agrimarketing, the
generations have decision-making power. evolution of digital media and how the two will marry. If you
wish to discuss your current challenges and the transition
2. The way agrimarketing businesses market to their from conventional to contemporary marketing strategies
customers needs to change, because the buying for your company, please call Greg Guse or me at
habits and the way purchasing decisions are made 605-336-1745 or contact us here.
differs between the two audiences.
3. All forms of media are important and need to be
included in the marketing mix. Print and radio
maintain the top spots as information sources, but
producers of all ages are becoming more comfortable Kristi Moss was born and
with digital media. raised on a small farm in
southeast South Dakota.
4. Producers are aware of the power of social media Her rural roots led her to a
career in agrimarketing. She
for issues and advocacy, but are hesitant to embrace
has spent the last 15 years
marketers trying to insert themselves into the social
planning and placing media
media circle. Electronic “intrusion” seemed to be a
for Paulsen Marketing’s
recurring issue. largest agricultural and rural
lifestyle clients.
7

9. We welcome you to continue referencing this study at www.agribranding.com.
the ag and rural lifestyle specialists
www.paulsenmarketing.com • 605.336.1745
3510 s. First Ave. Circle • sioux Falls, sD 57108
Follow us: