Where print advertising is still king

It seems like we live in a nearly total digital world these days. Social media. Banners (no, they’re not dead). Online communities. E-newsletters. Widgets. Wikis. But when you start to delve into B2B vertical channels, print advertising remains decidedly solid.

Take Agriculture. Successful Farming’s new report, Farmers Use of Media Study, evaluates the value of 17 different media/information sources used across each of four stages of agricultural purchase decisions.

When deciding on needs, the number one source (by far) is agriculture magazines with a rating of nearly 70%. The second most cited source is ag manufacturer publications. No kidding! Farmers are big readers … and they’re big on relationships. Following vertical publications in terms of ranking are personal connections with dealers/retailers, farm trade shows, ag conferences, ag newsletters and regional newspapers. Ag websites were bestowed a “useful” rating of just under 40% — about the same as tv and radio.

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Tags: Agriculture, B2B Marketing, farm marketing, Farmers Use of Media Study, online farmer, Successful FArming

2009 Commodity Classic: A class act

The Commodity Classic is Agriculture’s premier tradeshow attracting agribusiness and growers in the U.S. corn, wheat and soybean industries.

This year, the Commodity Classic was held in Grapevine, Texas. Not to be outdone, this year’s show topped last year’s with a registered attendance of over 5,000. Last year’s event in Nashville, Tennessee was attended by approximately 4,500.

Expecting to find a more reserved, confined show, I was more than surprised. Bigger displays, more product and lots of vendors took their spaces on the show floor.

There was OPTIMISM. Cautious yet overwhelmingly optimistic was the tone of this year’s show. I was told that farmers and people who supply them are accustomed to the ups and downs far more than the general public. It’s a way of life for most attendees.

It seemed that no matter whom I talked with — equipment, fertilizer, chemical, technology or bio-fuel companies  – the resounding response to my question “How are you affected by the downturn in the economy?” was “So far, so good!”

A few growers I spoke with were feeling unsettled but were sticking to their plans and hoping for the best. “People need to eat” is what I heard over and over again.

With a new administration in Washington, bio-fuel advocates were extremely optimistic. The economy, the environment, and energy independence pave the way for a positive attitude, actually paying off this year’s theme, “Bright Horizons.”

The Commodity Classic once again proved itself to be the show of shows. It’s classic in every way, especially by bucking the general news of the economy.

Tags: agribusiness, Agriculture, bio-fuel, Commodity Classic, creative insights, tradeshow, U.S. corn, U.S. soybeans, U.S. Wheat