The deadline for submitting your entries into the Best of NAMA competition is Friday, October 8 by 5:00 p.m. central time.

The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. The national awards ceremony will take place April 13, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Best of NAMA operates on a regional judging format. Entries are sent directly to the national NAMA office and judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition. A minimum point standard will be used at the regional level. If you place first or merit at the regional competition and score above the minimum point standard, you are eligible to advance to the national competition.

New this year!
Check out our new category, the Producer’s Choice Award. In this category, you’ll be able to enter a single page ad that will be judged by producers. This category is made possible by Successful Farming & Agriculture Online and Readex Research.

The Call for Entries will be in your mailbox soon, but you can also get a head start by checking it out online at http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/.

Get started on your entries today!

The NAMA Careers Committee met in Chicago, Illinois on August 27 to plan the upcoming year.  Participating in the meeting were:  Wes Meador, Chair, Rhea + Kaiser; Amy Barron, Novus International; Matt Bornhorst, Agriculture Future of America; Janelle Buxton, Successful Farming & Agriculture.com; Jennifer Christie, Student Advisor, John Deere Ltd.; Deron Johnson, Rhea + Kaiser; Carrie Jorgensen, McCormick Company; Sara Thieding, Makhteshim Agan of North America; Michelle Tollefson, Pfizer Animal Health; Jennifer Pickett, NAMA; and Debbie Brummel, NAMA.  Unable to attend were Kristen Marshall, Vice Chair, Nicholson Kovac; Mike Butler, Archer>Malmo; Amy Jolliff, Bader Rutter; Stacey Noe, Student Advisor, Iowa State University; and Paul Redhage, Executive Committee Liaison, FMC Agricultural Products.

The meeting started with introductions of new committee members and a review of the 2009-10 program year.  Comments gathered during the advisors’ and student chapter presidents’ wrap-up meetings from the 2010 competition were also reviewed.  As a result of the reviews, several changes in the 2010-11 program year will be implemented.  In addition, the Committee will be taking advantage of social media to keep students and advisors updated during the course of the year.

New This Year!
Watch the Call for Entries for our new category, the Producer’s Choice Award. In this category, you’ll be able to enter a single page ad that will be judged by 1,000-2,000 producers. This category is made possible by Successful Farming & Agriculture Online and Readex Research.

The Best of NAMA Call for Entries will be available on the NAMA web site at the end of August and will be mailed by September 1.

All entries must be received in the NAMA Office by Friday, October 8, 2010.

The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. The national awards ceremony will take place April 13, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Best of NAMA operates on a regional judging format. Entries are sent directly to the national NAMA office and judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition. A minimum point standard will be used at the regional level. If you place first or merit at the regional competition and score above the minimum point standard, you are eligible to advance to the national competition.

Stay tuned to your email inbox for notification of the Call for Entries on the NAMA web site!

Thanks to all who attended the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 21-23, in Kansas City! This year’s conference attendance was the highest in 10 years!

If you were at the conference and have not yet filled out the online survey, please do so at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=llIfMHX5o9XJcRdqbR_2bTYg_3d_3d. Your response is greatly appreciated!

If you were unable to join us in Kansas City for the conference, take a look at the highlights on the NAMA blog at www.namablog.org.

For a list of the Best of NAMA winners from the conference, please visit http://www.agrimarketingdigital.com for a complete list of winners.

For photo highlights from the conference, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/namaflickr/collections/72157623950490478/. Special thanks to Denny Eilers, Iowa Photo Farm, for taking photo’s.

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) concluded a wildly successful conference on Friday, April 23, 2010.

Boasting the highest attendance numbers in a decade, the mood at the conference was decidedly upbeat.

“The economy is looking better compared to last year, and people’s attitudes are very positive,” shared Jenny Pickett, NAMA Executive Vice President/CEO. “And since Kansas City is so centrally located, it was easier for more people to attend.”

Another important ingredient in the conference’s success was the stellar program packed with well-known speakers.

David Meerman Scott got the conference underway with “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.” His witty and fast-paced presentation challenged conference goers to “think differently” and earn the attention of interested markets. Scott emphasized that posting videos, writing blogs and being active in social media channels is essentially free. He shared real world examples of how businesses are becoming shrewd users of these new tools to gain more awareness and better ROIs.

Attendees were regaled with the folksy energy and wisdom of Andy Andrews during the second general session. Andrews is a spellbinding storyteller and kept the crowd engaged with his stories, anecdotes and observations. He peppered his conversation with golden rule tips to help everyone in the audience, regardless of their profession, become more successful.

Paul Mobley closed the conference with photographs and candid vignettes of life on the American farm. Mobley traveled over 100,000 miles through 37 states to complete his book, American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country. He complimented farmers and ranchers, saying “you rise every day with a love of the land and an integrity of spirit.”

This year’s conference also featured breakout sessions on social media, branding, trade show marketing, public relations and more. In addition, 2010 NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year, Dave Seehusen, and Marketer of the Year, Stephanie Liska, received their distinguished awards during the conference.

Best of NAMA awards were distributed the evening before the conference began. Best of Show Advertising went to Sullivan, Higdon Sink for their work for the Midwest Dairy Association.  Best of Show Public Relations went to Dairy Management, Inc. and agency Weber Shandwick.

NAMA conference planning committee members look forward to more well attended conferences in the future, as they plan to host in Kansas City for the next three years.

“The Connection Point was livelier than ever this year and there were more ways for people to get involved and network,” said Pickett. “We hope to expand on the success of 2010 and look forward to more great conferences in the future.”

How marketers can take advantage of new Social Media
written by Mike Gustafson, Deer’s Landing Communication

According to David Meerman Scott, opening session Keynote Speaker,
consumers are demanding information and messages that are more relevant to them. Plus, channels continue to proliferate with Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, texting, e-books and many other apps. So, how can marketers harness the power of these new rules of marketing and PR? David shared some ideas.

David insists that marketers must unlearn what they have learned. First, buyer persona, not product features, is the key. Different buyers have a completely different point view of what they want and need. A tricycle, for example, could be sold in different ways to parents versus grandparents. Neither of which would be the actual user, a child who would see that tricycle in a completely different way.

Secondly, marketers should earn attention by publishing information online. But not just any information. Publish something interesting and make it free. Then, encourage others to share that information or story by speaking to your buyers in their language and with real-life photos. David called this, “word of mouse.” Remember, though, that no one cares about your product or service except you. You cannot coerce people to share.

Finally, don’t be afraid to lose control of your marketing and messaging. You can manage some risk of viral marketing by going where your prospects are – Facebook, Twitter, and chat rooms. You can create triggers such as videos and contests that encourage others to share. And, you should always point the world to your virtual doorstep.

Many thanks to ABM Agri Council for sponsoring this informative and entertaining opening general session.

Words of Wisdom From a ‘Noticer’
written by Mike Gustafson, Deer’s Landing Communication

No one attending the second session would ever tell you that Andy Andrews lacked energy. He insisted that he was not a motivational speaker. Still, his personal stories were so engaging, his enthusiasm so remarkable, that everyone surely left the session knowing they had met someone special and were committed to following his advice.

That advice was rooted in a time when Andy was 19 years old, penniless and homeless after losing both parents. He lived under a highway overpass, bathed in the Holiday Inn pool, and took odd jobs to survive.  It was under that overpass that Andy met ‘Jones,’ a man who would challenge him to be better, to read, to discover himself, and to become a ‘noticer.’

One of the things Andy has noticed over the years: everything is a matter of perspective. Perspective brings calm. Calm brings understanding. Understanding leads to creativity. Creativity opens the door to answers.

Named by one New York Times writer as “a modern-day Will Rogers,” Andrews charmed the audience with stories and personal comments. He wrapped up by offering the two great ways to be great: 1) Smile while you talk; 2) Recognize people. By doing so, you will be that someone others will want to be around, to help, and to encourage.

Said Andy, “Even in the darkest times, there is proof of hope. You’re still breathing which means you’re still alive. So you still have a purpose in this world. The best is yet to come.”

This remarkable and unforgettable session was sponsored by Syngenta.