5 Marketing Musts for 2015

January 7, 2015
9:21 pm

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

2015 is here. Is it me, or does it seem like just yesterday we were partying like it was 1999 (and wondering if Y2K would be the demise of the world wide web and make us forever dependent on our floppy disks)? As the new calendar year begins to unfold, I find myself reflecting on “what has been” and making plans for “what could be” relative to our business and addressing the opportunities that lie ahead for companies in our space. The fresh produce marketer has much to consider in the year ahead relative to our brands and marketing assets that support them.

A reality that I know to be true in 2015 is that while our buying audiences grow in number, they also tolerate less from marketers and expect more from brands, particularly the ones that they trust. Meanwhile, they are on the hunt for information online and from their mobile devices and sharing thoughts, experiences, ideas and information via social media networks. For most marketers, the ever changing landscape of digital marketing can be a sobering reality, and one that I know we face and tackle as a company and an industry on a daily basis. This year, I propose that fresh produce marketers reel in the big nets and focus our efforts on honing and optimizing our essential marketing assets.

So, where is the best place to start? At a minimum, for companies that expect positive results from their digital marketing efforts in 2015, I propose that you consider these 5 actions to help you hone and optimize your digital marketing assets:

Optimize your assets. Websites and blogs that are not responsive will not be relevant this time next year. Simply put, If you’re not present and optimized digitally, you’re opportunity to connect with your buyer and/or consumer on a deeper level is doubtful.
Inventory your content. This includes the content on your website, blog, and social accounts. Determine if your content is mostly “selling the audience” or “helping the audience.” Now more than ever, buyers (trade or consumer) are seeking to connect with brands that they can trust that ultimately understand and relate to their needs and deliver solutions. Is your content helpful?
Ask to understand. POS data and household penetration are only part of the intel that is available to brands today. With the access digital marketing provides, we have the opportunity to present questions directly to our target audiences, collect their responses and address your content accordingly to address their needs where appropriate.
Be present, not presumptuous. One of the most critical mistakes we make as marketers, in my opinion, is assuming that we are the audience of our own products and behave the way that a buyer would behave. This mistake sounds something like this, “I’m not on Instagram because I don’t see the point,” or “I would never redeem a coupon using an app on my cell phone.” As fresh produce marketers, we must consider the varying audiences that may have a different opinion about a website, a social network or approach to the buying process than we do personally. When you understand who you’re trying to reach and the way that they most like to receive information, you assume less and yield more (pun intended).
Strengthen your personal brand. A trusted company brand cannot thrive without strong personal brands supporting and advocating for it. Marketers, this must start with you. Here are three quick steps to get started: update your LinkedIn profile, commit to sharing content and your thoughts digitally for 10 minutes each day and volunteer to serve on a committee or to a cause that supports fresh produce. For more on the positive impact of personal branding, I recommend reading this short blog post.

If you finished reading this list and are thinking to yourself, “I need to work on most of these or even all of the recommendations on the list,” you are not alone. These are all areas where we are focused at DMA Solutions and will continue to be throughout this year. The best news is that all of them are achievable and each is fundamental to long term marketing success, not only with digital strategy, but marketing strategy in general. Today, digital is marketing and marketing is digital and as a champion for fresh, I want to help you thrive in your marketing efforts.

During January, DMA Solutions is offering special pricing for a few of our most requested and essential marketing services. You can learn more about how to take advantage of this promotion here or contact me directly if you’d like to discuss your specific needs. I’m ready when you are.