Marketing has officially left the trade show, events and packaging only realm, members of the industry have been told. Sales may still dominate, but businesses need to harmonise the interplay between sales and marketing and understand important macro trends to take advantage of key opportunities, according to President and CEO of DMA Solutions, Dan’l Mackey-Almy. Ms Mackey-Almy told the PMA Fresh Connections conference day audience how the consumer’s habits and trends have changed over the last 20 years, and marketing in its own right has entered a renaissance period more recently.
Touching on earlier presentations given by Chris Riddell and Jeff Dunn Ms Mackey-Almy emphasised how digital consumers have shaped the buying landscape over the last ten years. “Ten years ago we were searching daily for things that we wanted to learn about. Things that we needed to make better decisions. What else do we do every day? We eat, so there are parallels there,” she said. “The digital landscape changed the way we think as buyers of whatever we’re buying. It also opened the opportunities and opened the door for fresh produce buyers to participate in marketing in general.”
Alongside the consumer embracing the Internet, wholesale buyers began using the internet for researching and vetting suppliers, and making better pricing decisions. “You meet buyers face to face maybe five times a year face to face, at events like this or on your farms, but they’re looking for information on your company,” Ms Mackey-Almy said. “They’re looking for information on whether you’re available when they’re not there face to face.”
During the presentation Ms Mackey-Almy discussed how the audience could be empowered to increase demand, not only supply, through marketing, which she described as ‘an opportunity like no other’ for the produce industry, normally relegated to fulfilling supply.
No silos: Sales and marketing aligned
The presentation went into detail about the different roles sales and marketing professionals play within the produce industry, and the danger of sales and marketing teams creating silos around themselves. Sales roles help companies understand the buyer’s needs, move product volume quickly before it starts to spoil, and close new business deals. Marketing roles are there to manage events, develop sales tools including website tools and promotional opportunities, Ms Mackey-Almy said. This takes place in store, at events and online.
Understanding macro trends including food waste, obesity and hunger is essential to achieving the right balance, according to Ms Mackey-Almy. “The other thing that marketing needs to be doing when it’s at its best performance is to know your audience in creating products to serve them,” she said. “Sales, you have that information from the customer that is so valuable for the marketer. What is the customer saying they want more of? What is the customer saying their pain points are?” She also used the example of the PMA ‘eat brighter’ campaign involving Sesame Street as best practice. “That was a brilliant move because the millennial market is just as powerful over there as it is here. You have mums who are trying to do the right thing for their children but they need some assistance from us. Sesame Street brings an opportunity to speak to her and her dilemma.” Such alignment brings an opportunity for those who do not package produce under a big brand or label, she added.
The other things marketing should be doing include taking inventory of assets available, being present where consumers are seeking to connect and engaging based on their terms, not the business’s. “Teams need to be aligned for shared goals and shared successes,” Ms Mackey-Almy said. “Start with your goals, get everyone on the same page with that.” Anticipating needs before being told, and getting the message that everyone is responsible for a company’s brand were also highlighted. When goals are aligned, researching the market, and macro trends should reveal the right target audience, Ms Mackey-Almy said.
The presentation finished with Ms Mackey-Almy assigning everyone present ‘homework’ in the form of a week’s worth of daily tasks they can do to better align their sales and marketing efforts, including
• Researching customer wants,
• Diving into website analytics,
• Taking inventory of sales and marketing tools available
• Researching ‘inbound methodology’ for marketing
• Scheduling a meeting to discuss results
For more information
Dan’l Mackey Almy
DMA Solutions
Phone: +12144447451
E-mail: dalmy@dma-solutions.com
Twitter: @whynotfresh
Website: www.dma-solutions.com/australia