December 2011

Dear Fellow Marketers,

The days of one-way marketing dominance have ended and the new

era of open, two-way communication is well underway with the social

and digital media explosion. What we like best about being marketers

during this era is having the opportunity to “earn” attention versus only

having the option to buy it.

We compiled the “Twelve for 12” for those marketers within our industry

who, upon reviewing and digesting it, will be one-half validated

and hopefully the other half inspired. These marketing musts (or

“suggestions”) are what many companies are currently exploring or

already doing. What the “musts” have in common is that each will

accelerate your two-way marketing strategies, allowing you to fully

realize the benefits of engagement.

Transformation isn’t always an instant, wave-of-the-magic-wand

occurrence. Most often, it’s the result of crafting and adapting. It

requires commitment.

In this day and age, relevance is real time and transformation should

happen regularly. We’ll be using this list to inspire transformations for

ourselves and our clients. We encourage you to take this list and make it

work for your own marketing strategies and goals in 2012.

Our best wishes for the New Year!

Dan’l and The DMA Team

CROSS

P

R O M O TE

www.dma-solutions.com

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Stay CurrentCurrent events impact us. From natural disasters to the latest Oscar

nominations, these events create the trending topics that affect

behaviors and relentlessly hold attention. Staying informed about and

understanding these newsmakers is the first step. Then, select and

converse about the stories your followers (and potential followers) are

interested in. Make it about THEM, not necessarily about you and your

products (at first). Once you’ve piqued their interest, tie your messages

to the latest pop culture phenom (you’ll be amazed at the many

ways FRESH does mesh) and you’ll have a whole new set of consumer

eyes on you.

FACT: ½ of all Twitter users are discussing TV shows - Hubspot.com

SUGGESTION: Use the various demographics within your own

companies and neighborhoods as mini focus groups to determine

what’s buzzing in each of their circles.

Grab some lights, a camera, and get some ACTION!

Cisco recently predicted that by the year

2015 approximately 2/3 of all Internet traffic

will be video and YouTube reports that over 3

billion videos are viewed a day. With these

astounding statistics, consider your place on

the plasma screen in 2012. With Flip cameras

and iPhones readily available in your pocket,

we’re all sitting in the director’s chair and

able to showcase our blockbuster FRESH

stories in a unique way.

Photo by DMA Solutions

Photo by DMA Solutions

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Photo by DMA Solutions

DataThe beauty of data is its accessibility and abundance in two

areas – we’ve coined them macro and micro. Macro-data

includes statistics, research, charts, polls, etc. about general audiences

and is a readily available resource for those willing to search to find it.

Micro-data is information for your specific, earned audiences - think

Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, HootSuite reports and custom survey

results. As marketing has shifted from a one-way path (push and tell) to a

two-way expressway (engage and share), the types and availability of

data have expanded as well. Now, it’s up to us as marketers to find,

consume, digest and act on it.

When engaging with a customer or consumer, you

have a minuscule amount of time to connect before

they shift their attention to the next best option. As you plan for 2012, hone

your message to 5 seconds or less. Stop worrying about being the

“leading” or the “largest” and start caring about being real, relevant and

true. A company or product is no longer measured by the length of

description. Authentic is the new descriptive, unless you are in aerospace

or politics. What’s DMA’s? We “share fresh produce stories” and it’s

as simple as that.

GET REAL!

According to The Media Audit, 1/3 of US consumers spend three or more hours online every day

absorbing content. When a consumer hits your place(s) on the web, what information will they see or

hear about you that is original? When planning for 2012, think about what makes you unique and go

with it. Is it your culture that makes you special? How about your e-voice? Back up your amazing story

with original artwork and stylized photography that fosters a memorable experience for

your target audience and has them coming back for more. The best news? FRESH products are

naturally beautiful and boast their own flavor, nutrition and growing story, which sets the stage for

creating the perfect content.

BE ORIGINAL

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Flock TogetherFind commonalities with your fellow fresh produce

companies and use them to your benefit. Whether

you are promoting complementary products, similar

company cultures or a common social cause, you

can form a partnership with a like-minded company

and double your messages’ reach. The result - a growing community of

like-minded followers ready for engagement with both companies.

SUGGESTION: Where will this cooperative strategy really soar? In the

social media skies! This comparatively affordable and quickly adaptable

two-way realm is the perfect platform for promoting your partnership in a

way that will best benefit your audiences.

Are You SHAREABLE?You’ve spent time and money to create custom content that your

readers will love, so don’t let them click away from your work of marketing

art without inviting them to SHARE it with their vast social networks! Make

your original content, pop culture-centric promotions and custom videos

an easy-to-share, viral marketing tool and increase your social mentions

up to 7 times.

OUR TWO CENTS: Sharing is now the “bar” we seek as marketers because

it measures relevance and connection versus following and supporting. All

are part of the journey, but sharing should become a regular part of both

your marketing vernacular and measurement in 2012.CROSS

PR O M O TE

Photo by Carlos Maya

SM N B2BDon’t overlook the power of positioning your entire company – personnel and culture, not just

products and promotions – in the social sphere. 2012 should be the year of B2B social growth. By differentiating from others via thought leadership and engaging others in their industry,

produce companies can do just that. Boost your “shareability” by publishing your presentations to Prezi

or Slideshare. Add a personal touch to your corporate identity with a blog (get familiar with Tumblr

and WordPress!) And stay LinkedIn. Consider the latest statistics: More than two million companies

as well as executives from all of the 2011 Fortune 500 companies have pages on LinkedIn. That’s some

good company. Remember, LinkedIn goes beyond posting jobs and finding potential employees. It’s

just as valuable for building you and your company’s professional reputations.

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Optimize Or Die!Ok that might be a little dramatic, but we all know that in the

business world, irrelevancy is a terminal disease. And in this noisy,

ever-changing world, “optimizing” our presence to customers is the holy

grail of staying relevant. Are you “there” when they come looking? Are

you available on their terms? Good SEO and a strong mobile presence are just a couple of the ways to ensure you aren’t dying a slow death.

Live Your Cause Roughly half of consumers are more likely to

purchase a company’s products if they outwardly

support a global issue that the consumer cares about.

Lots of companies are adding this proven method to

their marketing arsenals. In 2012, go beyond promoting your cause on packaging. Make it a part of your company culture and

your commitment will come across in all your communications – social

media, packaging, press, etc. Authenticity is key and will create an even

deeper connection with consumers.

Budget for the UnexpectedAnd we’re not just talking unexpected disasters. There are plenty

of marketing opportunities that pop up during the year (such as

an innovative, new sponsorship) that you’ll completely miss if you’re unable

to be nimble. Make sure that your budget allows you the flexibility to jump on a hot opportunity at a moment’s notice.

Look InsideWouldn’t it be great to have a strong group of brand

ambassadors on your side to support your marketing teams’

efforts? Well look around, because they may be sitting at the next desk! All

of your company employees are valuable assets who can serve as

champions for your product or brand in a number of ways, so keep them

in the know and engaged!

QUICk TIP: Encourage all your employees to add links to your current

promotion’s digital home base in their email signatures and customer

communications i.e. weekly price sheets.thecore.dma-solutions.com

We’d love to hear your take on the

TWELVE.Share your comments

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