MARKETING MATTERS
BRANDING: How to tell your farm's story
by Bonnie Bucqueroux
Sustainable farmers often think success depends on the food and its freshness. But for most customers, it's as much about the farm and the farmers as about the foodstuffs.
Advertising experts call it "branding," and it is an essential element in any comprehensive marketing plan. Business consultants also talk about the importance of "relationship" or "associational" marketing as the key to building a loyal client base. To attract consumers and transform them into loyal customers, you need to tell your farm's story honestly, so that people feel connected, think warm thoughts about you and feel compelled to come back again and again.
 Willow Lea Stock Farm is a family-run Illinois operation that offers natural beef (and homemade soap). This picture of young Grant shows that everyone's involved. |
Use this outline to develop the story of your farm to include on your Web site and your printed promotional materials:
- Title - Does your farm have a name? If it doesn't, what should you call it? Pick a name that expresses your personality and your vision. Neil Kenter's farm is Wynsmoor Manor. But you might prefer a straightforward name like The Smith Farm. Or you might feel more comfortable being Uncle Billy's Eco-Friendly Orchard or as Sam & Sally's Sustainable Farm. The goal is to pick a name you will want to stick with forever.
- Tagline - What distinguishes your farm from every other farm in the world - in 10 words or less? "The freshest and best organic produce raised in Boone County." "Bring the family to pick fruit in our sustainable orchard." "Local food raised by a local family that cares." "Natural grass-fed beef raised without hormones, steroids or antibiotics." Your tagline should always appear under the name of your farm.
- Backstory - What is the history of the farm? Has it been in your family for generations? Or is there a colorful anecdote about the families who lived there before? (Samuel and Sally Smith raised their 12 children here during the Depression, often burning corn in the kitchen cookstove since the crop was worth more as fuel than for sale.) Can neighbors or the local Historical Society help you fill in the blanks, if need be? Do you have pictures you can include?
- Cast of Characters - Is this one person's dream oran enterprise built by family members over generations? Telling the farm's story requires determining who will be featured and then how much of their story to share wiith strangers. Maybe today's generations are carrying on the traditional of great granddad. Or maybe you are a young professional couple who abandoned urban life to become sustainable farmers to help save the planet. People connect with other people, so tell the farm's story through personalities (and remember to use images that show who the people are).
- Setting - Tell us a bit about the environment, the trees, the flowers and the wildlife. Do you see deer in the morning? Is there a stream back in the forest? What kinds of birds come to your feeder? Is there a picture of that red cardinal at the feeder during the winter?
- Tone - The challenge lies in conveying the right tone. Are you always smiling and open-hearted? Or down to earth and a bit reserved? You want to be honest about who you are, but also be inviting. (So what do you do about the grump? You can include him or her in your story, but keep that person away from the public when they come to visit.)
- The Plot (Vision, Values, Goals and Activities) - Tell us what you do and why you do it. If you have a business plan that includes the vision, values and goals of your farm enterprise, you can include them as part of the story. But weave those elements in with the story of what life is like on the farm. Many urban people have no idea what's involved in sustainable farming. Tell them how do you spend your days and what do you do during different seasons of the year. Even those who come from farm families will likely want to know more about sustainable agriculture, how it's done and what it stands for. How is it different? How do you make it work?
- Words of advice on storytelling - As a journalism instructor, I tell my students that the hardest thing to do is to keep reworking your story until it sings. (And to learn how to take constructive criticism without sobbing.) Short but sweet. The best writing is re-writing. Invite feedback before you publish because you need to know if there are better ways to convey your message. And don't try to tell too much.
- Visual storytelling - Tell your story visuallly whenever you can. If you take great pictures, use them. If you don't, find someone who does and offer them money, food or your undying friendship. And make sure to include any pictures from the past that show what life was like back then. Digital video is also a tremendous new way to tell stories online. And putting your video on YouTube can help to drive potential customers to your Web site and then to your farm.