THE INTERWEBS - It is no surprise to anyone that the effects of COVID-19 have been powerfully felt throughout the produce industry. For DMA Solutions, these changes have elevated the importance of marketing within this space like never before—and in its 11th “Marketing Matters” series titled, “What Your CEO Needs to Know About Marketing,” CEO Dan’l Mackey Almy breaks down why the power and effectiveness of marketing has never been more relevant.

As we get into the webinar, Dan’l—never one to mince words—discusses why sales has historically been understood to play a more important role in business than marketing has. With her background in sales experience, this is something Dan’l is deeply familiar with.

“The belief is that inherent demand will sell the product no matter what, but when it comes to who you’re selling to, and for what price, you need to pay attention to how marketing is driving solutions for the company as a whole,” she explained. “The pandemic has completely exposed the value of marketing for fresh produce. We have seen unprecedented success in marketing as consumers want more engagement from brands—not less.”

For companies looking to be relevant both now and in the future, marketing becomes just as important to the business as sales. The realities of 2020 are particular to the current moment, and decision makers need to see the position of marketing as a part of the solution.

Throughout the webinar, to which we have linked the deck for those interested in learning more, we covered a variety of approaches to help produce marketers share with top decision makers why marketing effectively positions products against competitive forces.

Among the topics discussed were how marketing should be seen as an investment that requires strategic thinking about how best to allocate time and resources.

“Marketing is a driving force for establishing trust and relevance with buyers and shoppers,” Dan’l said. “Effective marketing cultivates the understanding and the needs of the audience to shape innovation and put the company in an effective position to help audiences so they’ll be chosen over someone else.”

At the end of the day, produce marketing has many avenues through which it can innovate, elevate, and drive produce into the hands of consumers. Besides, we all like a challenge, don’t we?

To continue following along with the series, click here for upcoming webinars.

DMA Solutions