One of the major concerns of agricultural marketing is to identify opinion leaders among a population of farmers since they supposedly influence others in the choice of agrochemicals, seeds fertilisers, farm equipment etc. The survey described hereafter has for main objective to establish a simple method to identify the leaders. It was carried out in 1984 for 11 companies of various sectors of the agro-industry. The methodology falls into 4 phases.
Economic environment and C.A.P makes the marketing of agricultural products more and more challenging. As any marketing company, MONSANTO in the context of its culture and its multinational and multi business dimension has gone trough the normal experience curve. This has resulted in a precise definition of function and responsibilities of both Product Management and Market Research department. I will describe functions where Market Research and Product Management have to be partners and the way we operate to make sure that synergy happens. The overall objective of the paper is to stress two points : 1) The importance of the communication between Product Management and Market Research 2) The self imposed discipline that every investment project in Market Research should produce a predictable return.
This paper deals with the structural development of the Danish agricultural supplies industry and, in particular, the future prospects for the industry. In the light of this it will be analysed how the structural development is going to influence the strategic possibilities and the strategic distribution decisions of the industry's different types of enterprises.
This paper describes the scale of European agriculture and the changes that have occurred especially over the last decade. The original Mansholt plan for the development of the Common Agricultural policy has achieved virtually all of its objectives. Its very success has produced a new problem which is structural surplus.
This paper takes as its thesis the argument that the dynamic changes taking place in agricultural markets and marketing offer agricultural market research a chance to enhance its worth and standing through the provision of advanced marketing aids developed in the world of fast moving consumer goods. It warns, however, of the dangers of adapting such techniques to agriculture without sufficient understanding of the special characteristics which affect each of our markets. In doing so, the paper takes a number of case studies involving decision-models, pricing models and product positioning techniques and investigates for each the special circumstances which need to be borne in mind for their adaptation whilst at the same time, highlighting their potential for widening our vision and understanding of the markets concerned.
Based on actual examples, the subject of this paper is to demonstrate the operational value of qualitative approaches in farming research, on the condition that they are conducted by means of a teamwork relationship between the Research Agency and the Client, with continuous interaction throughout the qualitative fieldwork.
This paper, which is a personal view intended to stimulate debate, starts with the premise that any consideration of the positioning and role of the agrochemical marketing research manager in a diversified international company cannot be isolated from examination of the corporate organisation, philosophies and goals of that company. The paper first sets out to categorise, with the aid of simplified diagrams, the main alternative organisations to be found among companies operating in the international agrochemicals field. It examines some of the factors which may be presumed to influence individual managements in selecting from these that most appropriate to their operations and achievement of their objectives at any particular time.
In the actual agricultural economic environment the probability that the margins on the farms will be squeezed is fairly high. This environment is not only defined by the EEC policy, but also the impact of international factors is evident : for example, the dollar value, agricultural policies in other countries, (US Farm Bill), crop production in importing country, etc. What the farmers behaviour will be in this changed farm economic context, is an interesting subject for discussion and in-depth study. A detailed analysis of farmers reactions in similar situations provides useful information.
The paper attempts to answer the questions - are farmers 'different' as an audience for persuasive communication? and do any differences impose a radically different approach and methodology on the communicator? The basis of the paper is consciously empirical rather than the result of formal analysis. The paper concludes that, like all groups to which persuasive communication is addressed, farmers have a unique 'culture' in the sociological sense. The problem is that whereas with other groups the communicator himself has some personal point of contact with the culture, the culture in which farmers live is notably 'foreign' to most communicators. The appropriate language and mechanisms of communication have to be learned through a sympathetic, even an empathetic understanding of the world in which the farmer lives.
On March 15 1970 the board of directors and staff of Misset met to consider one of the first multi-year plans. The market situation and possibilities were discussed. Extra attention was paid to the situation in agriculture, concerning both the market as well as the products we already had on the market. 1 can still see the former marketing director juggling with graphs on a board, recalls one of our senior staff members. For example this one from which you can see the dramatic decline in the amount of subscribers to Boerderij, one of our prominent publications. And the future did not look any brighter due to governmental reorganisation in agriculture. In other words you understand that something had to be done. I will tell you how this was achieved and what the results were. In order to do so it is necessary to know more about the company Misset and the agricultural market in the Netherlands. I will be brief about both these topics and then resume the thread in 1970 with the previously mentioned meeting. I shall go into the matter of the contribution market research makes and has made in improving editorial formulae, and the marketing operations of a trade journal.
We live in a dynamic world. Conditions are changing all the time both in and outside the EC. Denmark and Danish agriculture who have a large foreign trade is particularly aware of this development.It demands new aims for the EC co-operation. A greater European identity could be one. The EC co-operation can't be confined to economic questions, hopefully all member-countries will come to an understanding along that way. At the same time the European integration must be strengthened through adoption of new areas of co-operation and considerably closer co-operation within the economic and monetary policy. Only this way it will be possible for the EC to increase the economic growth and reduce unemployment. A development in this direction would be the best guarantee for the existence of the common agricultural policy and will in its own solve many problems in the agricultural policy.