This simple question keeps us all grounded and humble, knowing we need to continually improve and to prove our worth to the seed industry.
The best way to set yourself apart is to know your competition, right? I know you have a few options when it comes to marketing. You could do it all yourself, in-house. You could hire a temporary employee or consultant. For some companies, hiring a full-service agency is an option. And in that rare occasion, the leap of faith is taken to create an entire marketing/communication team.
I know from personal experience that marketing your own company has about a 5% success rate. Why? Because the marketing duties in-house fall on someone who has responsibilities outside of marketing. And, as soon as the day-to-day operations start piling up, marketing gets pushed back, and pushed back and finally shelved for yet another year.
Hiring temporary workers or consultants is a viable option, with one major flaw. Most will not have a working knowledge of the seed industry specifically, and will certainly need trained on your company mission and focus in order to even get up and running with marketing ideas. Oh, and both are temporary solutions.
Full-service agencies are another option, and a great option in some cases. In fact, one thing I always stress to our customers is that Ag Printers is NOT an agency. We don't offer everything an agency offers. Actually, we work as part of a team with agencies all over the nation that are helping seed companies. We are what I like to call the implementation side of the marketing team.
Most companies do not need a full-service agency, and that service can be expensive, but again, sometimes you need to bite the bullet and jump in with both feet. When you do, all I ask is that you put Ag Printers on the team for follow through where we can help.
Each season I come back to this fact. Ag Printers is different than all the other options in some very unique ways. Here at the office, we are a family of tightly-knit, multi-talented individuals. The staff I have hired over the years was hired based largely on personality and shared vision for service.
When you combine talent, knowledge and a heart for doing what is right and doing whatever is needed to help another, an amazing culture emerges. Not only are we a close family at the office, we truly consider each of our customers as "extended family". Family means sacrifice and affection, and as sappy as it may sound, we do love our customers.
Like other family relationships, we have had times of trial and seasons of great change. Each of these have made us stronger and wiser and have allowed us to adapt over the years.
So what sets us apart? Why use Ag Printers? Bottom line? Relationship.
We have come to depend on you and you have come to depend on us. Each season we build upon the foundation that was formed from seasons past.
Here's to another great year of opportunity to grow together, towards a common goal. Here's to another year in the extended family of Ag Printers. And yes, I am the crazy uncle in the family :-).
