Impacts

From OSU Extension Direct Marketing

Connecting Ohio consumers, producers, and communities through direct marketing

Operators of small farms, with 1 – 179 acres, have grown to represent 75 percent of Ohio farms. For many small and medium-sized farms, traditional commodity marketing channels are no longer economically viable. By assisting farmers and other agripreneurs to retain a higher share of consumer expenditures, direct marketing of agricultural products and services, has proved to be a profitable alternative.

Immediate outcomes include increased awareness and knowledge of audiences engaged in the program.

Intermediate outcomes include improved marketing practices of entrepreneurs; improved educational and promotional practices of facilitators.

Long term social & economic impacts result from increasing connections among consumers, producers and communities.

Annual Impact Statements

Improving economic viability through knowledge and networking

During 2006, more than 600 attendees participated in the Ohio Direct Agricultural Marketing conference. More than 90 percent of these participants reported that the information presented would likely be used as part of their business strategy in the future. In addition, more than 400 producers and educators improved their knowledge by participating in direct marketing presentations at local, state, regional and national events.

Linking University resources with Ohioans through innovative outreach

To bridge cultural gaps between consumers and producers, the OSU Direct Marketing Team collaborated with OSU’s Foreign Language Center and local stakeholders to develop cross-cultural communication materials and cultural competency educational resources. Additional innovative outreach efforts in 2006 involved students from the College of the Arts, Department of Theater, who demonstrated how agritourism and the arts could be entertaining, educational, and profitable.

Collaborating to fostering entrepreneurship

In 2006, a Direct Marketing Roundtable and monthly conference calls brought together OSU research and Extension professionals; as well as representatives from the Ohio Department of Agriculture , the Ohio Farm Bureau, USDA Rural Development, The SARE program of USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), the Direct Agricultural Marketing Association (DAMA), and other organizations with a variety of relevant interests. Together, this team fosters entrepreneurship by providing resources to develop entrepreneurial marketing capabilities that result in proactive innovation of value-creating products, services, processes, and on alliances that are directed toward newly emerging markets.

Advancing the awareness and standing of direct marketing in Ohio

Through a direct marketing website, http://directmarketing.osu.edu; a Direct Marketing display at 10 events, a poster presentations at 2 conferences, and a series of publications, the OSU direct marketing team reached thousands of consumers, producers, and educators.