Authentically representing your audience in your communications efforts is paramount for building trust and connection. In 2023 an Edelman Trust Barometer survey even showed nearly 90% of consumers consider authenticity a key factor when choosing brands they support.
In this month’s Industry Insights, I visited with Lia Crabbe an account manager with The Show and Tell Agency, to dive into how authenticity in a brand’s imagery can build trust AND dispel misconceptions about the industry.
Ashley: So just starting out, can you introduce yourself and briefly explain what your area of expertise is in the communications world?
Lia: My name is Lia Crabbe and I live in Winnipeg, Canada. I've spent my entire career here in Winnipeg, but I've worked with clients across the country and in the United States as well. Most of my time has been spent on the agency side within account management.
An account manager is the liaison between the client and the rest of the agency teams. So I help the clients figure out what their business goals are, and then translate that into information that the rest of the agency can use in terms of developing the right strategy, the right creative, the right media plan and the right social media, and the right public relations efforts.
I work with the client on approvals and budgets – making sure we're not spending too much or too little – and I help them understand the impact of our communications with campaign reporting. And if a client has a hot project as well as a project that may not be as immediate, I make sure to help our teams prioritize and stay on the right track.
Ashley: What makes you passionate about the work you do?
Lia: My favorite thing about working in marketing on the agency side is learning about a client’s goals, their company and their industry in general. I learn about the client’s customers including any pain points and challenges they may have so we can address those in our chosen tactics. That's my favorite part, learning and gleaning as much information as we can from industry resources and the client representatives themselves.
Ashley: Great! I know we talked about how you're passionate about authenticity within a brand’s visuals as well. Can you walk me through how crucial authenticity is when visually representing contemporary agriculture in today’s market?
Lia: In agricultural communications, it’s very typical to see images – whether it's in a magazine ad, website or on social – of beautiful rolling wheat fields, soybean fields, a big green combine or a weathered white older man with a hat and a plaid shirt. You know, the stock imagery type.
However, it's important to know who your audience is and to make sure you are representing them authentically. Not all farms have those crops I just mentioned. Some farms only have livestock. Some farms are in a downtown city warehouse and grow everything vertically – even though they are rare, they still exist.
It's vital to show your audience or potential audience what will help them identify with your brand so they'll pay more attention to your message. To do this, you don't always have to show someone working in a field. You can show someone working on their accounting books, sitting at a computer, or enjoying a picnic with their family. It’s about representing more than just the work that they do. We need to help our target audience identify with who they are or who they want to be.
Ashley: We kind of touched on this already, but what are some common misconceptions or stereotypes about agriculture that more authentic marketing could dispel?
Lia: Authentic marketing could dispel the belief that all row crop producers grow wheat, soybeans or corn – because not all do. Authentic marketing could also dispel the thought that all livestock producers have black and white cows – because not all do. There is a wide variety of crops and livestock breeds, despite what common ads or social posts may show.
There’s a saying that I’ve heard throughout my career that I think could be applicable here, too. When trying to write in an authentic tone of voice, write as if you’re visiting with your neighbor over your backyard fence. You might not necessarily be best friends, but you know them well enough to speak comfortably. You might not let a bad word fly, it’s more like cautiously respectful.
So, pretend your audience is suddenly neighbors on your block that you’ve known for a while. The more you know your audience and how they want to be talked to, the language they use and how they want to be drawn in with images, whether it's video or static images, the better you can authentically market to them.
For example, some people say sorghum and some people say milo. And in some conversations, folks just say wheat whereas other growers may always call out the specific wheat they're growing – like Durum.
Ashley: That’s a very good example I’m not sure everyone realizes. Kind of like regional differences in how folks across the United States refer to soft drinks – pop, soda pop, Coke. What may seem like a small nuance in conversation or marketing materials can actually make a big difference.
Lia: And it shows you've done your research ahead of time. Like you know what term, spelling or phrase they use. It shows them you've cared enough to take that step to learn that and then use it in communicating with them.
Ashley: Expanding on that, what strategies or approaches do you recommend maybe a client consider to ensure authenticity in their marketing visuals?
Lia: Research. Figure out what kind of geography your audience is in. Is it flat? Are there rolling hills? What kind of crops are grown where your target audience resides? Sorghum isn’t very common in Canada so it’d be best to not market photos of Sorghum to a farmer in my portion of the world.
So remember who you're talking to. Know the geography of where you're placing your image. And be representative. It's part of our, I would say, responsibility as marketers to properly represent the different populations in agriculture. There are folks of various ethnicities, backgrounds, ages and family groupings who work in agriculture. So be sure to be inclusive.
Ashley: When thinking about agricultural advertisements you’ve seen throughout your lifetime, how has the industry shifted to more authentic branding?
Lia: I've seen more young women featured in images to represent agriculture, which I think is great. I've also seen, more of a shift to not show faces, but to show backs of people. So it's harder to tell their age, their ancestry or their ethnic makeup. When the marketer chooses to go this route it's maybe a little more mysterious – or a little more easy for someone in the target audience to say, “Oh, that looks like me!”
Thinking about a client we used to work together on, one of the campaigns showcased black and white images instead of full-color beauty shots – you know, the perfect crop or the clean tires on the farm equipment. We shot the imagery in black and white to emphasize the sparseness in the field. It could be interpreted as an empty field or a field that was ready for planting or a post-harvest field that had been cleared off. Then when we placed that black and white image next to a colorful product image, it visually drew in the audience’s attention.
That black and white photography stood out. It stood out on the webpage and in the magazine as different. I wouldn't necessarily say that's been a progression of authenticity. But gosh, like our fields do look kind of barren for part of the year when nothing is growing on them. And the orchards aren't always in full bloom with beautiful big apples or almonds on them. So show that other time of year when everything's a little quieter and growers might be in a different frame of mind for decision-making.
As marketers, we need to remember to recognize that it's not just always the perfect, stereotypical bright yellow canola field or golden wheat field with storm clouds in the background. Good marketing showcases the many sides of the industry.
Ashley: Thank you for this insight! We’ve covered a variety of points for a client to consider and why it’s important to reach out to marketing experts for guidance on representing a target audience authentically. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Lia: I am not a grower, but my cousin has a farm that she's taken over from her dad, who took it over from his dad, our grandpa. Through research and my experiences in the industry, I have gained a bit of agriculture knowledge, even though I live in a city.
I don't think my cousin would like to see an ad that looks like it was made by someone who lives in a city and has never been on a farm. Therefore, I just keep coming back to know who your audience is.
Are they mostly women?
Are they mostly men?
Where do they live?
What does their community look like?
What kind of general pressures do they have, besides the usual weather, market prices and water supply?
Try to find as much as you can on these individuals so it comes across that you took the time to do your research. You can answer these questions by reaching out to your client and their team of representatives/territory managers. You could also reach out to retailer partners who talk to the end customer all the time.
Those who interact with the customers first-hand know what's going on. And that's a great way for you to nimbly send messages out on social media that are timely and local. Taking it a step further you can do geo-targeting to address if there's a particular pest pressure in a certain county. You can geo-target messaging just to that area so that you're not covering an area that doesn't have that pest pressure to avoid someone saying, “Why are they talking to me about this?” It all takes a little more effort, but I think it's more appreciated and better received by the person you're trying to reach with your message.
Ashley: I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Lia throughout our careers, and when she says she’s garnered “a bit of” agriculture knowledge, she’s being extremely humble. Her expertise extends much further than this blog post. To learn more about Lia and gather additional communications insights, make sure to follow her on LinkedIn.
Then check out the agency Lia works with, The Show and Tell Agency, to discover how her team can help you more authentically reach your target audience. Let’s make sure your company’s visuals make Lia and her cousin proud.
*The Industry Insights series was created to provide additional expertise for those seeking marketing services to understand what they need or who they can reach out to get started. Featured experts are well-versed in the communications field.
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