The Marketing of Jersey Canada
Holstein World: What elements of marketing does Jersey Canada provide for its members? What things have worked well and maybe some others that haven’t worked as well?
Russell Gammon: The key elements of how we approach the opportunity of getting the Jersey message out there are:
- Jersey Breeder magazine (which must be colorful)
- Website
- Sending representatives on international assignments for judging work and market development
- Numerous news releases about advances in the breed in Canada
- Extensive extension work across the country, especially in the last twelve months
- One of our regional associations has an active calving ease embryo marketing program
- Canadian National Show at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
- Hosting the World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference in Canada in 2005
- Distribution of breed marketing brochures to virtually every dairy producer in Canada four times since autumn of 2004
- Strong youth programs
We were plenty early getting a website up and running, but have seen its value grow amazingly in the last two years.
With regard to our marketing brochures - one was a small fold over of an eight and a half by eleven inch sheet of paper, full color and all that, but it drew no response. The other three that have been colorful and eight pages have been winners. We’ve had new owners of Jersey say that they’ve seen so much about Jerseys in the farm press and have enjoyed these direct mailing brochures so compelling that they simply had to consider and eventually buy Jerseys! It is important to have a “hook,” something free that you offer to draw response and reaction!
We also value our membership in the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association and cooperation with our domestic industry partners as important means of keeping the Jersey message “front of mind” in the industry!