As a red blooded marketer, I have always wondered what it would be like to conduct desk side visits with editors of nationally distributed consumer publications in The Big Apple, and recently my dreams came true! With nine years of experience in the fresh produce industry under my belt and oodles of story ideas to pitch, I flew to New York with our PR manager, Beth Atkinson, to sit down with food editors and here is what I learned:
First and foremost, let me tell you that one week before our trip to the big city, I was 100% scared out of my Spanx at the thought of it all. The sum total circulation of the publications we intended to speak to is 15,128,804 subscriptions! To think that we will speak directly to people that have such incredible influence over purchasing decisions made by a massive quantity of consumers was truly daunting.
During our first pitch, I quickly realized that the editors I was so intimidated by are just people. And these people are in need of inspired ideas, creative approaches to food and clever twists on the average fruit or vegetable. After several meetings, I learned that not only are food editors seeking inspiration just like their readers, but they also need help sourcing products for photography to support their editorial content.
Did you know that most long-lead consumer publications plan their content six months in advance? That means that right now, on May 10, 2016, food editors are already planning content for the holiday season. This may get tricky if the product they’re planning to feature is not readily available until November and December.
When we asked the food editors which companies in the fresh produce industry they currently contact when they find themselves in need of a story or product, they either did not have a contact or they had one that they trusted.
We took the opportunity to probe further and asked if they had ever considered telling the story behind the fruit or veggie in their publications. You know, the story about how, where and by whom the product is grown. They said that they had considered it, but didn’t have the connections in the fresh produce industry that would allow them to make a connection with the right growers of the products.
As we continued to ask questions about the everyday hurdles that food editors experience, I quickly went into “solutions mode.” As it turns out, we most often have the answers to their questions or the context they are missing at our finger tips.
As a result of this trip to New York, the DMA Solutions team is committed to providing editors, bloggers, authors and influencers with access to YOU. We will be nurturing our relationships with them on a regular basis and subsequently, will be contacting you as a result of a request for product, a story angle or a taste of your latest and greatest crop. Imagine the possibilities that could surface for your brand or product!
Do you find yourself seeking to make connections with food editors or do you already have them? How can DMA help you make more connections?
