It must be very difficult to be as stupid as Matt Naylor

[Hampton]

just read his article in the weekly and I am flabbergasted by the moronic sentiments he has published this week.
Point 1) big brands spending money on advertising has no relation to the farming sector promoting their wares. Wrong! The biggest companies in the World, who employ some of the sharpest business brains believe advertising is vital to their business success. How can farming be any different!
Point 2) Red tractor is not generic. Spring lamb is not generic. These are focused campaigns that they should be pushing. Proof that it works? I'll give you two. Christmas turkey and fair trade. Fair trade is a generic campaign that focuses on third world producers and works. If the red tractor had as much money pumped into it as fair trade then we wouldn't have any problems at all. Christmas turkey is a seasonal boon which adds value to the industry.
Point 3) we should be looking at ways to beat the kiwis on price. Why on earth would we want to drive value from our industry in a race to the bottom?
Point 4) farmers pay levies in order for the adhb to promote our wares collectively, as we can't afford the expensive marketing campaigns individually. Calls for better marketing campaigns aren't ridiculous. Advertising works in every industry, you just have to find someone bright enough to see the point of difference! I've highlighted a few, a professional advertising company could probably find thousands.
Apathy and claiming advertising is a myth is the height of stupidity!

 

[gone up the hill]

He comes across as a tosser and who is only intrested in himself and his own career, trouble is its idiots like him ( + @ peter kendall for example ) who end up with highly paid jobs in places like the RT/ AHDB etc who instead of actually working for the people that pay their wages actually are working against us...

How many sheep has Nyaloe ( or whatever he is called ) got??

 

[multi power]

just read his article in the weekly and I am flabbergasted by the moronic sentiments he has published this week.
Point 1) big brands spending money on advertising has no relation to the farming sector promoting their wares. Wrong! The biggest companies in the World, who employ some of the sharpest business brains believe advertising is vital to their business success. How can farming be any different!
Point 2) Red tractor is not generic. Spring lamb is not generic. These are focused campaigns that they should be pushing. Proof that it works? I'll give you two. Christmas turkey and fair trade. Fair trade is a generic campaign that focuses on third world producers and works. If the red tractor had as much money pumped into it as fair trade then we wouldn't have any problems at all. Christmas turkey is a seasonal boon which adds value to the industry.
Point 3) we should be looking at ways to beat the kiwis on price. Why on earth would we want to drive value from our industry in a race to the bottom?
Point 4) farmers pay levies in order for the adhb to promote our wares, collectively, as we can't afford the expensive marketing campaigns individually. Calls for better marketing campaigns aren't ridiculous. Advertising works in every industry, you just have to find someone bright enough to see the point of difference! I've highlighted a few, a professional advertising company could probably find thousands.
Apathy and claiming advertising is a myth is the height of stupidity!

Isn't it a bit childish to say how stupid somebody else is

 

[Hampton]

Perhaps, but some people need it pointing out to them.
I think it would have been childish for me to have called him stupid then not substantiate it, but I feel I have justified the claim quite well.
Do you disagree with my argument?

 

[Minesapint]

Do people still buy the Farmers Weekly?

 

[Simon Chiles]

Perhaps, but some people need it pointing out to them.
I think it would have been childish for me to have called him stupid then not substantiate it, but I feel I have justified the claim quite well.
Do you disagree with my argument?

Fair enough. I'd like to point out that you were stupid to buy the FW in the first place and even more so to let it wind you up. I cancelled years ago as it used to do exactly the same to me, I reckoned that there was one article worth reading every 3 months or so at that was generally taken from a forum through lazy journalism. Don't miss it one bit.

 

[Hampton]

Fair enough. I'd like to point out that you were stupid to buy the FW in the first place and even more so to let it wind you up. I cancelled years ago as it used to do exactly the same to me, I reckoned that there was one article worth reading every 3 months or so at that was generally taken from a forum through lazy journalism. Don't miss it one bit.

It's the old chaps. It gets delivered to the farmhouse though.
I still feel it's important to read it though as these people are supposed to reperesent our industry.

 

[Simon Chiles]

It's the old chaps. It gets delivered to the farmhouse though.
I still feel it's important to read it though as these people are supposed to reperesent our industry.

I think you'll find they represent machinery, chemical and feed salesmen more, in fact anyone who advertises with them. Read it if you want to be sold to, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

 

[Two Tone]

Fair enough. I'd like to point out that you were stupid to buy the FW in the first place and even more so to let it wind you up. I cancelled years ago as it used to do exactly the same to me, I reckoned that there was one article worth reading every 3 months or so at that was generally taken from a forum through lazy journalism. Don't miss it one bit.

I agree. I still get FW, but having read it, most of the time I end up feeling rather depressed. I reckon that a hellova lot of it is written months in advance when it comes to what diseases Arable are talking about. Never seems to be any optimism about etc etc.

The only bloke whose articles I do like reading are from Charlie Flindt. He could always make a crust as a comedian if his farming went completely tits up!

FW say that for farmers to get the most accurate facts, they should go on FWI. They claim that the paper version is a snapshot of what is happening, designed for anybody outside the industry to grasp some basics as to what is going on.

Can you imagine somebody outside farming picking up a copy from WH Smiths at an airport to read on their journey. They would quickly get the impression that we are a miserable load of feckers!

Mind you - they'd be right there, I suppose!

 

[J 1177]

I think my dads getting sick of me rolling my eyes when he says. 'I read in the farmers weekly'

 

[Two Tone]

I think my dads getting sick of me rolling my eyes when he says. 'I read in the farmers weekly'

Surely not a case of "it must be true, coz I read it in the FW"

Reminds me (although it might be the reverse) of going in the pub one time and talking to a farmer's son fresh out of Ag college. I asked him how he was getting on with his Dad now he was home.

"My Dad doesn't know a thing " he said. "Can't understand how the hell we have kept going all these years."

Six months later I saw him again and asked how his farther was?

"He's learned a lot!" he said.

I think he understood why I spat my beer out and couldn't stop laughing!

 

[sleepy]

The sense of entitlement amongst some of the writers in FW is very strong indeed, especially David Richardson he really gets on my nerves. If the jobs so bad why the hell doesn't he just pack it in.

 

[SilliamWhale]

The way I understood what Matt Naylor was saying was farming as in "buy british" is not a brand in the way Coca Cola is. I expect unless there is a very good focus and control on the "brand" then you probably don't get a great return from marketing.

I like what he writes as its usually funny.

 

[Two Tone]

The sense of entitlement amongst some of the writers in FW is very strong indeed, especially David Richardson he really gets on my nerves. If the jobs so bad why the hell doesn't he just pack it in.

Probably because he "Dorn't know northin else te dew!"

 

[Frodo]

I also thought it was a strange position to take. I have previously thought that Matt Naylor was broader minded than most farmer opinion writers.

 

[Daniel]

The FW gang of opinion writers are paid a fee to bash out a column once a month or so, to create debate and get people talking. Newspaper columnists are no different, they need an opinion each week/month to build a column around, it doesn't matter if its an opinion they've held for years or a different opinion to the one they held last month, but they need an opinion to earn their fee.

Matt has clearly earned his fee this month!

 

[J 1177]

Surely not a case of "it must be true, coz I read it in the FW"

Reminds me (although it might be the reverse) of going in the pub one time and talking to a farmer's son fresh out of Ag college. I asked him how he was getting on with his Dad now he was home.

"My Dad doesn't know a thing " he said. "Can't understand how the hell we have kept going all these years."

Six months later I saw him again and asked how his farther was?

"He's learned a lot!" he said.

I think he understood why I spat my beer out and couldn't stop laughing!

Its not so much that. Its more to his generation the fw was like the bible. He disagrees with it as much as i do but i think its ingrained in him that its the only farming medium. So his default mode is to take what is written in the blinking thing as gospel.

 

[sleepy]

 

[sleepy]

https://thelostbeaver.wordpress.com/

Having never met Mr Matthew Naylor I don’t want to make this personal but I couldn’t disagree more with his article in Farmers Weekly this week. I don’t think he’ll be upset as he’s a very respected successful farmer but as he said in his article- it’s a free world and ridiculous ideas can be suggested so here’s my two pence worth.

The article’s jist was the ADHB shouldn’t use funds on genetic advertising on food. Supply and demand dictate the price. People who suggest Coke, Apple and Nike use advertising are barking up the wrong tree.

I agree up to a point. It’s hard to compare Apple’s marketing to food. These items are luxury one-off purchases rather than day to day necessities. However Apple do sell a digitally weaker product into a crowded market place at a premium price. That’s the power of advertising!

This comes down to brand strength. When we think of Apple products we often have loyalty towards them and will purchase them time after time regardless of the price. This is an amazing marketing model which fascinates me so much so I applied for a Nuffield scholarship (unsuccessful) this year into the food marketing and branding in this country. I digress- away from my failings let’s bring this back to UK farming.

Our brand of UK farming Plc is the Red Tractor. This ensures that quality performances have been met and the product is traceable. Not only that it represents that environmental conditions have been met, fertiliser has been applied to the land in a responsible method and rate, welfare conditions have been followed, in fact the list is almost endless of what it stands for (far too endless people will say but that’s a different subject).

Essentially the Red Tractor is a premium product compared to other generic imports. We have no idea what pesticides have been sprayed on it, no idea if the environment has been considered, no idea on animal welfare. Again the list is endless but if the imported food you’re buying has no stamp you have no idea how it got there.

Yet in high street Britain not only has the Red Tractor got an almost non existintant brand loyalty after 10 years of trying and spending our levy, British products get over looked by imported food as it’ll be 10p cheaper. I am so proud of the product we produce and how we do it, yet so frustrated what the Red Tractor has become, or not become as the case maybe.

I love the idea of Red Tractor but it’s not working in its current format unless it wants to become a tick box exercise. The consumer doesn’t know what it means and doesn’t want to pay for it and in that position I can see why Mr Naylor doesn’t want to pay for advertising.

However if we can tell the public what we do surely everyone would support the Red Tractor. In a world where we put buy premium fuel for our cars surely people would pay premium price for suppior food into our body especially when you also factor in food miles and carbon footprints.

Even if there was no premium price imagine if the UK buyer looked for the Red Tractor on all food they bought? The demand would go up over night, more and more products would show the logo, food processors would demand Red Tractor food and this long term could lead to a premium as this what the market demands.

For example in Australia they show how much home produced food is in ready meals. Again imagine if the Red Tractor funnel was a gold colour for 100% Red Tractor produce and silver for 75%? Again this would lead to more demand for UK produce that want to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

Like many growers my patience with Red Tractor is running out. I love the theory but feel they are failing the UK producer as they fail to highlight the amazing and accountable work that goes into the countryside. It’s often said that UK farmers are poor at marketing their products, but why should we? Surely this should be role of the AHDB and Red Tractor which WE fund (£58 million p/a and £17 million p/a (estimated)). If they don’t step their game up the Red Tractor could fail. This would be great opportunity lost and leave farmers open to individual food protocols which would be a backward step.

Let’s get some professional marketing advice and show the UK what we do- British Farming Plc may well depend on it if the market remains at these values.

Posted on March 6, 2016Leave a commenton Advertising food?!

 

[PSQ]

Feel free to debate the subject of his 'Opinion' piece, but going 'Ad Hominem', calling him "stupid", "moronic", "idiot", "tosser" is just downright poor from members of our own 'industry'.

The real problem that this thread highlights in farming is 'what a divided bunch of bitter and miserable gits some of us are'. Sorry, but no amount of advertising can change that.