Keynote speaker Elise Luebbering presented on Farm Marketing and Branding in Today’s World to over 200 attendees at the White Mule Winery near Owensville on Sept. 10 at the 11th annual Osage Maries and Gasconade (OMG) Women in Agriculture event.

Luebbering, originally a Curryville native, began Evergreen Media after she and her husband, Ben, settled down on his family farm in St. Thomas and had their two boys, Garth and Harvey.

“Where my business has led me now, what started as kind of a side hustle that would allow me to stay at home full time with our two boys has evolved and grown, much to my surprise,” Luebbering told the crowd in the outdoor hall. “But what a blessing that is. So my business is to work with small businesses, primarily in the ag industry, organizations across the state of Missouri and out of the state as well, to create and implement marketing strategies that stand the test of time.”

Evergreen Media is a marketing consultancy specializing in rural, agricultural and community-focused brands. Luebbering partners with small businesses to lighten their load, clarify their message and help them show up confidently with marketing foundations that are simple, strong and built to last.

Luebbering explained the value of first impressions to the group with a video showing how much she and her son, Garth, dislike Halloween decorations.

“This was his kind of first impression of the Halloween decorations,” she said. “He saw them from far off and said, ‘oh, please don’t go that way. I do not want to walk past those things’ — because he doesn’t know what to call them, right?”

Luebbering advised her son to close his eyes if he didn’t want to see them.

“He followed directions,” she said. “However, he was still a little bit curious, right? He had to get a glance.”

The resulting video contained several glances at the decor inside Menards department store, many grimaces and cringes, much to the amusement of the crowd. Luebbering said bad marketing is much the same.

“This is to say, first impressions can be everything, especially whenever it comes to your business and how your audience might perceive your business,” she said. “Do you all feel that sets the stage for a positive first impression as it relates to marketing your business?”

Luebbering suggested those interested in marketing a business choose one or two social media platforms to get started and stay active. She asked the audience to consider things they do every day that they could turn into a Facebook or social media post, suggesting that the people behind the business should be featured the most.

“A brand is the intangible sum of a customer’s perception, emotions, and experiences regarding a company, product or service,” she said. “It acts as a promise of value. It is distinct from physical assets like a logo or tagline, representing instead how the public feels and what they think when they encounter the entity.”

Luebbering said it doesn’t mean that logo, colors or other factors don’t come into play.

“However, a brand is more about the overall perception and how your audience might feel about your business before they might even have any dealings with you,” she explained. “That said, connection whenever you’re representing your brand is everything.”

At the end of her presentation, Luebbering provided a QR code for those present to receive a copy of her presentation and use it to implement their own personal marketing brand.

Earlier in the evening, Dr. Scott Poock with the University of Missouri spoke to the group about Theileria, the newest cow and tick disease.

Poock has worked for Mizzou’s veterinary extension for 20 years in the areas of beef and dairy cattle. Before that, he practiced veterinary medicine in Central Wisconsin, where he grew up and lived for 19 years.

Poock is currently the only veterinarian who has been certified in both beef and dairy cattle. His family raises Simmental and SimAngus cattle along with his daughter’s Jersey cattle.

Scheduled to present on Growing Your Own Grapes during the first session was Kate Kammler with the University of Missouri Extension. A horticulture specialist since 2008, Kammler said her favorite thing about working for MU Extension is that there is always something new to learn.

After dinner, Brittany Clark, a co-planner of the event, commented on the turnout.

“About 208 attendees pre-registered for the event and another 10 paid at the registration table today,” Clark said. “Most shirts we even sold out of. Usually we sell about 120 for this event. We sold 150, sent in another order for 50 more, and sold them again.”

She added that they want to keep improving every year and are open to suggestions.

“It’s been a wonderful day. Everyone got here early and enjoyed the afternoon,” she said.

Clark said their group already has a list of suggested topics for next year.