Writing for AgIsAmerica.org

AgIsAmerica.org Breaking News Page (2012)

Georgia-Bred Turfgrasses May Soon Blanket Cuban Golf Courses, Resorts
The demand for turfgrass bred by the University of Georgia College of Agriculture continues to soar as Pike Creek Turf adds Cuba to its growing list of international destinations. Clint Waltz, turfgrass specialist at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, leads scientist Luis Hernandez from the University of Matanzas, Cuba, on a turfgrass tour through Georgia as the two institutions work together to determine which types of UGA international-licensed grasses are best suited to cover an anticipated 15-20 new golf courses on Cuban soil.

Rosetta Green and Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. Sign a License Agreement
Rosetta Green Ltd. and Iowa State University Research Foundation sign a licensing agreement for a microRNA gene that may help scientists develop Nematode resistant plants. Nematodes are a dangerous strand of parasitic worms that feed off plants at their root, leaving the latter severely weakened and unable to produce high returns. The discovery of the microRNA gene, lead by Iowa State University, is said to be a crucial scientific breakthrough that may help the United States save an estimated $1.5 billion in nematode related losses.

University of Georgia: Crop Data Gives Drought-Stricken Farmers a Leg Up On Getting By with Less
GPS technology and low-cost sensors developed by the University of Georgia in partnership with the Nature Conservancy and Flint River Conservation Project helps farmers in Southwest Georgia save water and their crops during the worst drought since the 1950s. These innovations are considered to be the biggest advance on irrigation systems this country has seen in decades. Learn more about University of Georgia’s cutting-edge innovations in irrigation systems here.

Land-Grant Concept Built Strong Universities
Championed by Justin Morrill of Vermont, the Morrill Act of 1862 established America’s land-grant university system, of which the University of Connecticut is one of the oldest and finest members. Over the course of its 131-year history, UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has become a leader in agriculture education, research, and outreach while promoting and protecting human and animal health. With its diverse curriculum in the areas of environmental sustainability, turf grass management, economics and more, UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources makes a sound investment for any student looking to make an impact in the state’s economy and our nation’s future.

Farmers Turn to Engineered Corn to Adapt to Drought. But Will It Be Enough?
As severe droughts gain regularity across the U.S., farmers are becoming increasingly interested in the technological innovations being led by researchers at various land-grant colleges. New strains of genetically-modified corn—which are more resistant to severe weather conditions—are an attractive choice for farmers living in regions such as Texas, where drought-related losses amounted to a whopping $8 billion in 2011. However, as beneficial as biotechnology appears to be, some experts like South Dakota State University agronomist Larry Wagner argue that relying on genetics alone is simply not sufficient.

Writing for KGlobal Blog

The Secret to a Long and Happy Marriage: Brands and Consumer Loyalty (2011)

It’s 3:40 PM and my eyes are beginning to water. After nearly seven hours of staring at the screen, that familiar feeling of needing a quick pick-me-up sets in, and I immediately think, “I need coffee.”

Recently, I discovered a terrific coffee shop down the street from where I work. Small and cozy inside with an aura of European sophistication, this Illy Caffé carries the same delicious coffee blend I consume at home, makes a fantastic version of my favorite coffee drink (i.e. Macchiato Caramello), and is conveniently located one block closer to my office than the coffee shop I used to frequent. However, no matter how ecstatic my voice of reason says I should feel over this new finding, the truth of the matter is: I feel conflicted.

You see, my entire life, I have been a brand-loyalist. Tied to trust and respect, when I find a brand that I like, I vow to have and to hold from that day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health until death do us part.

So, for the past 5 years, I’ve been married to Starbucks. Starbucks is clever and aesthetically pleasing, well traveled and cultured, environmentally conscious, and successful. Starbucks also enjoys making conversation, has great taste in music, and is always there when I need it. What else can a girl ask for?

“But Starbucks is just a coffee house,” you might say. Yes, I have become a victim of consumerism. I am aware of this. So how is it that I can still feel guilty of wanting to switch brands?

Lost in my bewilderment, I decided to read-up on Starbucks’ branding and marketing tactics. Through my research, I found an interesting interview with Stanley Hainsworth, ex-creative director at Nike and Lego, and former vice president of global creative at Starbucks. During his tenure, Starbucks experienced remarkable growth and developed the innovative criteria of five filters (i.e. handcrafted, artistic, sophisticated, human and enduring) that defined the company’s work. In this interview, Hainsworth reveals the secrets to creating an internationally renown brand, as well as to holding the love of consumers’ wrapped around Starbucks’ little finger.

Proceeding is an excerpt from Debbie Millman’s “How Starbucks Transformed Coffee From A Commodity into A $4 Splurge”, published in Fast Company on September 27, 2011, and pulled from Millman’s 2011 book, Brand Thinking
and Other Noble Pursuits.

Stanley, how would you define “brand”?

A brand is an entity that engenders an emotional connection with a consumer.

What do you mean by an “emotional connection”?

Consumers emotionally connect with brands when the brands repeatedly provide something that the consumer wants, desires, or needs.

Let’s return to the moment a person first realizes they have to make a choice between coffee brands or soda brands or shampoo brands. How do people really make choices? Do you think people are conscious of the processes they use?

I think the best brands are those that create something for consumers that they don’t even know they need yet. A coffee brand like Starbucks created something people didn’t know they needed. Same with Nike. Who knew we needed a high-end performance running shoe? I think when people are surprised or delighted by how a brand can change their lives by just making it a little bit better — or a little bit more fun or a little more performance-oriented — that’s when they start creating a connection with that brand.

The concept of a person not knowing that they need something is a fascinating one. Clearly, there were millions of coffee shops all over the world before Starbucks launched its particular brand of coffee shop. How do marketers create desire for something that consumers don’t know they need?

I think great brands create the “end state” first. When launching a new product, marketers are not very specific about how a product actually works. They express more about the result. They talk about what you will feel or what you will be like if you choose to engage with that brand or that product. The Apple commercial in 1984 was a great example of this. There was very little about the product in the spot. It was all about the aftereffect of the product.

During your tenure at Starbucks, how deliberate were the choices that the Starbucks marketing team was making? Were they very intentionally creating a scenario and an environment that people would want to
experience?

I think it was very deliberate from the beginning. When Howard Schultz first came to Starbucks, he wasn’t the owner of the company. He joined a couple guys that had started the company. He went over to Milan and saw the coffee culture and espresso bars where people met in the morning. He saw how people caught up on the news while they sat or stood and drank their little cups of espresso. That inspired the vision he crafted from the beginning — to design a social environment where people not only came for great coffee, but also to connect to a certain culture.

Howard was very wise in knowing that Starbucks was not the only company in the world to make great coffee. On the contrary, there are hundreds of other companies that can make great coffee. So what’s the great differentiator?

The answer is the distinction that most great brands create. There are other companies that make great running shoes or great toys or great detergent or soap, but what is the real differentiator that people keep coming back for?

For Starbucks, it was creating a community, a “third place.” It was a very conscious attribute of the brand all along and impacted every decision about the experience: who the furniture was chosen for, what artwork would be on the walls, what music was going to be played, and how it would be played.

What is the most important aspect to consider when creating a brand?

For me, it’s all about having a story to tell. This is what will enable you to create an experience around the brand. Every brand has a story, whether it’s the founder’s story or the brand’s reason for being. Some brands have never told their story well, or have lost their story. Microsoft is a good example of a brand that’s never told its story well. It’s a huge consumer product software platform, a mega conglomerate, and there’s no love there. There’s no emotional story to rally around. The Bill Gates story is such an incredible story, but it’s never really been expressed by the brand.

It’s really interesting to watch brands get older, and gain more competitors in the marketplace, and struggle to stay relevant. Look at Levi’s or Gap or any of the great American brands that have gone through these struggles. Look at Starbucks! In order for brands to recapture their spirit, they almost always go back to their core. They seem to forget for a while, then remember, “Oh yeah, we’re a coffee company!” Then they get rid of the movies and the spinning racks filled with CDs and start focusing on coffee again.

What would likely be the next step after defining or developing a story?

You develop a story, and then you start to identify who the consumers are. Who are you talking to? How are you going to talk to them? How are you going to tell your story to them? What are your opportunities or your channels through which you can tell that story? Do we need to design some new products, or do we need to redesign our existing products because they aren’t true to our story? Or maybe you determine that your products are fine, but you haven’t been talking to your consumers in the right way, so it’s a communication issue. Examine every touchpoint and look at how you can tell one clear, consistent story.

People who aren’t very experienced with branding, or are new at it, sometimes feel that they can get away with something being off-brand. But I think that genuinely good branding involves an examination of every single way the brand, the product, and the experience is viewed. Everything that you do, everything you release, everything you say — everything is the cumulative expression of your brand.

What if the brand manager of Kraft American cheese asked you to develop its story? How do you create a story if something is essentially manufactured?

You go back to the essence of the brand. Why was it made? What need did it fill? Go back to the origins of a brand and identify how it connected to consumers and how it became a relevant, “loved by families” product. What were the origins of this story? Whether we’re talking about Tropicana orange juice or Kraft American cheese — these products were all created to fill a niche. Why? That’s where you’ll find your story.

What would likely be the next step after defining or developing a story?

God Is In The Details

Writing for KGlobal blog, Fall 2012

With the U.S. Postal Service’s announcing its decision to consolidate numerous processing and distribution centers across the country in hopes of generating $2.1 billion in annual savings, it appears as though we will all have to be a lot more organized in sending our holiday wish lists to Santa this year.

Concerns over a significant deceleration in mail delivery speeds, as well as the future of the letter in general, have aroused the hearts of many stationary and penmanship loving Americans. Yet, as cynics such as myself are well aware, the post office has been on its way out for many years. Like a slow growing tumor eating away at the organization, the Internet’s unstoppable force has been increasingly obsoleting the US Postal Service with every passing year of its young existence. Since 2006 alone, for instance, the total mail volume has fallen by roughly 45 billion pieces a year (21%) and first-class by 30 billion (29%) a year. People now read their news online, pay their bills online, sort through coupons online, and send thank you notes online. Things are about time and efficiency these days, and as improvements in Internet speed continue to surpass unprecedented levels, everything is bound to go cyber.

Cruel, I know. Fortunately, there is a bright side. According to my predictions, the USPS will have likely reached the end of its lifespan by the year 2020. which is good because it gives us plenty of time to dwell. Moreover, for those of us who have found it easy to go digital, the transition from snail mail to e-mail will have been so gradual by the time the 236 year old institution is forced to give its final goodbyes that the majority of us will have, hopefully, well-accepted its resignation.

But while the handwritten letter, freshly printed periodical, and ghastly looking bill have all met their 21st century contenders, there is still one tiny postal detail that gone unnoticed: the stamp.

Bearer of the great social duty that is to depict every waking hour of mankind on a 1” x 1” square, the stamp has celebrated our country’s greatest successes—including the abolition of slavery to the number one cable TV star, Homer Simpson. Without their colorful distractions, our envelopes would rely solely on the quality of our handwriting for entertainment and the world would surely turn grey. Stamp collectors have known this for a long time, which is why they stood their ground while everyone scratched their heads in bewilderment at their peculiar habits. In their defense, I now see the beauty in every miniature art piece, designed by someone with intention and heart.

Compare different nations’ postal stamps and you’ll get a visual narrative of civilization through the arts, history and politics. Look even closer, and you’ll see a typographer’s best work. Several of the most important graphic and type designers of the 20th and 21st century (i.e. Herbert Bayer, Seymore Chwast, Eric Gill, Jan Van Krimpen, Herb Lubalin, Eric Spiekermann, and Hermann Zapf) have all had their hand in the cookie jar at some point or another and have paid significant homage to the seemingly modest postage stamp.

Yet the advent of the Internet holds no promises for the future of the stamp. What will become of it? Can it survive? They say “God is in the details”. Well, by golly we are an immoral bunch for we have forgotten the greatest detail of them all.

Below, a selection of good design on tiny pieces of paper.