In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Sara Talcott and Felice Thorpe about how to build a standout brand, when to stay local versus grow regionally or nationally, how to differentiate your brand story and much more as it relates to branding, sales and marketing.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

1. How does a brand become valuable to consumers? [~3:30]
2. What are some examples of farms and agricultural brands that have done a great job marketing to consumers? [~4:50]
3. What does it take to launch a standout brand? [~7:45]
4. What role does conveying a compelling story have on brand loyalty and overall marketing? [~11:25]
5. For farms considering diversification, what are some key skillsets that you’d recommend they either identify within their current team members or add to their team? [~17:35]
6. How does social media and having an online presence impact marketing efforts? [~20:44]
7. When is it advantageous to stay local and when should a brand consider branching out to reach a broader customer base? [~22:55]
8. For existing brands, why is it important for them to nurture their current loyal customers base instead of only trying to attract new fans? [~25:30]
9. Where do you see the most potential for growth within agricultural niche markets? [~27:30]
10. Is there anything that you’d recommend avoiding or lessons learned that you’ve observed from some of the farms you’ve worked with? [~33:00]
11. What else can dairy farmers do to differentiate themselves and build a loyal customer base? [~37:40]
12. What are the first steps a producer who is interested in diversifying should take to set themselves up for success? [~42:30]
13. Rapid-fire questions [~43:30]