Agricultural Commodity Promotions: Features Encouraging Participation of Retailers and Wholesalers

Agricultural promotional groups face keen competition from brand advertisers in securing trade support for commodity campaigns. Brand advertisers offered U.S. food firms approximately 10,000 promotional campaigns in 1968, versus a maximum of 200 offers from agricultural organizations. Moreover, brand advertisers include dealer incentives that are not offered by agricultural groups. However, retail and wholesale merchandisers like to participate in well-planned commodity promotions because of the greater flexibility afforded in promoting a wide array of brands, as well as the firm's own private-label merchandise. The following features contributed to successful commodity campaigns and encouraged trade participation: trade incentives, good display materials, intensive media advertising, good coordination, timing with respect to seasonal supplies and demand, and joint promotion of complementary products by two or more agricultural commodity groups or a commodity organization and a brand advertiser