Y
ou are not reading this.
Last year I hit an age milestone (the one that
rhymes with "mixed tea"). And even though I built my
career in a field that's been in disruptive turmoil for over
10 years, you won't hear me wishing for the good old days.
Here's how I'm adapting to today's f luid environment:
Younger audiences rely less on traditional media.
I don't worry so much about what I write: it's not like you're
hanging on my every word.
Social is the medium of choice.
I'm shortening my column from 300 words to a maximum
of 280 characters. Here's a Twitter-ready go at last month's
column: Food makers don't understand buyers.
Buyers don't understand makers. Nobody understands bro-
kers or distributors. Sad!
Video delivers. Words don't.
An interpretive dance troupe will convey all future adver-
tising messages. We haven't decided on which channel to
stream them, but we're thinking Facebook—our advertisers
want to get to know you better.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Want to Be Less Relevant?
Do What You've Always Done
SPECIALTY FOOD
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS:
Discuss this topic in the Solution
Center on specialtyfood.com
Chris Crocker
Senior Vice President, Content & Marketing
ccrocker@specialtyfood.com
SPRING 2019 5
We are in a world of profound
commercial change. But it is
not a world of absolutes.
Interactive rules.
When you finish not reading this column, rip out the
page. Fold it into a paper airplane (kids, ask your par-
ents how). Chuck it—hard—at the person nearest you.
Watch what they do!
Joking aside, we are in a world of profound commercial
change. But it is not a world of absolutes. The word "om-
nichannel" applies as much in media as it does in food.
Our prospects think in different ways. They get their in-
formation in a variety of media. They buy for a variety of
reasons, and in many places.
If you just keep doing what you've always done, you
can expect to be less and less relevant over time. If 25
percent of your customers shift to other channels, that's a
lot to lose. But 75 percent of them haven't shifted, so you
can't just walk away from that. If you want to grow, you
have to meet the market where it is.
