World Dairy Expo is one of the biggest events of the year for dairy producers around the world. Each year, producers, companies, organizations and other dairy enthusiasts come together to compete and to exchange ideas, knowledge, technology and commerce. It’s an opportunity to show the industry what you’re all about—and that’s just what we’re going to do.

For the first time in company history, Member Relations, WinField United and Purina Animal Nutrition, are sharing a booth at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., Oct. 3-7. PMI Nutritional Additives and Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Company will also be represented.

“I’m looking forward to the unified messaging, as many customers have no idea we are all connected,” says Carla Fish, product development manager for alfalfa and forages.

Under the “Moving the Dairy Industry Forward, Together” banner, Land O’Lakes, Inc. is taking a bold stance on where we fit in the industry and why we matter.

“We want to show how we as an enterprise are working together as one for the dairy industry,” says Glenda Gehl, director of development services for Member Relations. “We have members and general customers who don’t know that Purina or WinField United is owned by Land O’Lakes. We want to change that.”

Our place within the dairy industry

More than 175,000 people from all over the world visit the expo each year. To get their attention, you have to think big. Look big. Act big. The Land O’Lakes booth was designed with that in mind. There are brand-specific panels, each with a circle of images that are important to the brand. A sentence above each image shares how the brand is moving the dairy industry forward. Instead of using WinField United or Purina brand colors, everything is together under the Land O’Lakes, Inc. color palette to reinforce our position as a farm-to-fork business.

“We want dairy producers to understand what our whole enterprise has to offer them,” says Glenda. “Often they just look at one business.”

As a farm-to-fork enterprise, we can offer dairy producers forages through our crop business, nutrition and animal milk replacers through our feed business and milk processing and marketing through our dairy foods business. We also provide products and services through Member Relations.

“Going to World Dairy Expo as a cohesive unit has been a goal for us,” says Larry Van Roekel, marketing director, Purina Dairy brands. “This will clearly demonstrate our broad commitment to the dairy industry.”

#SocialMedia

We’re building excitement for the World Dairy Expo through Facebook posts and advertising, but the real story is how we’re using social media during the expo. Our booth will feature a photo wall made of nine seamless TV screens. This 9- by 5-foot wall display will feature a farm scene image in a mosaic form. Photos submitted to Land O’Lakes social media channels with the #myfarmgoal hashtag will populate the mosaic. (If you’ve never seen a mosaic wall in action, take a look.)

“We’re asking people to take a selfie while holding a sign with their farm goal,” says Lori Noel, integrated marketing manager for Purina livestock businesses.

The idea is to engage attendees and spark conversations about their goals and how Land O’Lakes is uniquely qualified to help them achieve those goals.

“As a farmer-owned cooperative that sells butter, cheese, feed and forage, we have the right to talk about the dairy enterprise and our place within it,” says Larry.

Measuring success

The businesses had an opportunity to pilot the shared booth concept at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D., earlier this year.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive,” says Larry. “It encouraged us to go to World Dairy Expo as one enterprise.”

“If Central Plains is any indication of how things will go, we’re in a really good position,” confirms Lori.

While producer engagement at World Dairy Expo won’t be directly reflected in our ROI, it will help spread the message that we stand together as one company for the benefit of dairy producers. Increased engagement gives Land O’Lakes the opportunity to earn our dairy members’ crop and feed business—all while remaining true to our roots as a farmer-owned cooperative.

“We want people to know that the dairy industry is part of our heritage,” says Larry. “and that all of Land O’Lakes’ businesses are committed to moving the industry forward together.