Direct Marketing Today: Challenges and Opportunities

摘要

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) inits Direct Marketing Action Plan (August 1998) identified the need for public input on farmer direct marketing issues and opportunities to develop an effective plan that reflects the needs of the direct marketing community, promotes direct marketing alternatives, and improves market access for small farmers. The first step toward gathering public input was taken during a forum on July 1, 1998, for farmers market managers and other experts working with farmers markets. A second initiative identified in the Action Plan was to conduct focus group meetings with direct marketing facilitators-individuals representing organizations that support small farmers and farmer direct marketing. A Cornell University team with prior focus group experience convened and facilitated the focus group meetings. To better meet project objectives, it was decided to expand the project to include direct marketers and facilitators in the focus group study.