ypes of Advertising and Marketing Strategy: The Agrocentrum Case Study

TYPES OF ADVERTISING USING AGROCENTRUM AS AN EXAMPLE

In the animal feed supply sector, switching business partners quickly is virtually impossible due to customized feed formulations, ongoing nutritional consultation, and veterinary support. High financial stakes, significant operational risks, and deep supplier domain expertise define the industry. Consequently, the company focuses primarily on building brand equity and educating clients to maximize yield from supplied products while accelerating production intensity.

Product brochures serve this educational purpose; rather than conventional promotional collateral, they function as technical information guides describing product features and benefits. Printed media primarily targets prospect conversion (i.e., competitors' clients). Existing clients receive them during sales visits, trade shows, and exhibitions, though regular buyers rarely consult them, making distribution largely a courtesy gesture. (For instance, rival firm Provimi largely abandoned printed collateral in favor of online resources; however, as part of a corporate group, Provimi executes marketing through central long-term supply contracts—such as with Indykpol—capturing large client bases with minimal traditional advertising).

Agrocentrum differentiates itself from competitors through a distinct layout featuring livestock imagery (cattle, poultry) and clear audience segmentation: swine, cattle, poultry, and other livestock. To reach smaller-scale farmers (or major grain suppliers who maintain small herds), the company operates mobile units known as "Agromobiles." In this segment, promotional flyers structured similarly to supermarket circulars are distributed.

To further stand out, Agrocentrum introduced custom artistic elements to its brand layout—hand-drawn illustrations using ink, watercolor, and Conté crayons. This artistic strategy visually distinguishes the company from market rivals, conveying a friendly, non-aggressive, heritage-rooted Polish brand identity. The initiative launched with a wall poster calendar featuring inviting illustrations that encouraged clients to hang it in their homes. This visual motif was subsequently applied to promotional T-shirts (rural clients no longer accept generic promotional merchandise uncritically; donor branding must be subtly integrated or disguised within the design). At the Szepietowo Trade Fair (attracting up to 150,000 attendees), Agrocentrum distributed the maiden issue of Podwórko ("The Backyard"), a children's magazine featuring matching illustrations for coloring, riddles, and crosswords. The publication aims to strengthen ties with existing clients' families while non-invasively entering competitors' households to build brand goodwill.

At year-end, the company distributes custom 13-page, poster, or triangular desk calendars to clients, combined with face-to-face partner meetings to express gratitude for year-long cooperation. This represents a highly effective, non-intrusive promotional channel; placed willingly by clients in prominent areas, it offers continuous brand exposure to buyers and their networks without the aggressiveness of television commercials.

Agrocentrum recently launched a revised corporate website. While retaining the artistic, hand-drawn design aesthetic, it functions as an informational industry portal. The site aims to foster client engagement, share corporate and industry news, and present modern technological trends. To drive traffic, search engine optimization (SEO) initiatives were implemented targeting core organic search queries (e.g., "producer of feed and concentrates for cattle, swine, poultry"), complemented by Google AdWords campaigns for targeted operational keywords. Because feed sector competitors have been slow to leverage digital channels, AdWords keywords remain cost-effective. While digital ads do not directly trigger immediate B2B sales, they effectively build brand awareness and complement traditional sales channels.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS In my view, the company should continue differentiating its advertising strategy from market competitors. Launching an illustrative design line infused with subtle humor and reminiscent of children's book art is a sound approach. Emphasizing lighthearted branding and youth-oriented publications builds long-term goodwill while bypassing traditional competitive clutter. Similarly, the 13-page calendar theme (focusing on global agriculture with exotic motifs) offers strong engagement without straying from core agricultural themes.

I recommend expanding the web portal to continuously engage clients with fresh content. Given the close bond between farmers and feed manufacturers, Agrocentrum should build a digital community around its brand and website—utilizing Facebook to drive portal traffic and establishing news-sharing partnerships with agricultural trade portals. As commercial farming operations become increasingly professionalized, clients will rely more heavily on digital resources. Whichever company establishes a dominant online presence first will secure a decisive competitive advantage in this channel.

(Author: Rafał Sadowski, excerpt from the diploma thesis "Methods of Promoting Industrial Goods Based on Companies Operating in the Agricultural Market")