Fresh Produce Marketing Strategies Short Course

Photo: Lecture Hall

Fresh Produce
Marketing Strategies
Short Course

March 24-26, 2009

Robert Mondavi Institute Sensory Theater
at the UC Davis campus

FOCUS. Competing in a Challenging Market

This course will give fresh produce industry managers and executives an opportunity to focus on their strategic thinking and developing their fresh produce marketing approach within real-world budget constraints.

The program will include case studies and practical hands-on examples presented by both UC Davis agricultural economists and fresh produce industry marketing leaders. Current up-to-date produce marketplace data from participating instructor organizations will provide the basis for classroom discussions and break out sessions.

Fresh Produce Marketing Strategies is a must-attend course for any produce executive grappling with buyer and supplier consolidation, channel blurring, and rapidly evolving consumer preferences and profiles. This short course is all about enhancing your ability to assess emerging marketplace complexities and adapt your firm's marketing tactics and strategies to current market realities.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The program is designed for managers and executives from the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, such as grower-shippers, food retailers, wholesalers, distributors, fresh-cut processors and seed companies. It will be of particular interest to those working in marketing and sales, production managers, and new product development staff who are interested in improving their ability to develop and execute innovative fresh produce marketing strategies.

TOPICS

Topics will include:

Fresh Produce Value Chain Management

Industry trends
Supply, demand and elasticities
Market structure
Bargaining power
Relative competitiveness
Strategic implications

Strategic Marketing

5 P's - produce, price, place, promotion and positioning
Branding
Generic promotion
Trade research
Public and media relations
Marketing plans

Consumer Research

The challenge of understanding consumer attitudes and behavior
Pros and cons of alternative research methods
National Hartman study on consumer attitudes about sustainability

Category Development

Retail scanner data analysis
Merging scan data with consumer data
Benchmarking as a means to impact retail product merchandising
Identifying best practices
Developing effective retail partnerships

Crafting Effective Strategies

Aligning production, sales and marketing
Differentiation and positioning to improve relative competitiveness

COURSE FACULTY. University and Industry leaders

Roberta Cook, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Marketing Economist
Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Davis

Leslie Butler, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Economist
Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Davis

Jan DeLyser
Vice President Marketing
California Avocado Commission

Don Goodwin
President
Golden Sun Marketing

Shermain Hardesty, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension Economist,
Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Davis

Steve Lutz
Executive Vice President
Perishables Group

Jim Prevor
Founder and Editor
PerishablePundit.com

Richard Sexton, Ph.D.
Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics
UC Davis

Kerry Tucker
CEO
Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc

Alison Worthington
Managing Director
The Hartman Group

MEET THE COURSE COORDINATOR,
Dr. Roberta Cook Photo: Roberta Cook, Ph.D.

Roberta Cook earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. Since 1985 she has been the Cooperative Extension Marketing Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California, Davis. She conducts an applied research and industry outreach program focusing on the marketing and international trade of fresh fruits and vegetables, including studies on international competitiveness, and trends in consumer demand and food distribution.

In addition to her work on the U.S. food marketing system, she has extensive international marketing expertise on issues such as: modernizing domestic food distribution systems in Latin America; identifying fruit and vegetable import/export opportunities throughout the Western Hemisphere; European fruit and vegetable marketing trends; and the structure of the Mexican horticultural industry, with special emphasis on the vegetable export industries in Sinaloa, Baja California and the Bajio. She is fluent in Spanish and regularly lectures in Spanish throughout Latin America.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ocean Mist Farms and Naturipe Farms, and has served on numerous other boards, commissions and advisory councils. Since 2003 she has served as Faculty Director of the California Agribusiness Executive Seminar, a program co-sponsored by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California, Davis, and Wells Fargo Bank.

ENROLLMENT FEES AND DEADLINES

$1750 includes all instruction, course materials, continental breakfasts, lunches and morning and afternoon coffee breaks. Your enrollment is required by February 2, 2009. In order to improve the quality of interaction the class size is limited to 45 individuals, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

If your plans change: Refunds, less a $150 processing fee, will be granted if requested at least fourteen calendar days before the course begins. At that time, you may also discuss sending a substitute. We reserve the right to discontinue, postpone, or combine classes, and to change instructors. Every effort will be made to notify enrollees of any changes or cancellations.

ENROLLING IS EASY

On-line. Enroll on-line using our registration form and secure payment site.

Phone. Call us at (530) 752-6941 and we'll be happy to enroll you over the phone. Please be sure to have your credit card handy.

Fax or Mail. Print out the course brochure, and mail or fax it with your payment to:

Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center
UC Davis, Attn: Pam Devine
Dept. of Plant Sciences, Mail Stop 2
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616

Phone: (530) 752-6941
Fax: (530) 754-4326

ACCOMMODATIONS, PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION

A full list of accommodations can be found at The Yolo County Visitor's web site. It is suggested that course participants stay at the Aggie Inn, Best Western Palm Course, or Hallmark Inn, as they are within a reasonable walking distance to the RMI Sensory Theater.

Parking. If you need to park a vehicle on campus for this workshop, please note your request for a campus parking permit on the enrollment form when you register. Parking permits will be available at the registration table upon check-in.

Airport Information. The closest airport to Davis is Sacramento International (a 25 minute drive). San Francisco and Oakland International airports are about a 1.5 hour drive. To arrange for transportation between Sacramento airport and Davis, see the Davis Airporter web site.

Link to the printable course brochure as a PDF document.

FOR MORE INFORMATION.

For Content Information:

Dr. Roberta Cook (rlcook@ucdavis.edu)
Course Coordinator

For Registration Information:

Pam Devine (pwdevine@ucdavis.edu)
Registration Coordinator