Jun 29, 2020

As executive director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council, Mark Russel serves Missouri’s 45,000 beef producers through his personal and professional experience in the beef industry.

Mark is a life-long advocate for agriculture promotion and education. Growing up on a cow calf operation in central Missouri, Mark has been involved in the beef industry since he was just seven years old. Throughout his career, he has worked with cattle organizations, departments of agriculture and economics and commodity organizations to educate and advocate for the beef industry.

Throughout his career, Mark has found that the beef industry provides similar challenges to other industries. He and his team are continuously challenged to find ways to connect with younger audiences that consume media in ever evolving ways. Embracing digital and social media has proven invaluable to Mark, a lesson that resonates with many professionals. Although it can be difficult to engage consumers, Mark has been successful in educating and connecting with consumers about the beef industry.

Hear more from Cliff and Mark about the importance of listening, creating a strategic plan to engage hard-to-reach audiences and the value of adapting new technologies and strategies as society evolves. Listen now for more insights!

What you’ll learn:

• How Mark has built a career in the beef industry over the past forty years
• The importance of listening to understand and using the information to best meet the needs of your audience
• How to approach the challenge of reaching younger generations through marketing efforts
• The importance of digital marketing and how to most effectively utilize it to reach your target audiences
• Mark’s thoughts on the importance of personal communication in a world of evolving technology
• Why it is vital to meet consumers where they are and provide them with timely, relevant information that they are seeking
• The role of social media in marketing efforts for the Missouri Beef Industry Council
• Mark’s views on the importance of educating and informing consumers about where their food comes from
• What rural America means to Mark and his thoughts on how it is changing