b'LAURA BURTNYKSARAH FOSTER PROJECT MANAGER,PRESIDENT, 20/20 SEED LABS SEED WORLD GROUPSarah@2020seedlabs.ca lburtnyk@seedworldgroup.com2020seedlabs.ca@SeedWorldGroupseedworldgroup.comHow to Bring Your Were About to Enter a NewContent to LifeEra in Seed Testing CREATING GREAT content can be hard. It requires time, effort and a lot of creativity. But its so important for keeping your cus-AFTER 33 YEARS in the seed testing business, the biggest change Ivetomers engaged with your brand.seen is how our clients have come to realize how important seedVideo is one of the most powerful medi-quality really is.ums out there. It can be used to tell a story, Theyre genuinely interested in how things are done and canshow off your product or just communicate be improved. This offers the seed industry and farmers an impor- with your audience in a more engaging and tant roadmap to the future that will benefit both the industryaccessible way than the written word alone and its farmer customers. Thanks to ongoing Seed Regulatorycan do. And on top of all that, videos per-Modernization (SRM) discussions, in the future: form better across every digital channel and Seed testing may be more harmonized. This is a key improve- platformplus theyre fun!ment our clients know can be made. Details regarding a stand- The numbers dont lie. According to ardized training program (prior to analyst accreditation) andOberlo:continuing education points (to maintain accreditation) have not54 per cent of consumers prefer to see yet been fleshed out but could very well be something big thatvideo content from a brand or business comes out of the SRM process youve read about in this spacethey supportbefore. There appears to be general support for mandatory stand-8 6 per cent of marketing professionals ardized training for new analysts. use video as a key marketing toolOur clients also would really would like to see some harmoni- Video marketing get 66 per cent more zation in terms of being able to adopt methods from other organi- qualified leads per yearzations from around the world. Right now, seed labs take guidanceVideos can make a huge impact on your from all three different seed testing organizations from aroundmarketing strategy. Including them in your the world: the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA),campaigns will help you grab the attention Association of Official Seed Analysts in the United States (AOSA)of your target audience and drive results. and Seeds Canada. Thanks to SRM, we may see some solid clarityThe question is, how do you get them on adopting a universal seed testing standard that applies to seedmade? I promise you its not as daunting of labs around the globe. a task as you might think. Theres a plethora The grade tables may be streamlined. All seed thats sold inof resources to help businesses easily add Canada, particularly pedigreed seed and common seed, has to bevideo to their marketing efforts. Hiring vid-tested, and analysts use these grade tables (which make up part ofeographers to capture live footage, adding our Seeds Regulations) in order to establish a standard. Canada isanimation to branding pieces, creating self-very unique in that were the only country that actually has gradefilmed vlog style contentall of these are tables.ways your company can utilize video.People often think that if a bag of seed has the blue tag on it,Still unsure of how to tackle it? Its then everythings good; its 100 per cent pure and the germination isalways best to start small and work your very high. When you actually open up a specific grade table, like theway up. one governing grasses, for example, youll see you can have up to 50Choose a campaign and decide what weeds and it can still make certified. The grade tables are very oldkind of video is not only achievable, but and are in need of being modernized to keep up with current stand- will add to your content. Like any new ards largely set by industry, which often produces seed of highermedium, practice makes perfect. Let your quality than what is laid out in the grade tables to begin with. creativity flow and see what comes of it.These are just two of many potential changes to come out ofDoes adding video to your content mar-the SRM process, but they are changes that will have direct ben- keting sound like the right fit for you? efits for industry and farmers.JANUARY 2023GERMINATION.CA 21'