OUTdrive – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The Super Bowl isn’t just about football—it’s also the biggest night in advertising. In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff Callis sits down with agency president Megan Hartman and account executive Josie Gregory to break down the game’s most memorable ads. From the ones that scored big to the ones that missed the mark, they analyze the strategies, creative choices and marketing takeaways. Tune in for expert insights on what made this year’s commercials stand out.

Marketing is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires strategy, innovation and a strong ethical foundation. In this episode, Korena Keys of KeyMedia Solutions shares her insights on digital marketing, AI and the importance of responsible advertising. From starting a business at her kitchen table to leading a successful agency, Korena’s story is one of adaptability and growth.

Marketing pro Danny Vowell, the marketing manager at Best Way AG, brings a rich blend of experience in journalism, photojournalism and business communications to his role. Raised in a rural setting with deep family roots in farming, Danny has a personal understanding of the agricultural community’s values and challenges. His background in mass communications and a career spanning local journalism to in-house marketing for industry leaders gives him a unique perspective on reaching rural audiences.

In this episode, Danny discusses how storytelling and relationship-building play pivotal roles in connecting with the agriculture community. From navigating rapid technology changes to the authentic appeal of rural life, Danny provides a wealth of advice for marketers targeting rural audiences.

A key component of marketing and sales rests in the people behind the product or service. As a marketing agency based in rural America, we love a good story, especially if it has local roots and ties to agriculture. Today’s episode has all three components. I sat down with Michael Hemme to talk about his family’s business, Hemme Brothers Farmstead Creamery. 

Tune into this episode to learn how the Hemme Brothers create a product and operate a business “that’s better from the beginning.”

What you’ll learn: 

• Michael’s background growing up on a dairy farm and how they transitioned into the creamery business
• How the Hemme Brothers’ operation and responsibilities are broken down among the family members
• Why the Hemme family decided to go with a vertically integrated approach to their business, controlling the product from crop to curd
• What makes Hemme Brothers cheese unique from other products and producers
• The ways they distribute their products and where consumers can find their cheeses
• Some of the ways they take their product to market and share the Hemme Brothers story
• What Michael loves about rural America and living in the country
• Michael’s advice for how people can support farmers and people in agriculture

Did you know St. Louis claims the fourth largest sewer district in the country, only behind New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago? The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) is responsible for servicing nearly 10,000 miles of pipeline and over a million customers. So, you may be wondering what all this has to do with rural America.  Geographically speaking, St. Louis sits in the middle of the heartland and is known as the gateway to the west.  There are also a number of world-class agriculture companies located there, like Monsanto, Purina and Anheuser Busch (yes, beer is made using grains grown in rural America).  And, if you think about rural America as a mindset and a lifestyle, there are thousands of rural Americans who live there.  So, in this episode,  Sean Hadley from St. Louis joins the podcast to talk about their approach to mass communications for a major city utility system.

Tune in to hear from Sean as he shares valuable insight on crisis communications, the importance of telling your own story, and some interesting facts about the fourth-largest sewer system in the country. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Details on the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), the public affairs team, and Sean’s role with MSD
• How Sean’s initial career path in news media and broadcast communications led him to the role that he serves today
• A recent crisis management situation regarding storms and flooding that impacted MSD
• Insight into the construction of the wastewater tunnels and details on the consent decree St. Louis is under due to the Clean Water Act
• What Sean thinks it takes to be successful in a media career 
• How organizations can tell their own stories without relying on media outlets
• Sean’s thoughts on the diversity of rural America, from St. Louis and Warrensburg, Missouri

5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year! We hope you had a safe and fun weekend celebrating the start of the new year. Now that 2023 is officially here, we thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at our top downloaded episodes from 2022. In this edition of OUTdrive, we revisit our top five most popular podcasts of the year. 

Join us as we countdown our most-listened-to episodes and uncover the takeaways they all have in common. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Details on OUTdrive’s top five podcasts of 2022
• Key takeaways and common themes from our top downloaded episodes

Culture is intangible, but you can feel it when you walk in a room. How would you describe the culture at your company? Whether it is clearly defined or not, every organization has a certain feel - or a “vibe” as the cool kids call it these days. At Callis, we walk the line between hard work and good fun. We have a group of the right people who really care. We strive to make smart decisions and accept that change is inevitable. And, we do all this to maintain our clients' trust. 

Check out this mini episode to learn more about the Callis core values and take a peek inside our work culture.

What you’ll learn: 

• An inside look at the company culture at Callis
• How the Callis team lives out their core values
• Why culture is an important piece of any organization

Those of us who live, work and play in rural America know how important farmers are to our society. But, not everyone lives in a region surrounded by farms and farmland, which is why Missouri Farmers Care was established to promote the growth of Missouri agriculture and rural communities through communication, education and advocacy. In this episode, Executive Director Ashley McCarty explains why education is the primary pillar in executing a successful marketing strategy.

Tune in to hear from a Missouri family farm owner and executive director as we discuss all the pieces Missouri Farmers Care has in play throughout the agriculture industry.

What you’ll learn: 

• What Missouri Farmers Care is and their primary initiatives
• Details on Ashley’s experience studying agriculture abroad in the Czech Republic 
• How the Stand for Ag podcast came to fruition
• The content MFC is pushing on their social media channels that is garnering solid engagement
• Information on the “Drive to Feed Kids” and how MFC partners with other organizations to fight food insecurity in the state
• Ashley’s definition of the rural lifestyle and what it means to work in agriculture 
• How Ashley markets the McCarty Cattle Company and the importance of off-farm marketing
• More about Ashley’s family and their farm operation, McCarty Cattle, in Northeast Missouri

There are no less than a million things you can be doing digitally to reach your audience, and it’s easy to fall into the idea that you need to have a presence on every new media channel out there. Sometimes, you just need to get back to grassroots marketing. Politicians refer to it as “shaking hands and kissing babies,” but we like to think of it as staying connected to your fan base. In this episode, I visit with Mizzou Associate Athletic Director Brad Loos on the ways the Tiger Scholarship Fund is speaking to its stakeholders. 

Our podcast typically highlights industry trends, new technologies, and improved communication tools. Join us as we dive back into the basics of face-to-face and personalized marketing.

What you’ll learn: 

• Brad’s background and career journey through coaching college basketball and his life lessons from growing up as a “gym rat”
• Brad’s perspective on winning the 2014 National Championship at the University of Central Missouri 
• What the transition from athletics to administration was like and some of the things Brad learned within the process
• Marketing strategies that Brad and the Tiger Scholarship Fund and the University are using to reach local donors and supporters
• How the NIL impacts the fundraising efforts of the college athletics programs
• The importance of social media in athletics and how it fits into a bigger communications plan
• An update on Brad’s daughter Rhyan, how the annual #RallyforRhyan game came to fruition, and information on this year’s fundraising game

There is no denying that healthcare is complex. Terminology, technology, and insurance just scratch the surface of understanding the system. This impacts the way hospitals and healthcare systems communicate with stakeholders, from the messaging they use to the media platform they use to get it out there. In this episode, Missouri Hospital Association CEO Jon Doolittle and I discuss successful communications strategies, approaches to recruitment challenges, and the intangible benefits rural healthcare systems provide in their communities.

Despite the complexity of the industry, marketers are tasked with sharing their stories in a clear, simple, and compelling way. Tune into this episode to learn how MHA is helping hospitals approach communication plans for their communities, patients, and employees. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Jon’s rural American background and career journey to his current role with the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA)
• Details on some of the major initiatives happening at the Missouri Hospital Association
• The similar challenges that urban and rural hospitals are currently facing
• The “intangibles” that hospitals provide to the communities they serve
• Impactful communication strategies Jon is seeing in healthcare and what MHA is doing from a marketing standpoint to communicate with members
• Jon’s perspective on the use of social media for healthcare organizations
• Strategies hospitals are using to attract healthcare workers into the industry
• What Jon values in rural American communities