From Adweek · Adweek Staff · · 1m 40s
Land O’Lakes CMO on Cultural Moments
Land O’Lakes CMO shares how to sell cultural moments without losing farm co-op roots.
In brief
Land O’Lakes CMO shares how to sell cultural moments without losing farm co-op roots. Land O’Lakes CMO Heather Malenshek explains how to authentically engage rural communities through cultural moments while staying true to the farm co-op mission. Originally reported by Adweek.
Land O’Lakes' diverse business
Land O’Lakes feeds 100 million animals daily, including zoo animals, beyond its butter products.
CMO Heather Malenshek's background
Heather Malenshek was CMO at Harley-Davidson for six and a half years, the first female CMO.
Land O’L: 106-year co-op
Land O’Lakes has three distinct businesses with different audiences and goals, feeling siloed initially.
Rooted in Tomorrow platform
Malenshek developed Rooted in Tomorrow with operations, finance, supply chain, and marketing teams.
Modern Rural Collective
Land O’Lakes created Modern Rural Collective to shift rural America’s cultural narrative through partnerships.
Rural broadband initiative
Land O’Lakes supported rural broadband access for 42 million Americans without internet during COVID.
TikTok and cultural engagement
Land O’Lakes collaborated with sneaker companies on butter yellow trends for TikTok engagement.
Internal trust building
Malenshek built trust through transparency, humility, and cross-functional accountability.
Measuring cultural impact
Land O’Lakes measures cultural impact through adoption rates and business strategy alignment.
Underappreciated rural audience
Rural communities are underappreciated, with innovation and entrepreneurship often romanticized.
Small first step for marketers
Marketers should involve colleagues from different departments to build cultural capability.
Rural travel stories
Malenshek shares rural travel experiences, like finding Coleman House for lunch in Georgia.
What’s next for Land O’Lakes
Land O’Lakes plans new cultural initiatives to stay relevant in rural communities.
The big picture
Land O’Lakes CMO Heather Malenshek explains how to authentically engage rural communities through cultural moments while staying true to the farm co-op mission.
