Tyson PR Executive Burleson Shares Communications Tips With Bumpers College Students

Brooke Clanton

Tyson Foods public relations manager Derek Burleson spoke to Bumpers College students and others as a guest of U of A Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.

FAYETTEVILLE – U of A Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow co-hosted an agriculture literacy forum for students, faculty and staff on Feb. 28 with Derek Burleson, public relations manager at Tyson Foods, as the featured speaker.

Burleson visited with the group in the John W. Tyson Building's Leland Tollett Auditorium and spoke on how producers and agriculturalists can better communicate to consumers.

"Everyone is interested in eating," said Burleson. "The sad reality is those who care so much about food don't even know where it comes from."

He said today's generation is three times removed from the farm.

"Before we can fight to the death for agriculture, we must first know what the consumer really wants," said Burleson. "More than fresh food, the consumer wants knowledge."

He said the consumer demands the three Ts: trust, transparency and translation.

Burleson said trust derives from transparency and good communication. He encouraged agriculturalists to be honest and speak the consumer's language. Burleson left the audience with three tips to defend agriculture: be educated, stay informed and be prepared.

He closed with a question and answer session, and one question was what drove the change to the Tyson Foods logo. He said the new logo only rebrands the company as a whole. Individual brands and product packaging will stay the same. He explained the shape and style of the logo reflects the farmers compass.

Another question by a student was "how does Tyson Foods address animal cruelty and the consumer's misunderstanding of animal welfare?"

Burleson said the company has a "zero-tolerance policy against animal cruelty," and the company has an animal well-being advisory panel that focuses specifically on animal welfare.

Following the forum, a meal sponsored by Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and Collegiate Farm Bureau, was served in the lobby. Collegiate Farm Bureau and ACT are housed in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.