Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 191 Document Number: D02912
Notes:
Truffle Media Networks, Indianapolis, Indiana. 24 pages., Survey responses from persons associated with ag media, ag product companies, advertising agencies, agricultural associations.
9 pages., via online journal., Social media platforms and other new technologies support the communication of many topics, both beneficial and controversial to t he development of the agriculture industry. Agricultural communicators’ use of these platforms is critical for engaging with stakeholders and communicating information beneficial to agriculture . The purpose of this study was to explore agricultural communicators’ use of devices and soci al media platforms in the United States. Researchers administered an online, descriptive que stionnaire to collect data from members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. A ma jority of respondents used social media for work, with smartphones being the most common device used. Facebook and Twitter were used more than blogs and YouTube to interact with farmer s/ranchers. Respondents agreed that social media allowed them to quickly and conveniently comm unicate with others. Significant relationships existed between perceived usefulness and Pinterest, blogs, and Instagram, while one significant correlation existed between perceiv ed ease of use and Instagram. Respondents should continue to use Facebook and Twitter to enga ge their stakeholder groups in conversations about agriculture.
The article reports findings of a media-use survey conducted among agricultural communicators attending a meeting of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. A majority of respondents reported using a variety of social media for work, with smartphones being the most common device used. Among other recommendations, authors suggested that respondents should continue to use Facebook and Twitter to engage their stakeholder groups in conversations about agriculture. The survey identified stakeholder groups of the communicator respondents.
Focus on the most effective means of communicating with opinion leaders. In this study, respondents were asked to indicate whether they were interested in interacting with alumni of leadership development programs through a list of eight potential communication channels.
Shaw, Kelsey (author), Meyers, Courtney (author), Irlbeck, Erica (author), Doerfert, David (author), Abrams, Katie (author), and Morgan, Chris (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 141 Document Number: D06139
12 pages., Online via open access. 11 pages., Findings from a case study prompted author to assert that it is imperative that festival organizers understand tourist motivations for attending festivals in order to conduct effective festival planning and achieve productive festival marketing position.
18 pages, via online journal article, Blue Bell Creameries faced an unprecedented situation when it pulled all of its products during a Listeria outbreak in 2015. Despite a very public crisis that resulted in three deaths, Blue Bell survived the disaster and maintained a large and loyal customer base. A content analysis of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Facebook page was conducted to evaluate Blue Bell’s public communications, and its followers’ public reactions to the Facebook communication during the crisis. Results indicated that Blue Bell primarily posted messages that included recall and restocking information, thankfulness to stakeholders, and details about improvements to food safety during the crisis. These messages created a sense of transparency, which can increase customers’ trust and brand loyalty. Their consumers largely responded with comments containing overwhelming loyalty themes as well as questions and messages of thanks. Recommendations for agri-food companies include operating transparently before, during, and after a crisis. Organizations should follow Blue Bell’s example and avoid publishing messages that include attacks, denial, scapegoating, or excuses during a crisis.
24 pgs., In order to stay relevant in an online world, Extension must properly use social networking platforms to effectively reach diverse audiences regarding agricultural and natural resource issues. However, few studies have focused on how Extension uses Facebook to effectively accomplish its goal. This study’s purpose was to explore how Utah State University Extension Sustainability uses Facebook to engage followers. The researchers conducted a quantitative content analysis of 504 messages posted to the USU Extension Sustainability Facebook page. Graphics and links were the most common post characteristics used by the organization. Text-only posts and posts containing videos were utilized the least. Food was the most common area of sustainability discussed on the page. Posts containing videos, shared content, or that tagged other Facebook pages in messages experienced statistically significantly higher user engagement than posts without those characteristics. Posts containing hashtags experienced statistically significantly lower engagement. Neutral sentiment appeared in the majority of posts. Additionally, information seeking was the most dominant communicative function among the posts. Neither the type of sentiment nor communicative functions were significantly connected to engagement. Future research should determine changes in knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behavior as a result of exposure to, and engagement with, the Facebook page. Additionally, a qualitative study determining consumers’ attitudes toward Facebook content can provide a deeper understanding of the audience’s thought processes and content preferences. Page administrators should craft engaging content that builds community among followers.
