Project Lead: Michael Boccadoro, Dairy Cares
KEY TAKE-A-WAYS
• Dairy Cares continued its commitment to supporting science-backed communication about sustainability and showcasing the California dairy industry’s global leadership.
• Outreach activities included presentations to key influencers and stakeholders, co-hosting the third California Dairy Sustainability Summit, and sharing educational videos on social media platforms.
• Communication strategies ensured the dissemination of Dairy Cares’ key messages on California dairy sustainability efforts to target audiences by providing credible, accurate, and highly accessible information.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
For over two decades, Dairy Cares has worked on behalf of California dairy farmers on issues related to sustainability, including animal well-being, environmental stewardship, and community involvement. Dairy Cares has helped the industry address methane emission challenges, water regulations, and rising labor and energy costs, all while optimizing cow health and comfort. The overarching objective of Dairy Cares remains to increase awareness and understanding of how California dairy farmers are leading the world in the development of planet-smart farming practices. In 2022, this objective was accomplished with a clear communication strategy for gathering and disseminating the latest research and statistics, utilizing multimedia tools to engage target audiences with key messages, and providing ongoing communications support for the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP).
METHODS, FINDINGS AND OUTCOMES
In 2022, Dairy Cares coordinated and delivered multiple presentations for key stakeholders, both in-person and virtually. The third California Dairy Sustainability Summit was held in April as a virtual event and brought together over 460 registered attendees, including dairy farmers, government staff, researchers, and other industry stakeholders. During this three-day event, speakers from the U.S. and across the globe discussed the leadership of California’s dairy farms in adoption of sustainable practices and the impact of these efforts on a global scale. All summit sessions were recorded and published to YouTube. The Planet-Smart Dairy message was further elevated in 2022 as Dairy Cares developed and published several new videos including the ‘Planet-Smart Dairy Showcase’ and the ‘Overview of Planet-Smart Dairy.’ A one-minute version of the ‘Planet-Smart Dairy Presentation’ video received more than 67,000 views on YouTube. In addition, Dairy Cares produced a one-month long video campaign on LinkedIn in September 2022 which generated more than 216,000 views from targeted audiences. Dairy Cares also presented at the Annual Meeting of the Dairy Farmers of America (Western Area), the Annual Fall Meeting of the Dairy Institute of California, and the Spring Meeting of the Dairy Sustainability Alliance. This type of outreach ensured the communication of Dairy Cares’ key messages on California dairy sustainability efforts to target audiences in both outside and within industry. Finally, Dairy Cares provided ongoing communication support to CDQAP. Dairy Cares staff assisted with creation of event flyers and publication of monthly newsletters and has been coordinating with CDQAP and other co-hosts in coordinating the next California Dairy Sustainability Summit, planned for spring 2024.
CONCLUSIONS
Dairy Cares’ communication efforts were amplified in 2022 and included several significant presentations to internal and external audiences at the local, state, national, and international level. Dairy Cares continued to partner with leading researchers and key opinion leaders to strengthen the credibility and expand the reach of communication efforts. The third semi-annual California Sustainability Summit, planned in collaboration with CDQAP, CDRF, California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), and Dairy Council of California (DCC), was well attended and session recordings continued to be shared on YouTube. Videos shared on LinkedIn generated significant interest from targeted audiences.
For information about Dairy Cares communications, visit dairycares.com