Sometimes when you ask the customer what they want, the response blows you away. Such was the response to Bayer CropScience’s GEM Growth Stage Program in 2005, and this overwhelmingly positive response was instrumental in the decision to continue the project in 2006. When asked, 91% of survey respondents indicated they would like to be involved in the program again next year and would also recommend it to other growers.
This strong sentiment from busy growers was a clear indication that Bayer had hit the nail on the head with the GEM Growth Stage Program.
The program was a collaborative effort by Growth Stage, AdFarm and VML to assist Bayer CropScience enter an established marketplace with a new fungicide product. This daunting task became more difficult, as Bayer wanted to differentiate the product and their company by providing the very best information to help growers make better application timing decisions; thereby demonstrating their commitment to grower success and industry health.
Bayer CropScience set out to accomplish three goals in 2005 in conjunction with the introduction of GEM™ fungicide to the marketplace. To their credit, Bayer wanted to position themselves as the fungicide and market leader in this segment by providing growers with a central clearinghouse of agronomic information.
|
Bayer desired to communicate the proper application timing of GEM fungicide to sugarbeet growers and retails in the Red River Valley of the USA, and educate these users about Cercospora Leaf Spot (CLS) and treatment strategies. As well, they wanted to test the Growth Stage concept in the sugarbeet growing areas of the Red River Valley by informing users of the Daily Infection Values (a modeled, forecast value that indicates the potential for disease development) accumulated for CLS in their local area.
To accomplish these goals and enhance existing information sources, Bayer relied on the collaboration between Growth Stage, AdFarm and VML. Each of the collaborating parties brought highly specialized skills to the table. The GEM Growth Stage Program included an outbound email, drawing users back to the www.stopcercospora.com web site for more information.
AdFarm was responsible for the overall direction and execution of the project, as well as providing the copy for all communications. VML designed, built and maintained the web site that was integral to the project. Growth Stage created and managed the outbound email for the campaign as well as providing the forecast Cercospora Daily Infection Value maps that were central to the campaign and the www.stopcercospora.com web site.
|
 |
| Spraying for Cercospora Leaf Spot |
The outbound email campaign to growers and sugar cooperative agriculturists included many articles of importance to growers in the Red River Valley and helped them make important sugarbeet production decisions. The email prompted users to go to www.stopcercospora.com to learn more about how to manage the disease on their farm.
Collaboration between service providers and a unique, supportive approach to the marketplace as a whole has created an effective marketing position for Bayer CropScience in the sugarbeet growing areas of the Red River Valley. As proven in the GEM Growth Stage Program, growers will respond positively to your offer when they understand and see that you have their business and the industry’s health as your top priority. Bayer CropScience not only spoke to this commitment, they also put it in action with the GEM Growth Stage Program.
GEM™ is a trademark of Bayer CropScience.
|