CASE STUDY

The Whole Package: Messenger, Message & Platform

CLIENT: Phibro Animal Health Corporation

The Challenge

Consumers are more interested than ever before in their food and how it’s produced. Phibro Animal Health recognized the public’s hunger for information about the use and purpose of animal health products and sought a pathway to help answer all the questions circulating in the public dialogue about animals raised for food.

Our Approach

Our approach included developing a messenger, a message and a platform for effective engagement with consumers.

Phibro needed to leverage the credibility and passion of a high-profile veterinarian eager to engage in an honest dialogue with consumers, answer pressing questions and serve as a “trusted messenger” in the animal health industry. Enter Dr. Leah Dorman.

Dr. Leah Dorman came on board with an agreement that she would have full license to provide honest, forthcoming answers to the public’s questions about animal care and the safety of our food supply. She has been a tireless traveler who is determined to increase the public understanding of agriculture. Dorman is a veterinarian, wife and mother of three daughters, who still lives on her family farm. She is active in her local community and is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, U.S. Animal Health Association and National Institute for Animal Agriculture. She has also been trained as a federal Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostician.

To prepare Dr. Dorman for the task of becoming a trusted messenger, Look East provided Navigate training, as well as media training, to help her develop the skills to be an effective and confident messenger on behalf of Phibro and the animal health industry. Look East then worked with Dr. Dorman and Phibro leaders to develop a message blueprint that addresses hot topics in animal agriculture in a manner that conveys values while being fully grounded in science. Dr. Dorman assists farmers, veterinarians, and other food system stakeholders nationwide interested in increasing their engagement by providing insights and training.

With both messenger and messages in place, Look East produced several video series focused on antibiotics, animal vaccines, nutritional products and other animal health topics. Our next step was to organize and facilitate a very successful influencer tour on behalf of Phibro. The “Care to Farm” influencer tour invited 10 bloggers to a North Carolina farm to take a closer look at animal health and antibiotic use.

Look East developed a consumer-oriented website that would serve as the primary platform to deliver the curated content to answer consumer questions. With millions of websites in cyberspace, we developed a promotional strategy to ensure it would gain traction.

The Results

The “Care to Farm” influencer reached more than half a million blog followers with messages of a deeper understanding of animal health and the role of antibiotics.

“I truly wish that everyone could see one of these facilities. I think they would leave with a much greater appreciation for the food in their refrigerator, and for the companies who produce it.”
Blackberry Babe

“The chickens only receive antibiotics if they are sick, and even then, there is a waiting period between their last dose and their processing to ensure that all traces of medication are gone.”
The Pajama Chef

“Now, I know a lot of people cringe when they hear of antibiotics and vaccinations but let me assure you, they’re perfectly safe and benefit everyone… I’m convinced that they are a necessary part of the process. This is coming from someone who only purchased organic, free-range chickens before this trip. I’m totally sold.”
The Suburban Soapbox

“The biggest myth buster I learned on this trip was that it is absolutely illegal in the United States to inject hormones into poultry…You can feel safe eating chicken and not worrying about any “growth hormones” affecting your children.”
The Kitchenarium

Social and website engagement increases from 2017 to 2018:

Social following increased by nearly 150 percent from June 2017 to May 2018.
Social media impressions increased by 275 percent from June 2017 to May 2018.
Website Sessions increased 218.6 percent from May 2017 to May 2018.

In 2016, Look East received a Merit Award in the category of Company-Funded PR Campaign Directed to Consumers from NAMA for the Phibro trusted messenger and engagement strategy. For Phibro Animal Health, Dorman represents their commitment to engaging with stakeholders and providing honest answers to questions. Since beginning her role as a trusted messenger for Phibro Animal Health, Dr. Dorman has become an influential voice in the conversation about antibiotics and animal care. She has been on the speaking circuit and very active on social media, engaging influencers and the public. She is clearly having an impact as more and more people tune in to her blog, posts, videos and speaking engagements.