Innovative Approaches to Communications

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Innovative Approaches to Communications
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Picture it 1987-1988

• Activists target agriculture
• Diet for a New America
• Toronto Humane Society radicals

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Picture it 1987-1988

• Divided we fall
• Farm leaders in Ontario decided to work together
  and form a coalition.
• OFAC Motto Promoting the Excellence of Animal
  Agriculture
• React. Fight. Defend. Us vs. them.

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Fast forward to today
                

• www.themeatrix.com
• Clever. Edgy. Funny. Online.
• Part 2 April 2006 on dairy factory farms
• PETA budget increases from 24 to 28 million in
  one year.

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Where is OFAC today?

• 2004 Know the fighters. Stop the fight.
• OFAC Motto
• The Voice of Animal Agriculture
• We want to have a conversation.
• Reallocate resources to 80 proactive work.
• Aim to be positive, proactive, professional.

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Where are we today?

• Do the right thing. Tell people about it.
• Tell our story. With emotion.
• Top Three Tactics
• Edutainment works.
• Boost online efforts.
• Focus on media.

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Communicating with the consumer

• OFAC displays at 75 events in 2005 reaching 3
  million
• Educational events reaching 53,000 school
  children
• OPRAH - spokesrobot

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The Real Dirt on Farming

• Unique One stop shopping on farm food issues.
• Issues based on consumer surveys
• Facts fun
• National distribution media, libraries,
  teachers, politicians
• Sold out first 15,000 copies in three weeks!

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Boost Online Effortsfarmissues.com

• High school teacher/student resource
• Photo/Video Library
• Media Info Centre
• Virtual Farm Tours
• More needed!!!

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Focus on Media
Media Tours to farms Focus on Food Writers 40
reporters in London, Toronto, Ottawa in 2005
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Faces of Farming CalendarGood news maker
stereotype breaker

• Target media, politicians, local businesses

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Do we have a chance?

• Farmers are well-liked and trusted.
• People arent sure who we are or what we do.
• Its up to us to introduce ourselves.
• We need to think BIG.
• We have to work harder to make the news.
• We need to rally the troops throughout the supply
  chain.

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Keep trying!

• Crystal Mackay
• cmackay_at_ofac.org
• [phone]
• www.ofac.org
• www.farmissues.com