CASE ANALYSIS

GDN: COMMUNICATING
AGRICULTURAL POLICY
RESEARCH

GROUP 4
ATUL MISHRA
ANUJ NEMA
ANURAG PANDEY
NAYAN KRUSHNA SAMANTRAY
Q1: Key Considerations in distributing &
communicating research output
 Setting the Communication Goals
 Market Assessment & Research
 Detailed STP
 Message Content: Segment specific, Effective, Detailed as well as brief
 Evaluation of Channel
 Timely and efficient (Need for wide geo spatial penetration)
 Traditional, Non-traditional, Hybrid Channel Strategy
 Consideration for - Technology, Quality and Outreach risk.
 High Credibility of Message
 CRM
 Crowd sourcing
 Interactive Digital Intervention
 Policymakers testimony videos
 Senior advisors of Research Project
KEY CONSIDERATIONS....
Communication Mix
Persuasion
 Real time Interactions
 Statistics: Past Success Rate
 Brand Association- Bill & Melinda Gates F.
 Google ads, PR web-based activities

Performance management
 Setting
of Feedback & Control System
 Monitor & measure impact- Internet based Analytics
 Corrective action
 Communication Mix

Advertising
Printed and
Digital Media
Mobile
Personal
marketing
promotion
iPhone,
Promotion
Android Manager
Apps, Kindle
Marketing
Comm’n
Online &
Social Media Events &
Marketing Experiences
Google ads, Workshop,
Twitter, Public Seminars
Facebook, Relations &
YouTube Publicity
PR web
based,
testimony
Q2 Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning Strategy
of GDN
Segmentation of GDN:
 Geographic:
Sub Sahara African countries (Kenya, Ghana etc)
South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc)
Other Geographical areas where donors & International organizations exist- USA, UK,
Middle East, Europe, China, Japan etc
 Demographic:
 Policy Makers in large donor countries as well as target geographies– Young &
Experienced
 Academia- Prestigious Universities like Tufts, Athens, Yale etc
 International Organizations such as UN & Global Experts spread across the world
 Research Institutions such as IFRI
 Think Tank in the area of Agriculture research
 Governments
 Youth- Men & Women (Universities)
 Behavioural :
 Influencers- Young students in target geographies & around the world, Students until the
sub-Phd level
Segmentation of GDN:

Behavioural Geographic:
Influencers,Young SSA, SA & other
Students (Sub-PhD geographic areas
level)

Demographic:
Policy makers, Academia, think
tanks, Govts
Q2 contd..Targeting & Positioning
 Targeting
GDN, very explicitly defined the target segment which it called “Target
Audience”. They had subdivided targets as : Primary, Secondary, Tertiary &
Influencer target audience.
 Primary: Policy makers at federal level, bureaucrats, technical experts,
advisors at think tanks, federal policy planning bodies.
 Secondary: International developmental organizations & influencers in
the development field. World Bank, UN bodies, Consultative group on
International Agricultural research (IFPRI), International NGOs ( such as
Oxfam), USAID, UK’s DFID.
 Tertiary: Academia (Cornell, UC Berkeley, Tufts, Michigan State
University & University of Athens), National & International media, Civil
society organizations.
 Influencers : Young students in the target geographies, Students until
sub-PhD level.
 Positioning & Improvements
Positioned as “Globally Accessible & Reliable”
Agricultural Policy Research program

Possible Improvements in STP:

 Specific audience in Sub Saharan Africa & South Asia
should have been targeted for maximum impact.
 Influencers like Field officials & other stakeholders
relevant to Agriculture Policy should have been identified
in the target segment.
 Ethnicity, local cultures & traditional agricultural groups
were also to be included.
Q3: Critical Assessment of communication
process
 Achieved wide Geo-spatial penetration through Hybrid
communication channel
 Efficient utilization of viral potential of digital channels
 Receptivity of TA was addressed by Hierarchical content of
messages
 Innovative mix of documentaries & trailers
 Advertising aimed to connect with core audience to attract
interest.
 Liasoning with major news agencies, journalist & editors in
two project geographies was an effective strategy for deep
penetrations.
 Technology & Quality risks were properly addressed but
Outreach outcomes were not properly evaluated as CTR
were abnormally low in target geography of SSA.
Extension of Communication Process
 Detailed assessment of market should have been done
 Follow up actions were designed, though with reduced intensity
 GDN could not establish local research policy linkages in specific
countries
 Research communication was not sustained and thus impact remains
limited (No follow-on funding for follow-on activities)
 GDN fell short in contextualizing and designing messages for country-
specific policy. This was largely due to the generic design.
 Strategy to encash brand value of Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.
 Broad brush Vs Granular approach (Generic Vs Specific)
 Corporate houses from Agriculture areas were not included
 The campaigns in Africa were moderately successful with a CTR of
approx 0.13% hence they should have been specifically focused.
 High bounce rates (74%) should have been addressed properly.
 Slow Internet services were addressed but absence of services in SA and
SSA to be addressed properly.