Situation

Research shows soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the No. 1 yield-robbing pathogen for the North American soybean crop year after year.1 Because SCN can take yield without visible aboveground symptoms, awareness remains a hurdle. Consequently, just 19% of farmers test soils for SCN, according to a 2021 quantitative study of nearly 1,000 farmers across 17 states conducted by The SCN Coalition.2 The main reason cited for not scouting or sampling soils was that SCN was not a “serious enough problem.”

The SCN Coalition is a public/checkoff/private partnership formed to increase the number of soybean growers who are actively managing SCN. Its goal is to increase soybean growers’ profit potential and realize higher yields.

Objective

Raise awareness about SCN and ignite more soybean farmers and those who advise them to test soils for SCN and actively manage the threat. Achieve 1 million impressions through ag media and 1 million social media impressions during the month-long campaign culminating with National Nematode Day.

Approach

What do you do when a pest like soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is stealing billions in profit potential unbeknownst to soybean farmers? Give your target audience a reason to pay attention and dedicate a day to it.

The SCN Coalition declared October 2 as National Nematode Day to increase awareness of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) among farmers and the crop professionals that support them. The campaign was sponsored by Bayer, BASF, Nufarm and Syngenta.

We created a fully integrated campaign to generate awareness and action leading up to the event — and keep SCN top-of-mind when farmers should be gearing up for fall soil testing. We developed copy, ads and videos for digital, social and print platforms, highlighting the campaign and nematode awareness. We engaged supporters of the Coalition and equipped them to spread the word.

Results

National Nematode Day helped spread awareness about SCN across digital, social and print channels. A giveaway driving users to the NND webpage paired with innovative social media posts and digital ads helped amplify the messaging and drove engagement.

3 MILLION+ IMPRESSIONS 1,000+ SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES 15,400+ SOCIAL LINK CLICKS