Social media - a perfect platform for producers to tell their story

In early 2016 Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) will be bringing back one of its most popular social media campaigns.

The #GoodMeat series uses popular identities with a strong social media following, including Bondi Rescue’s Andrew ‘Reidy’ Reid and wildman Andrew Ucles, to help producers tell their stories direct to consumers.

The series connects sheep and cattle producers with the general public to help inform them where their meat comes from, and answer questions on how producers care for their animals and the land.

Bondi Rescue’s ‘Reidy’ will return in 2016, visiting three farms in Goondiwindi, southern Queensland. Target 100 will also partner with chef Rob ‘Niko’ Nixon who has more than one million YouTube followers, to tackle issues including biodiversity, livestock transport and low stress stock handling.

MLA’s General Manager Communication and Stakeholder Engagement, Clair Cameron, said with Australians immersed in digital media more than ever, MLA is increasingly using the digital media space to help connect consumers with how their red meat is produced.

“Working with popular identities, such as TV presenters, who have a dedicated audience provides us with an effective and instant way to garner the attention of the community,” Ms Cameron said.

“This year our increased focus on the digital arena has resulted in more than 200,000 views of the #GoodMeat series on Target 100’s YouTube channel. Our Target 100 Facebook presence has also grown, with 60 per cent of people engaged living in capital cities.

“We use YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to engage in digital conversations and share the stories of what red meat producers and the wider industry are doing to improve animal welfare and environmental sustainability.”

Over three years, more than 230 sheep and cattle producers from all over Australia have shared their stories and MLA is calling on more producers to use social media as an effective way to connect with consumers online. 

“Target 100 is a vehicle for rural Australia to be accessible and for producers to tell their stories in their own words, which is why we’re seeking more and more farming families to join our online community and promote the industry,” Ms Cameron said.

Launched earlier this year by MLA’s Target 100 program, the original 12 part YouTube series tackled some of the common misconceptions about how red meat is produced. Topics included animal welfare in feedlots, climate change from methane emissions and protecting the Great Barrier Reef from sediment run off, with an average of 15,000 views per episode.

To find out more, visit:

Target 100 - www.target100.com.au
Facebook – www.facebook.com/target100AUS
Twitter – www.twitter.com/Target100AUS
YouTube – www.youtube.com/user/Target100AUS

Media contact: Matt Peacock, Corporate Communications Manager, MLA 0408 362696 or mpeacock@mla.com.au