P.PSH.1451 - Productivity & Profitability Media Series

Summary

The Productivity and Profitability Series was a two-year initiative delivering 20 webinars and 20 podcasts as part of the MLA Producer Adoption program. The project aimed to raise awareness and provide technical, research-based insights to the red meat producers (beef, sheep and goat) across Southern Australia, including Western Australia and pastoral regions.  

Guest speakers were carefully selected based on expertise and industry relevance, with audience feedback guiding future topics. The content covered emerging research and best practices to support on-farm decision making.

Objectives

Deliver 20 webinars to a live audience, with recordings publicly available online. 

Deliver 20 podcasts, hosted on a publicly accessible podcast platform. 

Implement a Monitoring & Evaluation plan that measures project achievements against the following Key Performance Indicators: 

Engage a combined 4,000 attendees across both webinar and podcast channels 

Average attendee satisfaction and value ratings of 7/10 or above 

Average attendee intent to implement a change (including further education and development) of 20% or above. 

Demonstrated attendee engagement across target audience demographics of southern Australia (including WA and pastoral regions) and sheep, cattle and goat businesses. 

Retrospective phone surveys of at least 100 attendees to assess implementation of practice changes indicated as intended. 

Develop 3 case studies of producer attendees that have implemented a change as a result of engaging in the media series. This may include a direct on-farm practice change in their business, or a pathway of capacity building and development that ultimately resulted in a practice change.

Key findings

The average satisfaction rating for the series was measured at 9/10, with 52% of participants intending to make changes in their business as a result of their attendance. Participants appreciated the practical insights on topics like production strategies, cost of production and energy requirement for livestock. Many reported implementing changes to their management practices, such as adjusting joining strategies, revising feed budgets and improving grazing methods. The series also improved knowledge on productivity and profitability decisions, with many expressing interest in further content and more peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Benefits to industry

The series delivered practical, relevant insights that producers actively applied across a range of management areas. The multiple platforms (live webinars, recorded sessions, and podcasts) enabled participation from producers who may otherwise be limited by time, location, or seasonal workload. The quality of speakers and accessibility of content were consistently praised, with feedback highlighting the value of real-world examples and the ability to engage with the material at a time and pace that suited individual needs.

MLA action

MLA will incorporate learnings from this project into future awareness raising events and projects involving webinar and podcast delivery.

Future research

To enhance future delivery, we recommend placing greater emphasis on podcast content due to its accessibility and demonstrated reach. A review of the webinar delivery model is also advised, with a focus on improving responsiveness and ensuring a seamless participant experience.