b'platforms and social media sites. Being involved with BeSure! gave us Everyones going to find and digestsome credibility in this space and led to us information in different ways. Were tryingtruly having a priority around protecting to meet everyone where they are andpollinators and making sure we get that cover all the bases, Mulica says.message and necessary resources out to Timing is also important in terms ofa variety of audiences, Smith says.education. Since BeSure! reaches grow- Since joining the BeSure! and Growing ers and pesticide applicators as wellMatters team in 2019, they have been able as additional audiences including seedto participate in several other pollinator dealers, ag retailers, regulators, ag exten- protection efforts, including the Pollinator sion agents, beekeepers and beekeepingStewardship Collaboration Team, which organizations, keeping in mind what eachis open to anyone with an interest in pol-sector is going through can help get thelinators. message across. It is part of an EPA Cooperative It helps to match up the messagingAgreement with Michigan State University with whats happening on the ground infocused on pesticide applicator certi-fields, Mulica says. fication and training and the WorkerA photo from the Honeybee Health Trend analysis and data collectionProtection Standard. NPSEC is a sub- Coalitions 2019 meeting. help drive adjustments to ensure impact,awardee on that grant, Smith says, which for BeSure! is all about increas- adding that this team is currently work-ing awareness of proper stewardshiping on a series of webinars, the first one of neonicotinoids, according to Ayannain partnership with Rights-of-Way as Robinson, chief client officer, PorterHabitat Working Group.Novelli, one of the communications con- Wed always had pollinators on our sultancies who support the execution ofminds in terms of a focus on Integrated the annual, integrated BeSure! activities. Pest Management, but I think BeSure! was Its essential that we constantly evalu- a stepping stone for other actions and ate the campaign impact, how each audi- collaborations because we saw an oppor-ence is engaging with the content andtunity in that space to do more, she says.shifts in sentiment. Through our analyticsThe focus on collaboration is the platform, omniearnedID, we look at whatstrength of the effort. information farmers and applicators needOur role is not so much to create and the most effective channel to reachmessaging but to help others amplify the them, Robinson says.messaging, and to help bring together This may mean leveling up paid mediagroups that werent working together to ensure message uptake with farmersbefore where they can share resourcesKara Maddox.and applicators in specific regions. and ideas, Smith says. We continue to see shifts in howOur partners and members can easily information is consumed, which we lever- share the information to their followers age to inform our integrated marketingas well, who are farmers and beekeepers, activities at a regional and local level,and it comes with a little more weight, Robinson says.Mulica says. Were all using the same One effective medium? Radio! Radiomessaging and that allows farmers and has proven to be particularly powerful,applicators and beekeepers to hear the especially for growers and applicatorssame message several times. And that working in or with equipment. Savinellimessaging recognition increases the reports that BeSure! broadcasts gainedchances of best practice implementation.over 2.8 million impressions across 270And we can be sure that commitment stations in 2022. will continue as plans for the campaigns fifth year are already underway.Expanding Efforts and Future Plans The success of the BeSure! campaignIts about messaging that leads tois a direct result of collaboration and the momentum, and participating in BeSure!dedication of the coalition behind it, Programs has been a catalyst for otherSavinelli says. The safe use of important pollinator health efforts, opening thecrop protection technologies is a shared door to other opportunities to getresponsibility among all technology pro- Tom Smith.involved. viders, retailers and farmers.SWOCTOBER 2022SEEDWORLD.COM /5'