Triple Helix Institute: Building Awareness About the Scope and Impact of Agricultural Technology
About The Client
Our client, Triple Helix Institute, is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to building awareness of the role agriculture technology (AgTech) can play in climate action and finding solutions for how AgTech can be implemented to benefit society. Founded by Sarah Garland, PhD, Triple Helix focuses on promoting cutting edge biotechnology innovation in an era where agriculture is both threatened by and contributing to climate change. Phocus Creative was tasked to showcase the importance of communications in helping people understand the benefits of AgTech for mitigating climate change.
Objective
To provide unbiased, scientific educational resources to the public, thereby building awareness of Agricultural Technology for Climate Action and finding solutions on how to implement AgTech to benefit society.
Social Media Strategy
The media strategy relating to #AgTech education for #ClimateAction was launched on Instagram and LinkedIn. Key elements included:
Content Themes: The focus on science and biotechnology emphasize exciting AgTech innovations and provide examples of the societal contexts that determine whether these breakthroughs will have meaningful impact in practice.
Distilled Definition Posts: AgTech terms which are often convoluted or difficult to understand as Agricultural Technology continues to redefine itself in real time. In a series entitled “AgTech Terms you Need to Know” the Triple Helix Instagram highlights clear and distilled definitions, helping its audience understand AgTech and its emerging role in society.
Collaborative Features: In a series focused on “Solutionists” Triple Helix’s Instagram features innovative companies making strides and revolutionizing AgTech in industries ranging from food to cosmetics. Fostering these cross-sector conversations and collaborations is essential to creating a more climate-resilient future of agriculture.
Current Events: Through blog-style posts regarding current events in the AgTech space as well as reposting emerging AgTech research from reputable, scientific research institutions, Triple Helix’s social media provides a broad range of educational and timely resources.
Examples of Posts:
Website
A website was enhanced to serve as the central hub for the Triple Helix and its educational resources. The site includes:
Educational Resources: In-depth reports relating to specific implementations of Agricultural Technology were designed and compiled as resources available on the website.
Why Now: A timely analysis of modern agriculture explaining why Triple Helix’s focus on Agricultural Technology is relevant and important.
Team: The impressive Board of Directors and Advisory Board for Triple Helix Institute are featured on the website with headshots and biographies.
Events: The website links to past and and future events and collaborations that Triple Helix has been involved with.
Contact: A portal for visitors to contact the team and/or sign up for the newsletter.
Donate: Since Triple Helix is a nonprofit, the site invites visitors to help shape the future of climate resilient agriculture by donating.
Events & Collaborations
Building partnerships with other innovative organizations and scientists in the AgTech space is key to Triple Helix’s success and educational strategy. These events allow for collaboration, partnership building and resource sharing.
Examples of Events:
Triple Helix x Rethink Food Climate Week Dinner 2024: Triple Helix co-hosted this dinner with Rethink Food and presented a vision for a climate-resilient future of food by combining upcycled excess ingredients and ingredients made with groundbreaking technology, offering a (literal) taste of various strategies being developed to tackle the complex challenges facing our food systems. Featured food was donated by Algae Cooking Club, Arctic, Bored Cow, Calavo, California Cultured, Climax Foods, Norfolk Healthy Produce and Savor.
Ted Countdown: The Future of Food: “Harnessing AgTech for Biodiversity Conservation,” presented by Triple Helix Founder, Sarah Garland, PhD, and Triple Helix Institute Advisory Team member, Matthew Hayek, PhD.
“From Ideas to Impact” Book Launch with Mick Sheldrick: Triple Helix hosted an exciting discussion and reception with Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder of Global Citizen, to celebrate the launch of his book "From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World."
Reports
Phocus Creative worked with Triple Helix Founder Sarah Garland and other contributors to design sleek and informative reports related to the specific applications of AgTech solutions in various sectors. Reports thus far focus on:
Results
The Triple Helix Institute is successfully raising awareness about Agricultural Technology and its impactful potential implementations for Climate Action as the nature of Agricultural production changes in the face of Climate Change. Key outcomes of the social media campaign, events strategy and educational resources include:
Increased Awareness: Triple Helix’s AgTech Reports on Biodiversity and Carbon Emissions have each been downloaded and viewed more than 350 times, contributing to Triple Helix’s mission to provide education and foster cross-sector collaboration.
Community Growth: Communities beyond the initial target audience have begun to engage with agricultural technology, expanding and elevating the scientific and colloquial dialogue around these topics.
Partnership and Collaboration: Event partnerships and social media collaboration were utilized to engage and foster new community connections within the AgTech space and expand the reach and audience of Triple Helix. The Instagram “Solutionists” post series featured scientists and innovators in the industry, connecting The Triple Helix Institute with cutting edge technology and spreading information about these technologies to the public in an accessible and interesting way. Events like the Climate Week dinner in collaboration with Rethink Food garnered partnerships from across the food space and the globe, attracting donations from brands like California Cultured, Norfolk, Savor, Bored Cow and Algae Cooking Club to name a few. These donations were consumed by an intimate group of scientists, founders and food leaders at Rethink’s Soho kitchen during climate week.
The marketing and media strategy for Triple Helix Institute demonstrates the power of targeted, distilled, scientific messaging to provide information to the public and engage new audiences with these important topics. As climate issues become more pressing, clear communication and education surrounding climatological concepts and innovation are essential in uniting the public around a vision for a more sustainable future, supporting a new agricultural revolution and encouraging new generations to become excited to innovate in the AgTech space.