Breaking new ground
THE CHALLENGE
Downforce Technologies’ breakthrough solution enables landowners, growers and organisations to measure soil health and biodiversity at scale, making it possible to prove carbon offsets and the impact of sustainability strategies. However, other competing solutions were significantly ahead in their communications strategies – and with interest in soil carbon sequestration surging, Downforce needed an aggressive PR campaign which would enable the company to quickly lead the discussion.
THE SOLUTION
To ensure Downforce was able to differentiate itself from the competition and clearly communicate the need for its solutions, messaging was critical. Babel conducted an in-depth messaging session at the start of the campaign and developed a position paper speaking to the need for the company’s solution, which fuelled the campaign.
With Downforce’s Co-Founder, Professor Jacqueline McGlade, previously serving as the Chief Scientist of the UN Environment Programme, Babel leveraged her profile to highlight the company’s credibility. Babel harnessed Downforce’s data to produce a highly compelling hook for media, showing that an increase in soil organic carbon of 1% over half of the world’s agricultural land would enable us to close the global emissions gap. We then secured an exclusive on the data with The Guardian – the UK and Australia’s leading authority on climate change reporting – and arranged a briefing with Professor McGlade to discuss the findings in more depth. In parallel, we leveraged breaking news around the EU’s soil health bill, company announcements and events to ensure Downforce was put in front of the reporters that mattered.
THE OUTCOME
Within the space of a few months, Downforce Technologies went from relative unknown to leading the conversation around soil health. In addition to coverage in the Guardian, Downforce’s data was referenced on BBC Radio and Virgin Radio, while the company featured heavily in key agricultural trades. The company’s profile has been raised to such an extent that journalists from outlets including Reuters now approach Downforce for comment on issues, highlighting their credibility.
July 26, 2023