Client: Dechra Solacyl digital channel activation.

Task: Convert calf owners in the UK dairy industry to Solacyl, an NSAID alternative to anti-biotic treatment for pneumonia in cattle. A course of NSAID at times of high pneumonia risk may safely replace prophylactic antibiotics without compromising calf performance and welfare. This provides potential for a significant reduction in antibiotic use which could amount to an estimated 1% or 4.4 tonnes reduction in overall antibiotic use in UK agriculture.

Campaign context: There are approximately 1 million calves derived from the dairy industry reared for beef annually in the UK. The majority are initially brought up by specialist calf rearers, typically from around 4-5 weeks old to 4-5 months old. This is a high risk period for calf pneumonia and is consequently when antibiotics are used the most frequently. There is a need to reduce antibiotic use in agriculture to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance developing which is a danger to human health; this is particularly true wherever antibiotics are used prophylactically.

Challenges: Convincing the specialist dairy farmer audience that there is an alternative to anti-biotics by delivering stand out activity beyond the usual reliance on traditional farming press. Utilise channels to emphasise the NSAID alternative and present influencers case studies in a compelling manner that use of prophylactic NSAID treatment of calves when calves first arrive on a rearing unit (during a high risk period for pneumonia) may be used to replace prophylactic antibiotics without compromising the health of the calves, their growth rates or the profitability of the calf rearing operations.

Solutions: In-app banners linked to dairy farmer audience app usage, plus Twitter social media and native activity via Vet Times digital channels.