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Editor’s Note: Listen to the science of 2017

If the Brexit vote didn’t prove it, the Trump election did. Voters are losing faith in their governments, which is one more reason to worry about the regulations imposed on ag

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Published: January 6, 2017

Tom Button

The science of listening is almost beyond belief. Based at their Purchase, New York headquarters, 60 specially trained communication experts manage what is called the MasterCard Conversation Suite, backed up by a team of researchers, marketing specialists and lawyers.

With software from Domo and Percolate among others, the MasterCard team monitors a 40-foot LED screen that updates every four minutes, feeding into a labyrinth of smaller screens.

With all that computing power, MasterCard tracks the use of 6,000 key words by 1.3 billion people speaking in 26 languages in 43 major markets around the world, prompting the technology to almost instantaneously participate in three million social media conversations while triggering more formal responses to an additional 36,000 print messages a year.

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As I say, it’s almost beyond belief, and perhaps it can seem more than a bit alarming too, but it’s an indication of how serious big business is getting about not just monitoring what the public is saying, but actually listening to what they are saying and participating in their conversations.

Listening, it turns out, is a major scientific focus these days, and it’s only getting bigger as traditional polling gets more of its biggest calls so wrong.

These businesses know their futures hinge on public confidence, so the London School of Economics, for instance, has added Australian expert James MacNamara to its prestigious faculty, largely based on his background in what he calls organizational listening.

MacNamara delivers a dose of reality. Companies, industries and organizations invest heavily in what they think is communication, but actually is only talking. In his research, between 80 and 95 per cent of communication budgets are spent on putting out key messages, MacNamara says. Pennies get spent on listening, usually on surveys designed to back up what the sponsor already believes.

Maybe this sounds familiar in agriculture circles?

It isn’t rocket science after all, MacNamara says. The strategy of constant talking and not listening doesn’t work any better when you’re dealing with the public than it would if you tried always talking and never listening at home.

Canadian agriculture certainly does not have the $250 million that MasterCard is said to be spending on its listening tactics, but agriculture does have access to much of the same science, and can use strategies that make sure consumers know they are actually being listened to, via tactics ranging from ombudsmen to social media.

The science is that good, and it’s getting better. We just have to commit to using it.

This isn’t about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s about opening up the channels so we can have that discussion. Shouldn’t every major farm meeting this winter have consumers on the agenda?

Are we getting it right? Let me know what you think at [email protected].

About The Author

Tom Button

Tom Button

Editor

Tom Button is editor of Country Guide magazine.

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