 NCC-issued news releases conveyed a range of U.S. cotton concerns and needs such as when the NCC asked the Agriculture Secretary to use his authority to designate cotton as an ‘other oilseed’ to address the industry’s instability – a fact that was highlighted in this Memphis newspaper’s article. |
Public Attitudes
The National Cotton Council consistently conveyed the industry’s positions and concerns to key publics, among them Congressional Members and key government agency officials. That communications diligence included sharing its views on the Agricultural Act of 2014’s implementation and on numerous other legislative, trade, regulatory and environmental matters.
Those efforts were enhanced by arranging interviews with industry leaders/staff and through the dissemination of news releases, radio news lines, RFD-TV segments, podcasts and editorial rebuttals. For example, the NCC distributed a rebuttal statement to news media after The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development's (ICTSD) released a paper entitled, "The 2014 Farm Bill and its Effects on the World Market." The NCC emphasized that the report contained numerous invalid assumptions that severely limit its credibility. While the ICTSD described its paper – which included a significant focus on crop insurance, including the Stacked Income Protection Plan – as an "impartial, evidence-based assessment," NCC President/CEO Dr. Gary Adams noted in the statement that the paper was very misleading and did not “capture the realities of today's cotton market or global cotton policies.”
In mid-2015, the NCC initiated a social media campaign across four platforms – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and podcasts via YouTube. The posts on these outlets highlight news and information from the NCC, Cotton Council International and the broader cotton industry. The overall goal is informing, educating and creating positive perceptions regarding the NCC and the U.S. cotton industry among the NCC's primary audiences of NCC members, Congress/Congressional staffers and consumers. The NCC's social media strategy retains a focus on its website while incorporating additional communications channels that allow direct engagement, responsive communication and advocate-building.
 The NCC initiated a social media campaign across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and podcasts via YouTube. |
Included in the news dissemination were updates on the Cotton LEADS™ program. That effort is committed to responsibly-produced cotton and now includes more than 300 cotton supply chain company partners. The NCC coordinates the program as a Cotton Foundation special project and hosts the program’s web site, www.cottonleads.org.
The NCC continued as an in-kind supporter of America’s Heartland, the award-winning national television series celebrating American agriculture. The series, in its 12th season and aired on public television and the RFD-TV cable and satellite channel, educates consumers about the origins of their food, fuel and fiber. In addition, the NCC continued to participate in http://www.farmpolicyfacts.org/. That and “The Hand That Feeds Us” initiative are committed to ensuring American agriculture’s long-term success by facilitating meaningful conversations with legislators and consumers about how food and fiber is produced.
 The NCC developed and posted on its website a number of technical documents ranging from seed cotton/lint contamination prevention steps to guidelines on how to properly tie down round modules for transport on flatbed trucks. |
The NCC continued to utilize its Cotton’s Week newsletter, radio news lines, videos, its website, www.cotton.org, and columns in various trade publications for disseminating key information to its members such as farm law implementation and regulatory proposals. That included developing and posting a number of technical documents ranging from seed cotton/lint contamination prevention steps to guidelines on how to properly tie down round modules for transport on flatbed trucks. The NCC also updated its educational videos covering multiple conservation practices.