National FFA + Pence Media Group

Last fall, PMG was proud to help execute the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo for the second year in a row. National FFA is home to nearly 1 million members across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands and is focused on growing the next generation of leaders who will change the world. 

For the week of convention, more than 70,000 members gathered in downtown Indianapolis to explore more than 350 careers in agriculture, discover pathways for their future, learn, and engage with universities, agribusiness leaders, and other students from across the nation. 

National FFA engaged PMG to create, manage and execute a strategic marketing and communications plan that included:

• National FFA Public Relations 
• National FFA Social Media Management
• FFA LIVE! Inside Convention Show Production + Hosting
• FFA Live! Newsroom + Intern Management 
• National Social Influencer Management 
• Crisis Communications Planning + Support
• Workshop Presentations

This project was led by PMG’s Nicole Pence Becker and Lisa Wallace with support from PMG team members Sarah Cox Dedrick, Jeni Bostrom, Emily Sullivan, Melissa Mattingly, and Lexie Manor.

PMG is incredibly proud to have helped National FFA execute a successful and record-setting 96th National FFA Convention + Expo. We were honored to receive this testimonial about our work from National FFA President and Chief Marketing Officer Molly Ball.

Pence Media Group’s exceptional work for the National FFA exceeded all expectations.  Their strategic and thoughtful approach to marketing, public relations, crisis communications, and brand management showcased unparalleled dedication to the mission of our organization.  They seamlessly navigated large projects such as FFA LIVE! without hesitation, elevating our organization’s visibility.  PMG’s impact on National FFA’s success at telling the story is undeniable, making them an invaluable partner in our mission delivery.

– Molly Ball, National FFA President + Chief Marketing Officer

National FFA Public Relations

PMG directly impacted more than 100 articles and 130 broadcast clips around convention with an audience reach of more than 200 million and ad value equivalency (AVE) of nearly 2 million. PMG’s efforts alongside the National FFA PR team resulted in a total of 1,751 articles and 1,359 broadcast clips across 47 states with an audience reach of 598 million and AVE of $6.25 million. We worked with National FFA Officers and the CEO of FFA to place op-eds, arranged in-studio segments and on-site interviews, and placed leadership on podcasts and radio segments as well.

National FFA Social Media Management

PMG leveraged National FFA’s strong Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn following to engage their core audiences and expand their reach during the organization’s biggest event of the year. We also helped FFA launch TikTok and Snapchat to reach younger members and new audiences.

Throughout the duration of the convention, PMG captured photo and video content to be utilized on the National FFA Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Snapchat and TikTok accounts. This allowed for comprehensive event coverage and storytelling to reach far beyond those in attendance. Our Strategic Account Manager, Emily Sullivan, captured, edited, and posted 29 reels and 71 static posts throughout the week alongside the National FFA team. The engagement strategy was carefully curated to optimize follower engagement that would lead to greater reach to FFA’s target audience.

From the time PMG took over the National FFA social media channels to the conclusion of the convention, Facebook audience net growth increased by 733.5%, National FFA’s Instagram account received 9,394,585 impressions throughout the week, and profile engagement increased by 70.9% in comparison to the week prior, and engagement grew by 14.4% on LinkedIn and 3% on X.

PMG was proud to leverage social media during the National FFA Convention & Expo to drive real returns and gain exposure for the event and organization. PMG will continue to help with National FFA social media as they prepare for FFA Week, gear up for next year’s convention, and more.

Media Production

PMG, alongside our friends at INNOVATIVE, took National FFA’s convention live stream to a whole new level this year with their first ever convention highlight show that was broadcast to all 950,000+ members, advisors, parents, and supporters across the country. Nicole Pence Becker was chosen to serve as host for the daily one-hour show, “FFA Live! Inside Convention.” 

Our team helped develop and produce the show from concept to creation and took on the role of managing the newsroom and intern reporters. We helped create the intern job description, reach out to top journalism schools to recruit reporters, train the selected group, and manage them onsite like they were in a real live newsroom. With PMG team members’ backgrounds in broadcast journalism, we were well-equipped to support content creation as well.

FFA Live! allowed individuals to watch the National FFA Convention & Expo like never before. With nearly 1 million members, the National Future Farmers of America Organization is the largest student-run leadership organization in the country. FFA Live! was a PMG co-produced streaming broadcast that began with the first drop of the gavel on Wednesday, Nov. 1, and ended with the election of the 2023-24 National FFA Officers on Saturday, Nov. 4. 

In between, members were able to see the national convention and expo in action, with live broadcasts of each general session, Finals Hall presentations, historical footage, interviews and information about the FFA member experience. 

PMG was proud to be a part of it all and we loved working with our friends at INNOVATIVE on this special project.

FFA Live! Inside Convention was an idea we have been tossing around for several years, but our team is too small, and we lack the video production expertise to do it alone. PMG brought the resources, connections with INNOVATIVE and expertise to do it right. We’ve worked on several projects with PMG. FFA “Live! is the capstone…so far.

– Larry Downes, National FFA Director Marketing Communication Services

Influencer Marketing + Management

At PMG, we work with influencers to create compelling campaigns and manage those campaigns to ensure maximum audience reach while adhering to your brand. For the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo, our team created and managed an influencer campaign that involved recruiting talent from across the nation to promote the convention. 

PMG’s Melissa Mattingly was on-site working directly with 4th Generation Farmer, Army Veteran + Ag Educator, Tyler Froberg, throughout the week to aid in content strategy and creation to ensure the National FFA convention would receive the best possible coverage on the influencer’s social media platforms.

Notable Metrics

Instagram

Posts: 11 new reels + 1 reshared from ‘22 = Total Views:  712,500+ 

Facebook

Reels: 11 new reels + 1 reshared from ‘22 = Total Views: 1,971,000+ Static: 4 Posts

YouTube

Videos: 1 FFA recap video (22 min long)

Shorts: 8 videos = Total Views (as of 11/10/23): 18,150+

TikTok 

Videos: 11 new reels + 1 reshared from ‘22 = Total Views: 1,397,270+ Lives: 2

Reach: 33,000+ viewers

#SpeakAg Social Media Training

One of National FFA’s asks was for PMG to execute a Social Media Training Workshop, where PMG team members shared our expertise with the young leaders selected to be a #SpeakAg Pioneer. #SpeakAg Pioneers lead the way in promoting agricultural advocacy and literacy to FFA members and to the public by hosting workshops, creating content for social media, and attending important National FFA events. 

PMG had the honor to present our social media expertise to FFA’s #SpeakAg Pioneers before the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo, gearing these young change-makers up to be social media experts in time for convention week. 

Our presentation and toolkit equipped these emerging leaders to be influencers and brand ambassadors for FFA with tips on how to stay on brand, create content, reach more people on each social media platform, and utilize hashtags effectively. PMG also created Canva templates for ease of use and brand alignment.

Crisis Communications Planning + Support

Whenever there is a large group of individuals in one place, there is the potential for the unpredictable to arise. Given that the convention draws nearly 70,000 high school aged members to see featured speakers, attend special events like concerts and rodeos, and engage in other expo and career development opportunities throughout the week, FFA’s leadership team knew that it was crucial to have a crisis communications plan and team in place. We were prepared to respond to crisis situations that could have occurred during convention week. After several meetings with the organization’s leaders in the months leading up to the event, our team of experts were prepared to monitor, anticipate and respond to crisis situations relating to the convention and reputation of FFA and its members.

The event strategy and preparation paid off when it came time for the week-long convention. Several of PMG’s team members worked the convention to advocate for the National FFA brand and make sure the convention was successful. 

PMG was honored to work alongside the incredibly dynamic FFA team for the second year in a row at the convention. After increasing brand awareness through social media, effectively managing a national influencer campaign, and preparing the organization in the event of a crisis, PMG was happy to call the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo a success, and we are excited to support the National FFA organization in 2024.

#Consideritdone with PMG in 2024! 

What are your business goals for 2024? Maybe it’s a brand refresh, a new social media strategy, or PR + media hits that get your brand in front of new audiences. Whatever your needs may be, PMG is eager to learn more about your organization and to support your goals. Our team of experienced professionals is here to build your brand and tell your story while you focus on your business. Consider it done.