Credit: Penn State
University Park, Pa. Better marketing tactics may lead to improved safety in one of the nation's most dangerous occupations - farming, according to Penn State researchers. "Along with mining and construction, farming is one of the top three most hazardous industries," said Aaron Yoder, instructor of agricultural and biological engineering. "Farming is also less regulated and has more exemptions than other industries." Social marketing campaigns that focus on the benefits of and barriers to persuading people to change behaviors could help raise awareness about farm safety issues, said Yoder said. In the past, organizations have used social marketing tactics in creating successful campaigns to change such behaviors, as smoking and overeating. "When we think of marketing, we usually think of using it to sell something, but in the case of social marketing, we're using it to try to change behaviors," said Yoder. Yoder, who worked with Dennis Murphy, Distinguished Professor of agricultural safety and health, studied how social marketing principles could be used to persuade people to install rollover protective structures - ROPS - on older-model tractors.
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