Yukon Agricultural Association

The Challenge

The Yukon Agricultural Association (YAA) set out to advance a clear and practical policy goal: encourage public institutions to source at least 5% of their food from local producers. Despite a stated 10% procurement target, less than 1% of government food spending was reaching Yukon farms.

This was YAA's first coordinated public-facing advocacy campaign. With a modest budget and a short timeline, the challenge was to shape public opinion and apply pressure where decisions are made, particularly during a territorial election.

Strategic Insight

When policy change is the objective, influence matters more than impressions.

Rather than pursuing broad consumer visibility, the campaign focused on:

• Trade media read by grocery retailers, food manufacturers, foodservice operators, and agricultural leaders

• Trusted regional media reaching voters and public-sector decision-makers

• Election-period visibility that places issues on the public record and invites accountability

Media relations were treated as a strategic lever to build credibility, momentum, and pressure at a critical decision-making moment.

What We Did

We delivered a tightly integrated public relations and communications campaign designed to maximize impact with limited resources.

Impact

The campaign demonstrated how a modest budget can deliver meaningful policy traction:

• ✓Secured coverage in Canada's most influential grocery, food manufacturing, and agricultural trade media, reaching procurement and supply-chain decision-makers
• ✓Achieved trusted regional coverage during the election period, elevating the issue among voters and government officials
• ✓Generated sustained broadcast interest from Yukon radio outlets
• ✓Extended national reach through 400+ community newspapers
• ✓Established media relationships that continue beyond the campaign window
• ✓During the election, all major political parties issued formal written responses to YAA's procurement proposals
• ✓The elected Yukon Party committed to increasing local food purchasing, introducing protected funding for Yukon-grown food, and working with YAA on procurement reform

Why It Matters

This case study shows how strategic public relations can shape public opinion and influence policy, even with limited resources.

By combining targeted media relations, community storytelling, partnerships, and spokesperson preparation, YAA established credibility, created public accountability, and laid the groundwork for sustained advocacy in 2026 and beyond.

While the 5% target remains a longer-term objective, the campaign successfully moved the issue from advocacy into formal political commitment.

For 6 Seeds, it reflects our belief that effective communications are not about chasing impressions. They are about applying pressure, shaping narratives, and opening doors where decisions are actually made.