To coincide with the Salon de l’agriculture 2023 in February, Réussir Agra and Agriconomie published the results of their Prism study, conducted by BVA. The result: a new analysis grid with groups and categories of farmers.
There are few public studies on the profile of farmers. The agrinautes study published every year at Space is still eagerly awaited, and always sheds relevant light on farmers’ relationship with ICTs and social networks in particular. This data is very useful to the marketing departments of agricultural brands, who are looking to target their customers and prospects more effectively in their campaigns. So when a new kind of study is published for the first time, we look at it with interest! The Prism study was carried out by the BVA group, a well-known name in the industry. Commissioned by Réussir Agra and Agriconomie, it provides a fresh look at the ‘farmers’ target group at a time when the sector is undergoing a major transformation, caught between economic, ecological and workforce renewal issues.
Lions, bees, cats, jaguars and tortoises
The survey was conducted online at the end of 2022 among a representative sample of 1,700 farm managers. It is regrettable, however, that women accounted for only 14% of respondents, despite the fact that, according to the latest census, they make up a quarter of farm managers and 30% of the agricultural workforce. This study has the merit of approaching the target from a new angle and presents an original segmentation inspired by the world of agriculture. According to Florence Gramond, head of agricultural activities at BVA, it highlights three main groups: the dynamic, the indifferent and the intermediate. Among the dynamic, we find the lions (19%) who are described as agri-managers and the bees for their agro-ecological sensitivity (15%). Among the indifferent, we find cats described as autarkic farmers (21%) and jaguars (24%) considered to be autonomous and open. Turtles (19%) make up the intermediate group, farmers who interact with their ecosystem but are not proactive, seeking advice, according to the study.
Diversity and complexity
This study is an interesting new tool for those who are segmenting their agricultural target to optimise the impact of their messages. Like all surveys, it should be taken for what it is: an analysis of a sample of the population at a given point in time. The categorisation into groups with animal names may make you smile, but it simplifies the results. It’s a new way of looking at things. We all have a tendency to caricature when we try to categorise farmers into followers and leaders… This study reveals what we already knew: French agriculture is rich in its diversity and complexity, and it’s not really possible to paint a composite picture.