Syngenta Dollar Spot Solutions Website

Gardner Award Winner for New Media – Marketing Communications: Websites

We asked Lyndsey Newnam, vice president of G&S Business Communications, the following questions about their winning project, “Syngenta Dollar Spot Solutions Website.”

Please briefly describe your winning project.

Dollar spot is the most prevalent turf disease, especially in the Northeast and Midwest (United States). If left untreated, it can cause devastating damage to turf quality on golf courses. In 2018, our client Syngenta launched two new products to treat dollar spot. To support those launches, they wanted to provide a comprehensive resource for superintendents to learn more about the disease, share new solutions and tools for managing it, and to showcase new trial data. To do this, G&S Business Communications (G&S) worked with Syngenta to create the Dollar Spot Solutions website.

What were your main objectives in developing this project?

The objectives of this website were to:

  • Generate awareness about the Smith-Kerns Dollar Spot Prediction Model.
  • Educate superintendents about agronomic solutions and best practices for dollar spot control, including two new products from Syngenta.
  • Acquire media coverage in targeted trade publications.

What influenced your approach?

Several of the tools we wanted to share with superintendents about dollar spot were digital in nature, so a website made the most sense to house a lot of information in one place. Additionally, we had successfully developed “solutions-based” websites for Syngenta in the past, so we had a strong concept as a foundation. We also wanted to ensure we could understand how the site was being used, optimize it as needed for greater performance, and have the ability to update it with new information. The website was strategically built, so the information was easily accessible from the top down. SEO keywords were used throughout to improve search rankings. And, Google Analytics were built in so we could measure success.

Please tell us what you think stood out in your winning entry.
At G&S, we understand the power and importance of research and metrics. From the beginning, we had third-party, industry research showing that 43 percent of golf course superintendents surveyed would like a better solution to combat dollar spot, so we knew there was a need for the information on the site. Additionally, we believe the tactics we execute for our clients should have metrics that are meaningful, reliable, actionable and integrated. So, for the Dollar Spot Solutions website, we set up the metrics to align with the business goals of Syngenta and measured success against them. Ultimately, the research and metrics we gathered allowed the website to not only be successful in year one, but also gave us a foundation to optimize and build upon so the site is an ongoing resource for Syngenta and their target audience.