Coffee People Campaign
Report brief
#COFFEEPEOPLE Communication and Advocacy Campaign 2023 Report
Background
The “Improving Safety and Health in the Global Coffee Supply Chain” campaign, undertaken as part of the Vision Zero Fund (VZF) project by the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed to address occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges within the global coffee supply chain.
The campaign brought together public and private stakeholders, including government agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and private sector companies.
The primary objective of the project was to consolidate learnings from country projects and elevate them to the global level. A key focus was placed on communication, aiming for visibility of the EU-funded action and enhanced stakeholder understanding and commitment to improving coffee workers’ occupational safety and health.
The overarching objective of the campaign was to facilitate a greater understanding of coffee workers‘ occupational safety and health among a diverse range of industry stakeholders at both the global and country levels. This involved designing and implementing a large-scale campaign informed by evidence on occupational safety and health hazards and risks in the coffee sector, while promoting relevant ILO standards.
The report Quality Assuring the Centre‘s Communication and Advocacy Projects highlights the substantial expansion of the Centre’s communication and advocacy services, emphasizing its strategic importance and outlining plans for aligning the quality assurance system underlying the delivery of these projects with international standards.
SMART Objectives
The #CoffeePeople campaign had three main goals/objectives:
- Raise awareness about occupational safety and health
- Scale up good practices and mobilize collective action
- Spread communication materials
Each of the identified goals is SMART, with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound components integrated into the campaign‘s structure and activities.
The Theory of Change
The #CoffeePeople campaign is based on a theory of change that describes how the campaign’s activities and interventions will lead to desired short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes.
The theory of change of the campaign outlines the cause-and-effect relationships between the campaign’s efforts and the anticipated changes in the coffee industry’s occupational safety and health practices. It helps in understanding how raising awareness, scaling up good practices, and spreading communication materials will lead to stakeholders taking concrete action to improve workers’ OSH, which would contribute to a safer and more sustainable coffee sector.
KPIs
The KPIs identified along the results chain serve as quantifiable metrics that align with each stage of the theory of change, allowing for a systematic evaluation of progress and impact. The KPIs provide measurable benchmarks that indicate whether the campaign is moving in the right direction and achieving its objectives.
The SMART objectives underlying the campaign along the the results chain
The PDCA Cycle
The ISO recommended Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle is a continuous improvement framework used to manage and optimize processes. By following the PDCA cycle, the campaign can adapt and evolve, ensuring that it remains effective and aligned with its overarching goals throughout its duration.
The ISO recommended PDCA Cycle illustrated
Here’s how the campaign implementation followed the PDCA cycle:
At the “Plan” stage
Pre-project activities
- Aligned on a shared commitment to the advancement of decent work and social justice.
- Documented agreements, proposals, and Terms of Reference (TORs).
- Outlined the scope, deliverables, and collaborative framework, ensuring that all stakeholders were aligned in their understanding of the project’s objectives and outcomes.
- Specified tasks, objectives, and timelines for the services provided by ITCILO.
Initiating the project
- Defined objectives and goals.
- Set up the team and identify the project management tools.
- Stakeholder engagement and mapping.
- Content and communication strategy development.
- Considered lessons learned from previous projects.
At the “Do” stage
Managing project delivery
- Set up monitoring and analytics systems.
- Designed visual identity, graphic materials, and work packages.
- Broke down the work packages to be delivered.
- Managed risks, suppliers, deliverables, etc.
- Missions to three of the biggest coffee-producing countries: Vietnam, Brazil, and Uganda.
Overseeing the project
- Engaged with stakeholders through workshops and events.
- Collected feedback and adjusted engagement strategies as needed.
- Conducted regular meetings to keep the client informed about project progress, challenges, and emerging opportunities.
- Actively sought input from the client through structured consultations.
Directing the project
- Used a strategic and adaptive management approach to ensure the project remained relevant and justifiable.
- Regularly consulted stakeholders.
- Involved the training department at higher levels of responsibility and oversight to ensure the campaign remained strategically aligned with broader organizational objectives.
At the “Check” stage
Controlling the project
- Evaluated and optimized stakeholder engagement.
- Reviewed and refined workshop approach.
- Monitored content performance and adjusted content strategy.
- Analyzed pledge participation and modified as needed.
- Verified any incomplete actions and recorded unresolved issues.
- Verified the quality of deliverables.
At the “Act” stage
Closing the project
- Verified that all activities and work packages were successfully completed and delivered.
- Validated all contracts related to external resources and services.
- Facilitated discussions with the sponsoring organization.
- Compiled comprehensive documentation of the project.
Post-project activities
- Conducted an assessment against pre-established KPIs and process indicators.
- Engaged in debriefing sessions with stakeholders.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to share knowledge.
Reporting Against the Recommendations of the 2023 External Evaluation of ITCILO Campaigns
The report 2023 External Evaluation of ITCILO’s Communication and Advocacy Campaigns provides evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Centre's Communication and Advocacy activities, as well as recommendations for future campaigns.
Recommendation 1: Ensure coherent planning
The #CoffeePeople campaign includes explicitly-defined goals, targeting occupational safety and health awareness, good practice scaling, and knowledge dissemination. Stakeholder engagement strategies and workshops were incorporated, ensuring alignment with various contributors to the campaign. KPIs were identified for each campaign level, aligning with the articulated goals.
Recommendation 2: Prioritize resourcefulness and adaptation
The #CoffeePeople campaign leveraged existing platforms like the VZF website, VZF LinkedIn page, and the ILO social media channels, avoiding the need to build new digital infrastructure from scratch. By using established platforms, the campaign optimized resource utilization and adapted to a cost-effective model.
Recommendation 3: Prioritize audience-centric storytelling
The #CoffeePeople content strategy prioritized user-centric storytelling by focusing on stories, news, toolkits, and resources. The inclusion of web stories, documentaries, and social media teasers highlighted insights, case studies, and perspectives for various audiences.
Recommendation 4: Maximize network opportunities
The #CoffeePeople campaign involved organizations like ILO, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), Global Coffee Platform (GCP), and International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) maximizing network opportunities. It also engaged key partners like the European Union and the German and French ministries of labour.
Collaboration with influencers like Paola Carosella and Bela Gil on major social media platforms further enhanced promotion and engagement.
The ITCILO leveraged the ILO’s social media channels and newsletter, and selected International Coffee Day (ICD) for the campaign’s official launch date.
Recommendation 5: Balance production and promotion
The #CoffeePeople campaign was fully organic and did not utilize paid promotions. While this has proven effective in reaching a broad audience and maintaining an authentic connection with supporters, there is recognition of the evolving landscape where paid promotions can amplify impact.
Key Results of the Campaign
The campaign, launched on International Coffee Day, 1 October 2023, reached an estimated 25 million people across 50 countries, with 135,000 engagements. Notably, it gained support from influential figures, including the ILO Director General and the President of the International Organization of Employers (IOE). Additionally, 10 global organizations committed to tangible actions for improving occupational safety and health (OSH) for coffee workers, using a Collective Action Kit developed during the campaign.
25 million people from 50 countries reached
135,000 engagements on social media posts
10 global organizations committed to tangible actions
Advocacy efforts included four in-person workshops, three webinars, and participation in 30+ panel discussions, directly engaging over 600 representatives. Over 100 campaign materials were developed, comprising a campaign-exclusive webpage, 85 social cards, and eight newsletters. A documentary featuring interviews with coffee growers and insights from key organizations celebrated individuals in the coffee sector and ignited a call to action.
The campaign’s impact extended to the 2023 World Coffee Conference, endorsed by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and supported by 10 public-private partnerships, resulting in funding to expand activities to Colombia.
4 in-person workshops
100 campaign materials
1 feature-length documentary film
The post-campaign stakeholders survey results indicated a high effectiveness of the campaign, with 96% of respondents finding it useful for advancing OSH in the coffee supply chain.
The institutional client expressed overall satisfaction with the campaign conducted by ITCILO. In a post-campaign survey, the client positively rated the quality of the initial technical proposal, the achievement of assignment objectives, communication with the ITCILO team, and the continuous incorporation of feedback into project planning. The client also provided positive ratings for the overall quality of implemented communication work packages, perceived value for money, and overall satisfaction with ITCILO’s services, and additionally expressed a high likelihood of choosing ITCILO for future communication and advocacy services.
The feedback concluded with a commendation, describing the campaign as “a great success” and expressing gratitude to all involved.
