Our mission is to refine organizational decision-making processes by harnessing the power of mental modeling and deep industry expertise. We aim to equip leaders and organizations with the tools and understanding necessary to make informed, strategic decisions that lead to sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Addressing Consumer Perceptions on Farmed Salmon
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), with Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
The Challenge
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans and its partners to understand consumer decision making on the safety of farmed salmon. This project was undertaken when the aquaculture industry was facing intense pressures and allegations regarding the safety of farmed salmon. The challenge was to design a cross-department initiative to incorporate and enhance state-of-the-science approaches to stakeholder engagement to understand consumer decision making to ultimately enable the project partners and stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of their own benefit/risk communications on farmed salmon and aquaculture.
The Solution
Working with a team of experts from DFO and its partners, including scientists in the aquaculture field and industry representatives, Cognitive Science Systems developed a detailed expert model to integrate current understanding in relevant disciplines: aquaculture risk analysis, risk management and risk communications. Using this knowledge, Cognitive Science Systems then applied mental models research to gain insight into the factors that influence people’s decisions to consume fish, particularly farmed salmon, and initiated a strategic approach to risk communications on the issue as opposed to a public education approach. Interviews were conducted with homemakers from Nanaimo, BC, Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The approach that Cognitive Science Systems used was consistent with Health Canada and the PHAC’s state-of-the-science Strategic Risk Communications Framework, which employs proven methods and practices in strategic risk communications. The process identified implications for strategies and messages across the full chain of consumer communication opportunities and messages, stretching from producer locations to point-of-purchase. Insights into the stakeholder engagement process were used to design more effective communications strategies on the benefits and risks of farmed salmon. The methodology allowed for a large-scale, positive impact from a relatively small initiative.
Influences on consumer purchase decision making for farmed salmon were revealed and described in depth in this first-of-its-kind initiative. Implications for strategies and messages across the full chain of consumer communication opportunities, stretching from producer locations to point-of-purchase, were identified. Strategies and messages likely to be unsuccessful or even counterproductive were also identified.
The Result
Influences on consumer purchase decision making for farmed salmon were revealed and described in depth in this first-of-its-kind initiative. Implications for strategies and messages across the full chain of consumer communication opportunities, stretching from producer locations to point-of-purchase, were identified. Strategies and messages likely to be unsuccessful or even counterproductive were also identified.
Working with a team of experts from DFO and its partners, including scientists in the aquaculture field and industry representatives, Cognitive Science Systems developed a detailed expert model to integrate current understanding in relevant disciplines: aquaculture risk analysis, risk management and risk communications. Using this knowledge, Cognitive Science Systems then applied mental models research to gain insight into the factors that influence people’s decisions to consume fish, particularly farmed salmon, and initiated a strategic approach to risk communications on the issue as opposed to a public education approach. Interviews were conducted with homemakers from Nanaimo, BC, Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The approach that Cognitive Science Systems used was consistent with Health Canada and the PHAC’s state-of-the-science Strategic Risk Communications Framework, which employs proven methods and practices in strategic risk communications. The process identified implications for strategies and messages across the full chain of consumer communication opportunities and messages, stretching from producer locations to point-of-purchase. Insights into the stakeholder engagement process were used to design more effective communications strategies on the benefits and risks of farmed salmon. The methodology allowed for a large-scale, positive impact from a relatively small initiative.