Developing digital marketing capacities
FAO initiative providing skills and innovation support to Tropoja’s businesses and communities
Description
As part of the Digital Villages Initiative, FAO, with the support of local partner “Social Development Investment”, has provided training to Tropoja’s communities and rural businesses, with particular focus on women, young people and small-scale farmers, providing them with an understanding of the state-of-art opportunities offered by digital marketing. Under the so-called “Developing digital marketing capacities” training, customized capacity development sessions have been held for more than 15 rural businesses to increase their digital marketing skills, while ad hoc coaching has supported the upgrade or creation of new added-value services through digitalization. The intervention has further facilitated the creation of a community-driven brand to support the promotion of Tropoja’s food, community and territory to a wide audience.
Technology
The capacity developing sessions focus on the digital skills and technologies necessary for a wide range of digital marketing activities, promoting digital visibility and community management (e.g. URLs and web searchability, digital graphic design tools); online booking management (e.g. online travel agency platforms, web-based applications, websites, social media); value proposition (e.g. websites, e-commerce platforms, multi-channel promotional campaigns); and value capturing (e.g. e-payment systems). The community-driven brand relies on the creativity of the community and graphic designers, and makes use of a host of appropriate design promotion technologies (e.g. web-based applications for graphic design, digital photos, digital scanners, social media platforms, e-mail).
Target
The main targets of the initiative are rural businesses in the Tropoja villages, particularly those involving women, young people and small-scale farmers, but also the Tropoja Municipality, members of the public, and other public and private stakeholders.
Business model
The initiative is funded by FAO under the Pilot Digital Village Initiative project. Access to the activities delivered by Digital Roots (Social Development Investment) are free of charge for the beneficiaries.
Impact
The primary goal of this intervention is to boost the digital marketing capacity of rural businesses in Tropoja, more specifically, to increase their level of digital knowledge, and to support the development of tailored-made digital marketing activities to improve the livelihoods of the coaching recipients. The secondary impacts include the development of a cohesive brand identity reflecting the rural community and business aspirations in Tropoja, to be used by all local businesses, ultimately promoting community engagement and collaboration among local businesses and ensuring the sustainability and success of the brand identity.
Partners
Digital Roots
Four Betters
Better life
