Monitoring communications related to RDP-EAFRD funds in Tuscany and the effectiveness of the communication strategy – Final report

This study is part of the 2023 joint IRPET-Tuscany Region activities and was commissioned by the Tuscany Region’s EAFRD Managing Authority. The sampling design, survey execution, and report writing were entrusted to SWG S.p.A. by Marco Mariani, head of the Productive Sectors and Enterprises Research Area at IRPET. The survey questionnaire was co-designed by the EAFRD Managing Authority, SWG S.p.A., and IRPET. Marco Mariani, Sara Turchetti, Natalia Faraoni, and Paolo Chini participated for IRPET.

Monitoring Communications Regarding RDP-EAFRD Funds in Tuscany is a survey aimed at analyzing engagement and the results achieved by the information and communication campaign regarding the European Structural Funds, particularly the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), implemented thanks to the Rural Development Programme (RDP) of the Tuscany Region. Specifically, the survey’s various objectives include analyzing Tuscan citizens’ knowledge of RDP and EAFRD funds and funding and the effectiveness of the communication campaign implemented in recent months. In this regard, continuing the work carried out in 2022, a survey was conducted by SWG S.P.A., on behalf of IRPET Toscana, among a sample of 1,650 residents of Tuscany, representative of the region’s adult population.

Compared to last year, there is greater general awareness of European Funds, also thanks to the recent communication campaign, but there remains a difficulty in associating known funds with specific acronyms and names.

Furthermore, there has been a marked improvement in awareness among socio-demographic segments that were not reached by the campaign last year (young people and the less educated), however, new segments at risk of misinformation have emerged, namely the female population and older cohorts.

Among those familiar with European funds and/or the RDP and EAFRD, most rate their impact on the region positively, and the average score is above average in all areas considered. This figure also shows an improvement compared to 2022.

The analysis also highlights an increase in the number of people who did not receive any communication regarding the matter, however, among those who did receive it, the evaluation is slightly more positive.

Regarding the campaign featuring stories from the funding recipients, only a small portion remember seeing it, but among those who did, a positive opinion prevails, and the majority would like to see more similar commercials.