Modernized Systems, Increased Yields
Transforming Bayer's User Experience for Crop Science
Since its inception in 1863, Bayer has been a global pharmaceutical and agricultural pioneer. Bayer's Crop Science division develops seeds, traits, crop protection products, digital farming tools, and other technologies to help farmers grow healthy crops more efficiently and sustainably. For over a decade, Bayer and Cucumber have enjoyed a strong partnership, this was founded on an initial website build using Sitecore CMS for the New Zealand business, followed by the Australia business joining the partnership in 2019.
The Challenge: Creating a Cohesive User Experience
In an evolving digital landscape and different trends for content consumption, Bayer and Cucumber have worked together to provide an optimal user experience to consume critical product information and wider crop science collateral and supporting tools. This has seen both a de-centralisation of data into microsites and a return to centralisation of content into a more holistic view. Both approaches to consumption of content have needed to manage seasonal campaigns and also provide an enriched experience with the presentation of external data in supporting tools for the grower.
The Solution: Centralized Content, Targeted Delivery
Cucumber has leveraged the power of the Sitecore CMS to centralise into a single instance, in doing so creating and using shared components and layouts while maintaining an NZ and AU identity for their specific markets and delivery of targeted content. Adding tools to the web offering to encourage user knowledge retention has further enriched the customer offering.
Cucumber have delivered solutions leveraging integration with third-party data to provide, for example, forecasts of specific weather events to inform timing of spray applications provisioning of grain prices across AU. These have built complex data into a user friendly mobile experience and have been a strong addition to the sites purpose and returning traffic.
Bayer and Cucumber have continued working together to prioritise a user-centric approach, most recently transitioning to a hub concept, providing crop-specific information, tools and articles in one location. A reimagining of content consumption that has been a positive transformation. An ongoing investment in SEO and Google Analytics has helped inform The Bayer Marketing Team on the traction and value of campaigns, content and imagery across the site.
“Working closely with Cucumber to develop a customer centric, digital platform has been incredibly rewarding. We’ve been able to use data driven decisions to support our marketing campaigns, enabling the business to simplify complex messaging within one, easy to navigate solution.”
Darcy Heron
Digital Marketing Manager, Bayer
The Result: Proven Customer Value
This approach has yielded great results, garnering strong praise within Bayer Crop Science and positive usage stats collected via Google Analytics. The new hub page was well-received, delivering clear value to their target audience. With plans to expand the hub framework to support viticulture, cereals, and vegetable sectors next season, Bayer anticipates significant benefits in streamlined content delivery aligned with their marketing campaigns. This collaboration underscores the transformative power of a consolidated, user-focused digital strategy, enhancing Bayer's overall customer engagement and support.
If Bayer’s story has got you thinking about your digital journey and what needs to be modernised, then please get in touch - we'd love to have a chat with you about your goals.