Case Study: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs achieves proactive issue detection and faster incident response with Cision Gorkana

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Customer Case Study

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) partnered with media intelligence firm Gorkana to tackle the challenge of spotting emerging public issues on social media before they became mainstream. Defra needed a horizon‑scanning, early‑warning system to measure real‑world engagement, understand channel differences and influencers, and ensure timely, targeted communication around incidents such as floods, horsemeat and disease outbreaks.

Gorkana combined its Social Media Pro platform with award‑winning analysis to pinpoint conversations, identify key stakeholders and enable targeted engagement that fed directly into communications and policy decisions. The programme improved incident response and planning, was rolled out across Defra’s arms‑length bodies, attracted national and industry attention, and won top recognition at the AMEC Awards 2014 for its innovative approach.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Elayne Phillips

Head of Strategy