Comparative reach and retention of print versus audio-visual extension communication channels

Abstract

As one Slovenian advisor put it: 'We print leaflets farmers use to start fires, and make radio spots that play while they are on tractors.' This research compared print versus audio-visual extension channels across six Slovenian regions. A randomized crossover design with 284 farmers was used between February and November 2023. Audio-visual channels achieved 84.1% reach versus 62.4% for print (p<0.001). Four-week recall was 58.9% for audio-visual versus 31.2% for print. However, print showed advantages for reference content (41.3% repeated consultation vs 12.7%). Behavior change was 34.7% audio-visual, 18.6% print. Channel selection should match content type rather than defaulting to one format.