In 2016, a global Life Sciences company – Company B – announced its strategic acquisition of the St. Louis-based agricultural leader, Company M, to accelerate its pursuit of breakthrough innovation for the benefit of farmers, consumers and our planet.

With this planned acquisition – which would become the largest in the company’s 150-year-long history – the company was faced with the enormous task of introducing its Crop Science business to its new home base in St. Louis in a fitting way. In recent years, the St. Louis region has lost a number of major corporate headquarters through relocation and mergers. It was important to assure a skeptical community that this company would continue and advance Company M’s legacy of civic and philanthropic support through its brand and reputation with key internal and external stakeholder groups, building excitement around its enhanced commitment to growing a sustainable and healthy food future.

The company worked for more than a year to strategize and execute a creative, memorable campaign timed around a confidential, moving “Day 1” target to demonstrate its leadership in agricultural innovation and its long-term commitment to the St. Louis community.

Working against these objectives and leveraging the below survey insights, we came up with a comprehensive strategy touching on five areas of importance to the company: consumer relations, government relations, customer relations, employee engagement, and traditional/social media relations.

Inspired by the company’s AgTech innovation, we conceptualized first-of-their-kind billboards featuring kale, parsley, collard greens, and Swiss chard in the shape of the iconic Gateway Arch, the city’s skyline, the simple, yet impactful call-to-action “St. Louis, Let’s Grow Together” and the company’s logo.

• Research: The team conducted extensive research into the city’s perceptions of the company. Measuring sentiment among 350 adults in the St. Louis area, we found that the company’s brand awareness was relatively low among adults in the 18-29 age range and that although a majority had heard about the merger, 66% had never seen a Company B advertisement.

• Community Relations: We partnered with the St. Louis Area Foodbank to use these crops to feed hungry people. To ensure a robust contribution, we sourced and donated additional produce important to Company M’s legacy from local customers’ farms. We organized an event at the foodbank to celebrate and collectively sort donations with the community.

• Amplification: We published two intranet articles giving employees a behind-the-scenes glimpse. External efforts include a two-phased earned media push - around the billboards' unveiling, and around the community event, ensuring two different waves of coverage.

• Execution:

o We consulted horticulturalists to identify crops that were edible, durable in a hot climate, seasonal, conducive to vertical growing, and aesthetically appealing.

o We selected optimal locations based on impressions, proximity to key audiences, and sunlight exposure.

o A built-in irrigation system was installed and maintained biweekly.

o The team organized the content, invitation, and logistics of the foodbank event.

• Challenges:

o We faced a confidential, moving deal close date, and operated under “Hold Separate” agreement, requiring us to work without involvement from the local team until the end. When timing came in, we began arches’ installation a week before expected “Day 1” by utilizing temporary covers over the company’s confidential information, ultimately unveiling billboards in their entirety.

o In order to protect the walls, we installed security cameras and stored an extra supply of crops at a nearby nursery, ensuring that crops could be replaced.

The program was an overwhelming success, generating positive external and internal feedback.

• Billboards received more than 3 million estimated impressions combined.

• Company donated 24,476 pounds of produce, equating to about 20,000 meals for those in need, primarily in income-challenged areas where nutritional foods can be expensive and difficult to acquire.

• Positive coverage secured in key targets: local print and broadcast media, horticultural and marketing trades.

o Received nearly 9.2 million television and print views.

• Received 788K Facebook impressions and 350K on Instagram. Our content mostly reached the 18 to 34 age range.

• Internal articles reached 23,700 employees.

• Event was well-attended by 30-40, including ~20 company volunteers, foodbank employees, local elected officials, and media.

• Immediately following, Company B’s familiarity in St. Louis increased from 64% to 71%. Awareness of its advertising increased from 60% to 66%.

• The billboards continue to generate media interest.