A major ag retail brand launches into the future.

When Agrium merged with PotashCorp to become Nutrien, its retail division, Crop Production Services, had to find its place within the new mission of “feeding the future” without jeopardizing its position as market leader.

Aside from the logistical challenge of rebranding 1,700 locations, the legacy CPS brand also had perceptual hurdles to overcome. Growers were more loyal to their local retail branch than the brand itself, so we were introducing the entire industry to a new company.

While some growers worked with their crop consultant to plan the season, many bought inputs a la carte and weren’t utilizing the full retail offering. We needed to move the message from serving to solving.

From naming to positioning to identity, we helped introduce the industry to Nutrien Ag Solutions — an ag retailer whose crop consultants leverage data and technology to help growers create the right solution for their farm and their future.

To introduce growers to the “The Ag Retailer of the Future,” we used a trusted channel — their local team. Internal comms focused on grassroots communication of messages/talking points and customizable collateral for retail locations, while external comms reinforced messaging at a national level.

The Futuredome activation at Farm Progress Show was a high-profile debut for the new and signature brand, setting the stage for a brand story about what the future of ag retail could look like.

Creative paired imagery featuring growers and crop consultants with a visual device highlighting the various product lines, reinforcing the holistic solutions approach the brand offers.

Reaching growers of all crops in all geos required a highly segmented comms approach, with each layer maximizing the impact of media investment.