The Challenge

In mid-2020, International Fruit Genetics (IFG), one of the world’s largest table grape breeding companies, approached me to tackle a critical challenge. Every year, IFG invites grape growers from across the globe to their R&D fields in Central California. These visits allow growers to see, taste, and evaluate exciting new grape varieties, with the ultimate goal of securing contracts to cultivate these varieties on their own farms. However, with the pandemic came strict travel restrictions and canceled flights, making these crucial in-person experiences impossible.

The Solution

If growers couldn’t visit in person to taste, smell, and feel the grapes, we needed to deliver the next best thing: compelling, strategic video content. Our goal was to showcase the technical attributes and unique qualities of each variety, highlighting them in their best and most natural light. By creating a video series, we aimed to equip growers with the information they needed to confidently invest in these varieties, even without being there in person.

The Results

The video series exceeded expectations. Not only did it mitigate the potential losses caused by the pandemic, but it also garnered significant attention from local growers, further solidifying IFG’s reputation and boosting demand for their flagship variety, the Cotton Candy grape.

Three years later, with pandemic restrictions lifted, IFG expanded their video efforts to reach retail customers at major grocery stores like Costco and Sprouts. This campaign played a pivotal role in elevating IFG’s brand presence and directly contributed to their acquisition by another major grape breeding company, cementing their status as the global leader in table grapes and cherries.