After a competitive review, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Checkoff Program has selected global marketing and communications firm, Finn Partners, for a national education and thought leadership campaign focused on global supply chain, logistics and transportation. Illinois is the largest soybean-producing state and the ISA represents its more than 43,000 soybean farmers, with a mission to support market development and expansion for soybeans globally.
Finn Partners will promote the opportunities that containerized shipping offers growers, processors, brokers, and exporters. To do so, the agency will conduct a strategic media relations and thought leadership program supported by events, awards and content development through August 2019.
The program will highlight the fact that containerized shipping represents only about 5% of Illinois soybean shipments, yet offers an efficient way to ship smaller, more diverse varieties of soybeans to customers with greater product integrity and stronger chain of custody. Expanding market and shipping opportunities are more important than ever with current trade discussions between the United States and China, America’s largest soybean importer. Shipping via containers lets exporters customize shipments to buyer preferences, which vary widely across the APAC region.
“Illinois has an incredible opportunity to capitalize on containerized shipping for international soybean export because of its rail and inland waterway proximity, plus access to empty shipping containers,” said Amy Roady, Communications Director, Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program. “FINN demonstrated their expertise, knowledge and relationships with the key audiences, influencers and media who are central to the container opportunity.”
The new assignment will be supported out of the Finn Partners Chicago office, led by Casy Jones, partner and head of the supply chain practice.
“There is a strong understanding that soybeans are central to the top trade issues being talked about today, and we see an opportunity to elevate new export opportunities as part of the solution for this industry,” said Jones. “FINN is helping connect ISA’s trade, economic and supply chain experts with the key voices who are talking about this topic.”
