Syngenta: Moddus Plan

Project type

B2B and Integrated Marketing Strategy

Role

Strategy Supervisor

Agency

Moma

Industry

Agribusiness

Brand

Syngenta

Awards

Gold ABMR&A

Challenge

Syngenta was losing market share to low-quality and generic brand solutions in Brazil’s sugar cane industry. The company needed to strengthen the relationship between its product, Moddus Plan, and the purchasing departments of Sugar and Alcohol Plants, as these teams played a crucial role in decision-making. To achieve this, Syngenta had to move beyond a traditional direct marketing campaign that merely raised awareness of Moddus Plan’s effectiveness.

Cultural Insight and Execution

During field research at the plants, I observed that companies informally tracked their competitors' productivity by ranking them on hidden blackboards. Interviews with purchasing teams further revealed that local competition was a critical factor influencing resource allocation for productivity growth.

Rather than focusing solely on real-world competition to demonstrate product performance, we proposed creating an open, engaging competition across all sugar cane plants in the country to strengthen relationships with Syngenta's key clients.

In collaboration with a gaming studio and Syngenta Product Engineers, we developed Syngenta’s first-ever B2B gaming campaign: a national digital competition involving dozens of sugar and alcohol plants. The campaign aimed to provide an educational, game-based experience showcasing Moddus Plan’s efficiency as the leading solution for enhancing sugar cane crops. Each round required active participation from Syngenta’s sales team, fostering stronger connections with decision-makers at the plants. Spanning four rounds over one month, the competition featured weekly awards for top performers and a grand prize for the top three clients with the best overall results.

Outcome

The campaign significantly strengthened Syngenta's relationship with the Plants, achieving a 33% increase in sales above the target. The first round of gaming reached a 71% engagement rate, with an overall engagement of 43% for four weeks. Its marketing approach earned Syngenta the national ABMR&A Gold Award for Best Digital Marketing Campaign.