Case Study: Alexander & Baldwin preserves community goodwill during sugarcane plantation closure with iQ 360

Alexander & Baldwin earns 200+ media stories with iQ 360

Alexander & Baldwin, a major landowner in Hawaii, faced the challenge of closing the state's last sugarcane plantation, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar, in 2016. This difficult decision impacted generations of local employees and threatened the community goodwill the company had built over a century. The vendor, iQ 360, was engaged to manage communications for this sensitive transition.

iQ 360's solution was to have the client proactively own the "end of an era" narrative, with executives expressing sincere gratitude and acknowledging the community's loss. The vendor conducted a yearlong campaign of proactive media outreach and prepared spokespeople with data to highlight support for employees. This resulted in over 200 positive media pieces, with nearly all coverage commending A&B's compassionate handling of the situation, successfully preserving the company's reputation.

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc