SLIDESHOW: Behind Adama, Makhteshim Agan’s Deceptively Simple New Name
18 April 2014 
“We see significant commercial value in the transition to a single global brand.” -Ignacio Dominguez, Adama chief commercial officer
If you’re not sure how to pronounce “Adama,” the emphasis is on the last “a.” However you say it, Makhteshim Agan’s new name is simpler, catchier, and the Israeli company hopes, will bring it far better brand recognition worldwide. As of early this month, it has officially gone from 40 different company names to one.
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Ignacio Dominguez, chief commercial officer for Adama, reflected in an interview with FCI on the reasons behind the change, and what it means for one of the world’s top off-patent crop protection companies going forward.
The decision to create a new brand – which was made two years ago but a Masada-sized tower of nuances and legal and digital hurdles prevented a speedy unveiling – came down to one driving principle. That principle, Dominguez said, is this: The brand is the shortest and most efficient way to tell your story.
“It is crazy, for example, that we have a leading position in sugar beet herbicides in Germany, and everybody recognizes our leading brand Goltix, and nobody identifies that with [Makhteshim Agan,]” Dominguez explained. “That was something that we had to reflect upon and the transformation forces us to think about the brand – and to have one company, one culture, one image, one brand.”
So why “Adama”? It’s the Hebrew word for earth – but there’s more. The “MA” within the name shows it is keeping true to its Makhteshim Agan heritage. “AD” signals “advance.” Another element joins the masculine and the feminine: “ADAM” and “DAMA,” respectively. “AMA” also means “mother” in many languages, as in mother earth. This symbolizes its “down-to-earth organization,” both in approach and attitude. Balance is yet another important aspect. The three As equally divide its new name balancing the past, present and future.
In addition, the letter combination “ADA” works well for search engine optimization, Dominguez noted.
Along with the new name comes the motto: “Simply. Grow. Together.” The saying not only signals growth internally, but also growth for the agro community in terms of both crops and improved standards. Dominguez said the company aims to be “one element in the ecosystem of agriculture. The strategy is the same no matter where we go.”
The brand transition is happening under new CEO Chen Lichtenstein, who replaced the departed Erez Vigodman as of early February. Lichtenstein led Makhteshim Agan’s China integration and was appointed president and CEO of ADAMA’s parent company, CNAC. He co-created the brand strategy and is its biggest supporter, Dominguez assured.
Under his watch, Adama is rolling out 40 launches tailored to every market it serves over the next six months. In China, communication about the brand centers on its hybrid portfolio and services, economic considerations and the size of farms. By contrast, in Brazil, Adama is addressing things in its marketing approach like credit, hedging and services that are unique to that country.
Helping simplify growers’ jobs, too, is part of the end game. This will come in the form of making its products easier to use and handle. “Over time, we have very ambitious plans to make changes in our packaging,” which will incorporate a “distinctive sign” that it is Adama’s product, Dominguez added. The company is also looking at new digital solutions, and it is launching two new products over the next year, including a nematicide in the United States and a growth regulator in Europe.
Initial feedback from customers on the branding strategy is “very positive,” but Dominguez reminded that the true verdict will be unveiled over time. Improved brand recognition will have to happen not only among the channel of distributors, but also end users for it to be a success. In a couple of months, Adama will begin measuring brand equity, and next year, it will gather a new round of data that it expects to show that people know and are connecting with the Adama brand.
“We have a pragmatic reason to improve recognition and ultimately to allow us to capture some of those benefits in the commercial aspect of the company,” Dominguez said.
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