INTERMOUNTAIN FARMERS ASSOCIATION | CENTENNIAL
IFA Country Store 100 Year Story
Capturing hearts and minds often starts with a story, and IFA Country Stores had countless stories worth telling.
100 YEARS
serving the intermountain farmers community
In 2023, the Intermountain Farmers Association (IFA) marked its 100th anniversary in the Intermountain West. To commemorate this milestone, IFA launched a “100 Hours of Service” initiative, challenging each branch to volunteer 100 hours throughout the year. This collective effort resulted in over 3,500 hours of community service across the region.
IFA approached Love with a desire to spread the word about its initiative, boosting awareness and reputation of the already beloved brand. The results of our work? Placements in eight local publications across the Intermountain West, concentrated in rural areas where IFA thrives.
IFA workers diligently tracked their 3.5k+ service hours and documented small anecdotes in a spreadsheet. This sheer volume of data—hundreds of rows in Excel—posed a challenge. IFA needed help transforming this raw information into a compelling narrative that would resonate with their core audience.
We identified traditional media relations as the most effective approach, focusing on rural communities where IFA has a strong presence. We crafted a master press release highlighting the program’s overall success. Then, we developed six “Swiss cheese” localized releases tailored to different markets, primarily targeting smaller towns in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.
8 PLACEMENTS
featured in local publications
Each localized release featured 1-3 in-depth stories showcasing the specific service projects undertaken by IFA employees in that region. These stories ranged from volunteering at county fairs to repairing flood-damaged backyards and tying blankets for children in need.
6 LOCALIZED RELEASES
tailored to small towns in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.
For example, Restoring a Single Mother’s Backyard: In Southern Utah, the IFA Country Store in Cedar City and the Southern Utah Agronomy Center dedicated over 200 hours to renovating the backyard of Heather, a single mother of three. Severe flooding had devastated the yard, but the team worked together to plant grass seed, lay gravel, and more. “Outside of her two jobs, Heather is a Pastor who volunteers her time visiting with the elderly in hospice care. She has always given back to others, so it was great to give back to her in this way,” said Sam Mortensen, branch manager of the Cedar City IFA Store.
851,188
estimated combined reach
Sometimes, media relations strategies seek to reach the masses. In this case, targeting IFA’s core customers in rural areas was most important.
Local newspapers eagerly embraced the opportunity to feature heartwarming stories happening in their communities. We secured eight stories in local outlets and arranged interviews with local IFA employees who were directly involved in the service initiatives.
Overall, our efforts resulted in an estimated combined reach of 851,188, with coverage in Utah Business and local stories in Cortez, CO; Farmington, NM; Elko, NV; Cedar City, UT; St. George, UT; and Tremonton, UT, as well as a repost in World News.
This initiative not only celebrated IFA’s 100 years of service but also strengthened its bond with the communities it serves. Through meaningful media outreach, Love Communications helped IFA share these powerful stories, building lasting connections and reinforcing the company’s dedication to service.
