Documentary Short Lands 28,000 Views In Three Days, Next Stop: Indiegogo

Millennial CEO’s marketing tactics shed light on coconut industry via short doc that earns title of “Vimeo Staff Pick”

Vancouver, BC (July 23, 2015) — Kapuluan Coconut – a social enterprise that produces handmade, raw coconut oil products – is proud to share the success of last week’s released short film, the documentary short, Kinabuhi: landing 28,000 Vimeo views in three days, with the next stop on the campaign being Indiegogo. Originally slated for a fall launch, the Indiegogo campaign will kick off Friday, July 27, as a direct response from the documentary’s success on Vimeo, making it to the “Staff Pick” list within a couple days of being on the site.

The film follows coconut farmers as they work to rebuild their lives after the devastating effects of Typhoon Hagupit. Directed by Danny Cooke, an award-winning filmmaker and the recipient of several “Vimeo staff-pick” designations, this short is the first Kapuluan Coconut production, created to support its efforts to build a coconut oil production facility in the Philippines. Cooke brings his signature use of drone footage to Kinabuhi, capturing images of the vast and lush landscape of the coconut groves as the farmers scale the 100-foot palm trees.

“I was in the eye of Typhoon Hagupit while doing relief work and experienced firsthand the wake of its destruction; most notably, 33 million trees that were key to people’s livelihood,” said Will Lauder, founder of Kapuluan Coconut. “I wanted to create a film that could showcase the strength and beauty of this community while also shedding light on the inequity of the coconut industry.”

Currently, 60 per cent of coconut farmers live in extreme poverty, earning less than two dollars a day. As small farmers within a global supply chain, they are the most vulnerable to market fluctuations and exploitation by industrial agriculture. Coupled with the constant threat of natural disasters, the future for coconut farmers is uncertain.

To support Kapuluan’s mandate to improve working standards for coconut farmers, the company will launch an Indiegogo campaign this week to raise funds to build a small batch, raw coconut oil production facility in Eastern Samar. In addition to the facility, Kapuluan will also provide equipment; skills training; and long-term job opportunities for men and women. The company will then purchase the coconut oil from the farmers to close the loop and ensure farmers also see financial impact.

“Raising awareness about the inequality of coconut farmers through Kinabuhi is the first step,” explained Lauder. “The next will be to put the money where our mouth is by creating real, long-term opportunities for these farmers so they can become self-sustaining communities.”

To view the documentary, please visit: http://kapuluancoconut.com/kinabuhi-film and for more information, please visit: http://www.kapuluancoconut.com.

More Quick Facts:

  • Vimeo “Staff Pick” Documentary Short film “Kinabuhi” follows coconut farmers rebuilding lives after Typhoon Hagiput.
  • The documentary (15 mins) is produced by Kapuluan Coconut and directed by Danny Cooke, an award-winning, Vimeo staff-picked filmmaker.
  • Will chose Danny for his history as a Vimeo Staff Pick, and the investment paid off. Three days after the release of “Kinabuhi,” it became a Vimeo Staff Pick and resulted in 25,000 Vimeo views in 72 hours.
  • Will says having a business aspect to his cause allowed him to gain this much traction so quickly, as commissioning a film wouldn’t have been considered prudent for a non-profit.
  • Will is now gearing up for a product launch, funded by an Indiegogo campaign for Kapuluan Coconut. Where many product launches focus on the item being sold, Kapuluan is keeping its focus on the cause: to improve working standards for coconut farmers.
  • Originally slated for a fall launch, the Indiegogo campaign has been expedited and will kick off Friday, July 27 — a direct response from the documentary’s Vimeo success.
  • The film follows coconut farmers as they share their trade, as well as their fears around an industry that has been exploited by industrial agriculture and crippled by natural disasters like Typhoon Hagupit and Typhoon Haiyan, the latter which destroyed the livelihoods of more than a million farmers.
  • This film supports Kapuluan’s upcoming Indiegogo campaign, aiming to raise funds to build a small batch, raw coconut oil production facility in Eastern Samar. In addition to the facility, Kapuluan will also provide equipment; skills training; and long-term job opportunities for men and women. The company will then purchase the coconut oil from the farmers to close the loop and ensure farmers also see financial impact.
  • Kapuluan Coconut’s mission is to improve the standards for coconut farmers while minimizing harmful impacts on the environment.
  • A move many CPG businesses would not make, Kapuluan does not have the essence of a consumer product e-commerce site when you land on it, it is selling a story before anything else and people have no choice but to learn about the impact of their purchase before they add anything to their shopping cart.

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