Oxford English Dictionary debuted a new word in June 2014 – “Hashtag.”
The popular metadata tag allows social media users to combine words and phrases to formulate a search of key words pertaining to anything imaginable.
Hashtags have revolutionized social media since they were introduced on Twitter in 2009. Today, they serve as mini search engines and create opportunities for brands to categorize content, showcase personality, promote events and build buzz around a product.
Although they began on Twitter, hashtags have since been incorporated into every social media platform available to consumers. They have even become incorporated into vocal speech.
Continue reading to learn how garden brands can incorporate hashtags into their social media branding strategy.
St Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which means thousands of people will join together next week to wear green and celebrate Irish culture and heritage.
After all, everyone is Irish on March 17.
Brands also join together to take advantage of the marketing opportunities the holiday provides.
According to prsa.org, “St. Patrick’s Day is becoming a widely celebrated holiday across the United States, and is proving to be a valuable sales, marketing and public relations opportunity. The holiday has seen more than a 10 percent increase in the number of Americans celebrating from 2010 to 2013. In addition to the ‘39.6 million Americans who claim Irish heritage,’ those without roots in Ireland partake in the large-scale celebratory activities as well.”
Public relations and St. Patrick’s Day have a lot in common – especially when it comes to PR in the garden industry.
Continue reading for more information on what Public Relations and St. Patrick’s Day have in common.
PR teams behind events like the Superbowl and the Oscars, as well as various brands and news outlets have developed strategies and campaigns to appeal to Millennials - those that use Snapchat religiously.
In addition to promoting events, Snapchat has included a “Discovery” page featuring news, trending topics and entertainment features.
Snapchat presents a huge opportunity for garden brands, as Millennials become a target consumer.
Continue reading to learn how garden brands can utilize Snapchat to reach a new target audience.
Everyone is talking about this weekend’s House of Cards binge - even the cast of Sesame Street.
In a new clip titled “House of Bricks” a cruel politician named Frank Underwolf attempts to blow down the three little pigs’ houses and take over the strong “White Brick House.”
This clip has everything, House of Cards references, basic math problems and even an appearance by the three little pigs. (And yes, Underwolf speaks directly in to the camera.)
The Sesame Street version of House of Cards demonstrates a valuable public relations lesson. Brands can reach more consumers when they cater their messages to appeal to target audiences.
Continue reading to learn how garden brands can appeal to new consumers.
Last year, more than 5 million women tweeted something negative about body image or themselves.
Dove wants to change that.
The beauty company’s mission is to inspire and encourage people to feel beautiful. As a leader in positive body imaging and messaging for the past several years, Dove has teamed up with Twitter to put an end to people’s low self-esteem and discomfort in their own skin.
“Power pinners” and bloggers were not happy with Pinterest this month after the web-based inspiration board began to ban affiliate links posted by its users.
According to Wired.com, “Basically, Pinterest is removing the ability for its most influential ‘Pinners’ to make money via outside marketing networks, including rewardStyle and Hello Society, according to an email obtained by VentureBeat.”
Wired reported that Pinterest removed these links and redirects because they caused “irrelevant pins in feeds.”
Though the social site is making changes (that many assume will ultimately help it make money), PR professionals can still utilize pins to create a dynamic campaign.
Continue reading for more information about your brand can use Pinterest to create a successful PR campaign.
Social media has the ability to bring people all over the world together to talk about specific events. Sunday’s #Oscars proved once again that outlets like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have a huge impact on the way consumers receive news.
What better time than awards season for garden brandsto plant the seeds for a future of retweets, likes, favorites and re-pins?
Continue reading for more information on how brands can promote themselves and build a personality through social media.
New York Fashion week ends today, which means the world’s most stylish influencers are packing their designer bags and looking to a new city for this season’s inspiration.
Trend spotters at Garden Media are feeling especially inspired and are gathering materials from the shows for our 2016 Garden Trends.
Though one deals with fabric and the other deals with soil, the garden and fashion industry have a lot in common.
Continue reading for more information about what garden brands can learn from New York Fashion Week.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, Brian Williams, renowned NBC Nightly News anchor said, “…it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions.” And this distraction has led to his stepping aside from his post at the Nightly News.
The anchor has recently been accused of lying. He quickly became the focal point of news stories in homes across the country as news stations reported on these accusations and his eventual fall from grace.
In addition to his suspension from NBC, his actions have caused people everywhere to question the integrity of newscasters.
Gardening companies can take a lesson from Williams. It begins with the basics written in communications 101 handbooks across the country – honesty.
Continue reading for more information about why honesty is an integral part of the public relations industry.
Garden Media Group is ready for its close up. In addition to releasing our in-depth trends whitepaper, today we launch our new YouTube video series highlighting top industry trends for 2015. The Garden Trends Report for 2015, “Unearthing the Best Life,” identifies nine consumer trends that will shape the garden and outdoor living industry for the coming year. Each video in the series highlights one trend to help viewers understand why it resonates in the industry.
