In the late nineteen twenties the two largest manufacturers of breakfast cereal, Kellogg's and Post, were vying for the hearts and wallets of the American people. But with the Great Depression looming in the distance, and spending on the top of everyone's minds, only one company could come out on top.  Can you guess who?

Ah, the sweet smell of spring! We've endured the April showers, and now, it's finally time for May flowers! But, that's not all that's blooming...

Throughout the month of May, Garden Media Group will hone in on one of our favorite concepts: branding!

Each and every Wednesday throughout the month of May, our Grow blog will be examining a new aspect of branding.

Stick with us, and by the end of the month, your flowers will be in full bloom--and so will your garden business's brand!

To begin the journey, we're discussing one of the most important and initial steps of branding a business: defining your brand personality and product.

Branding is a compilation of the choices your business makes. There's no magic formula to crafting an impeccable brand.

In order to build your business's brand, you've first got to establish three words that really encapsulates who your brand is. How are you different than the million of other garden businesses out there?

Once you've established a solid, branding foundation, then it's time to build your brand!

Best way to build your green, garden brand? Read and use these tips below to make your brand UNFORGETTABLE. 

I was recently asked to speak to a group of landscape designers on alternatives to social media that still remain effective. 

You know what I found out, traditional forms of marketing still work.

The same strategies such as direct mail, newsletters and gasp, face-to-face meetings, can be reliable ways of keeping your business in the public eye and generating new business without breaking the bank.

They keys to success in traditional marketing are the same in internet marketing.  You need to send the right message to the right people, and have a compelling offer. 

I wanted to share a few things from my talk, and the first is a guide to creating targeted, compelling newsletters.  And these tips can apply to e-newsletters, too, if you so desire! 

We live in a 24/7 world, where there is always a conversation going on Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Youtube.. People are going to be talking about the latest ending of a Phillies game or posting reviews about the newest Modern Family episode.

Memes give the people yet another avenue to express their thoughts; memes are a cultural sensation that have been growing exponentially. If you don’t know exactly what a meme is, don’t fret! We’ll cover that in just a second.

Memes and social media unite us as a nation and as a global community. Here, we’re able to connect, converse, and laugh about the same cultural icons.

Yet, memes can be an extremely valuable tool in your small business. Learn just how easy it is to become the next viral share on social media with a laughable, sharable meme!

Branding is a big, big concept, but when it comes right down to it, branding your business is truly a compilation of small choices. 

Digital branding has become increasingly important, and one of my favorite (and least discussed) aspects of creating a digital, online presence is the font you use.

Recently, I just started watching American Horror Story-- a bit behind the times I know. But, their font encapsulates the essence of their product and brand perfectly. Check it out here. This font works so well because it reflects the three words that describe their culture and brand.

When creating a digital presence for your gardening business, avoid these blacklisted fonts! Plus, read up on how to pick the perfect font to make your horticulture businesses unique and memorable.

We recently wrote a post, Does Your CEO blog? written by our fearless leader and CEO, Suzi McCoy.  In it, she mentions that "there's an untapped opportunity for an early CEO adopter with the right touch." Untapped- meaning, not enough CEO's blog. 

All too often it seems that blogs, social media and entire content marketing plans are left to the control of an intern or recent college graduate. Content marketing is too important to be left to someone who doesn't understand the brand goals and values of the company.  It is of the utmost importance to have the CEO and top level management at the company invested in the marketing plan. 

Today marks the one week anniversary of MANTS, the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show. Sniff, sniff. MANTS never lasts long enough for us. Of course, it’s a ton of work for exhibitors and public relations teams alike, but MANTS is one of the most humbling, exciting trade shows we go to all year.  One exhibitor from Oregon said, "if you don't show up at MANTS you might as well not be in business”, another said MANTS is the Big Leagues compared to all other shows around the country!” No wonder it’s nicknamed The Masterpiece of Trade Shows™. We couldn’t agree more!

Since MANTS is one of our favorite trade shows of the year, we want to pass along a token of our experience—just in case you and your garden business weren’t able to make it this year. First and foremost, we’re going to recap the stars at MANTS. But, if you’re looking for something a bit different, head on over to our GMG Twitter Feed to re-read our LIVE tweets during the show. It’s never too early to relive the moment, right? We’re already flipping through our photos at Garden Media today!

It goes without being said that at Garden Media Group, we LOVE plants. We think, write, promote, market, and revel in all kinds of plants and horticulture accessories day in and day out.

But, today, January 10^th, we want to stand on rooftop gardens and shout our love for one special kind of plant today: the houseplant! In fact, January 10^th is and always will be houseplant appreciation day.

After all, we’ve got a heck of a lot to be thankful for; houseplants are more than just a pretty face—though they truly are beautiful, aren’t they? Go ahead, revel in the day!

Buy a new houseplant, share your love by gifting a plant, sing to your plant today, whisper a thank you in its leaves, whatever works for you, works for us too! As long as you celebrate and appreciate the houseplant, we (and your houseplants) will be more than happy!

In the business of marketing, there are countless theories as to how best to promote and brand a business, product, or services. Some say advertising. We of course say, “PR’s the best!” Others say SEO, search engine optimization.