GROW! Marketing and Public Relations Tips

Trending Thursday: Garden Media Garden Trends for 2014

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Thu, Jan 2, 2014 @ 9:00 AM

Welcome back y'all! Just like that the holiday season has come and gone, another year has passed and best of all, we're back in business.  

Is this the year you're going to make a marketing splash?  We have a lot to offer you and your garden business in 2014.

First off, Trending Thursday will be sticking around. Throughout November and December, the global consumer trends and lawn and garden industry trends were covered in a post each Thursday.

Starting next Thursday, a specific garden and home trend outlined in the 2014 Garden Trends Report will be delved deeper into each Trending Thursday.

Before we march forward, however, we wanted to take a second to recap the biggest garden consumer and industry trends.

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Topics: garden marketing, Trending Thursday, horticultural marketing communications, Garden Media Group, Garden Trends

4 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck from Your PR Agency

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Mon, Nov 11, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

When deciding to partner with a PR firm, your garden business is making a big investment.

Signing a yearly or multi-year contract is the most common practice for PR firms, which means you need to be completely ready for the commitment.

One way to make sure you maximize your partnership with your PR firm is to prep and ask tough questions about communication, price, and expectations before you begin.

Get the most out of your partnership with a PR firm by using these 4 tips to get the biggest bang for your buck.

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Topics: hiring a public relations person, garden PR consultant, horticultural marketing communications

6 Ways to Take Your Corporate Sponsorship to the Next Level

Posted by Katie Dubow on Mon, Nov 4, 2013 @ 9:00 AM
Sponsoring an organization or an event in the garden industry is a powerful way to connect  with key audiences and expand your network.

But sponsorship isn’t a silver bullet.

It takes a narrow strategy to really work it for your business. To do it right,  lots of work and a significant time investment will be needed in order to translate sponsorship dollars into business.

So how do companies like yours get the most out of sponsorships, partnerships, and tie-ins to increase their marketing value?

One key is to look beyond the classic logo placement and event attendance. Leverage the sponsorship’s ability to truly connect with members. 

Create value and educational opportunities for members, and you will see a shift in their behavior. Then, the sponsorship will truly reinforce your brand identity.

Don't just slap your brand on a banner, and call it a day. Here are 7 tips to maximize your opportunity and get the most from your marketing spend.

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Topics: Public relations, horticultural marketing communications, corporate sponsorship

Trending Thursday: Spooky Flowers & Halloween Themed Gardens

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Thu, Oct 31, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

Holiday-themed campaigns and real-time marketing are a big trend right now.

And, this year, spooky flowers and garden accessories are hot, too. They're popping up everywhere, from Urban Gardens to Sunset magazine.

It's a natural fit though. Halloween is about things that go bump in the night, and what better decorations than those that are ALIVE! 

Below are 9 garden plants and products that will add something unexpected to your Halloween décor this year for a unique, spooky twist on the typical.  Because we know- you’re anything but typical.

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Topics: Trending Thursday, trends, gardening, horticultural marketing communications, garden industry public relations, Garden Trends

Garden Trends 2014 from Today's Garden Center

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Thu, Sep 5, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

Today's Garden Center is showcasing Garden Media Group's six major consumer shifts along with several lower level trends that will impact garden purchases in its 2014 Garden Trends Report.

The overall theme, the report says, is finding balance. Each Thursday GROW! will now showcase and delve into a new garden trend of 2014.

Be sure to download the 2014 Trends Report to learn the details and forces behind each trend--and how your business can integrate the 2014 garden trends to grow your business.

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Topics: marketing communications, lawn & garden public relations, trends, horticultural marketing communications, garden business, Garden Media Group, Garden Trends

The Case for Content Marketing that Connects

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Wed, Sep 4, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

Content marketing is the future of the industry.

Instead of telling you what to do and what to know, content marketing inspires you to listen by providing your target audience with information they're craving in an arary of formats.

Content marketing connects instead of isolating. Typical advertising and marketing can actually have an adverse effect on your target audience. By bombarding them with irrelevant information, you isolate them from your brand while content marketing connects by answering key questions on their own time.

Below discover why content marketing, also known as inbound marketing, is the future of the industry as we know it. 

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Topics: garden marketing, audience, marketing communications, advertising vs public relations, Public Relations Trends, horticultural marketing communications, garden industry public relations, content marketing

The Innovative & Cost Effective Catalog of the Future

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Mon, Aug 26, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

In the gardening world, the print catalog has always been a standby.

But, they're expensive and often sent to a broad list of people, who frankly throw it in the trash. 

Instead for your garden brand to gain true, meaningful traction, you need to provide interesting content to the people who crave it.

Enter the new digital, social catalog of 2013--and beyond. Read on to discover how you can create your own innovative, green catalog.

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Topics: Pinterest, creating content, PR Strategy, marketing communications, lawn & garden public relations, Digital Branding, horticultural marketing communications, content marketing

Seth Godin & the Personalized, Connected Future of Marketing

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Thu, Aug 22, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

This week, I'm at Hubspot's Inbound Marketing Conference in Boston and am loving every second of it! Don't worry, I'll share more knowledge and content marketing wisdom when I return.

But, I could not wait to share Seth Godin's insights on how "we are all inbound now." As you probably guessed, seeing and hearing "America's Greatest Marketer" was absolutely amazing!

So amazing in fact that I could not wait to run back and blog about it--in typical content marketing fashion!

Read on to discover Seth Godin's tips and tricks for navigating the world of marketing that he shared at Inbound 2013!

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Topics: garden marketing, creating content, marketing communications, horticultural marketing communications, content marketing, inbound marketing

The Importance of Caring for Yourself

Posted by Emma Fitzpatrick on Thu, May 16, 2013 @ 9:00 AM

With the amount of time we spend thinking about all things gardening and marketing, it's easy to forget one of the most integral aspects of success in a business: you.

As the leader of a successful business, I know you take work home with you -especially during the busiest season of the year.

For gardeners, early spring is the time when flowers, seeds, soils, and chic containers are flying off the shelf.

Well, we think it's time to take a brief mental break from sales increases.

In order for your garden business to be successful, you need to learn the importance of self-care.

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Topics: garden marketing, horticultural marketing communications, garden business

Should a CEO Contribute to Your Blog?

Posted by Susan McCoy on Thu, Jan 3, 2013 @ 9:39 AM

Can your CEO blog? was the question posed on the front page of USA Today.

And the answer according to an article written by Del Jones, is "Maybe. Maybe not."

The USA story notes that while CEOs of smaller tech companies and PR firms are blogging, so far no Fortune 1000 CEO or chairman has launched a blog.

Here's the inside skinny from author and corporate blogging consultant Debbie Weil who was interviewed for this USA Today article.

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Topics: lawn and garden public relations, lawn & garden public relations, horticultural marketing communications, blogging

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