I have some wonderful news.

As we enter this new decade, Garden Media Group ushers in the biggest change in our history.

On January 1, 2020 I purchased Garden Media from my mom, Suzi McCoy, and am taking over as owner and president.

While my brain swirls with inspiration and desires for the company, I’d like to take this time to shine a light on Suzi, and thank her, my best friend, biggest supporter, and mother, for her endless passion – or enSuziasm – for me and for Garden Media. Mamma, there is no one like you!

It took me until my adult years (and then some) to realize what this business is and the courage it took to start it. As a woman and a single mother, starting a business in 1987 wasn’t easy and running it successfully for 33 years must have been extremely challenging and rewarding.

Through it all, one of the things Suzi never faltered on is fun. Life was chaotic at times, but she always managed to find the good in any situation and have a good time.

My training for this job began in kindergarten. In the stories about people like you, companies and plants (so many plants), she passed down intangible lessons as my mentor and mother. From her I learned everything I know about running a business, about being fair, setting the bar high and then higher.

And now it is her time to relax. She worked hard to create the relationships and reputation we have. I won’t get to see her face every day, walk into her office for advice or share lunch when I forgot mine. But I have her intuition. And for that I am eternally grateful.

My mom has taught me that life doesn’t always go as planned. We must take chances and risks, embrace new opportunities with enthusiasm, and even when we find ourselves in doubt, if we believe in ourselves, we can make dreams into reality.

At the end of one of my favorite podcasts, How I Built This, Guy Raz always asks: Is your success due to luck or hard work? I can equivocally say I am the luckiest new business owner on the planet. My mom worked hard for horticulture and to help grow your businesses. We all reaped the benefits of that. And I promise to work as hard to grow this industry and live true to our vision to inspire 320 million Americans to live a healthy gardening lifestyle 52 weeks a year.

If you’d like to send Suzi a note, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you. Please mail to:

Suzi McCoy
516 Honeysuckle Lane
Vero Beach, FL 32963

Thank you and cheers to many successes in the next 33 years and beyond!

Katie Dubow

President, Garden Media Group

Topics: lawn & garden public relations

A few weeks ago, Ellen Wells, Editor-At-Large for Green Profit, asked the question: Are demographics dead?

She was asking due to multiple articles stating that in today’s modern world, demographics can be thrown out the window.

Marketing based on age, sex and race is too simple, especially with groups of unlikely friends coming together.

Marketers have been relying on this information for years to keep selling their products. They are seeing the same people purchasing over and over. 

But not so fast. Demographics aren't dead... yet

Read on to see what you should be focusing on to create better marketing strategies.

Topics: lawn & garden public relations, trends, garden business

A headline can be tough to figure out. Yet it is the most important step to capturing your audience.

Think about what appeals to you. What would make you click on an article? What entices you to keep reading? 

We outlined ways to write the best blog title ever. Check it out to see how to brainstorm engaging headlines.

After reading through those, if you're still stuck, Kim Garst provides some sample headlines, using the info above, that are effective and unique.

Topics: lawn & garden public relations, content marketing, blogging

At Garden Media Group, spring is our favorite time of the year. After a cold and dreary winter, we welcome warm spring days and sunny skies with open arms.

The season’s change provides a fresh start. After being stuck inside all winter, spring is a great time to open up your windows, let in some fresh air, and turn over a new leaf. The spring cleaning tradition stems from these feelings of newfound energy and clarity.

Spring cleaning is a common routine in many homes, both indoors and out. While organizing your house and prepping your yard for spring are both great habits to develop, spring cleaning should be done at work, too.

Continue reading to learn how your business could benefit from a little spring cleaning.

Topics: lawn & garden public relations, Public Relations Trends, trends, Garden Media Group, Brainstorming

The way in which PR professionals contact reporters and producers sets the tone for future relationships. Treating the media with respect and being polite goes a long way when you’re building trust and creating mutually beneficial relationships. This makes the job a lot more fun and easier for everyone.

The secret is all in the pitch.

Continue reading to learn how to create a perfect pitch.

Topics: Media Relations, lawn & garden public relations, Garden Media Group, Garden Media, pitching

Think of that one friend, coworker or client who knows just the right thing to do to get under your skin. You have probably found yourself complaining about this person once or twice.

It’s easy to complain about negative habits, especially when you are repeatedly exposed to them on a weekly or daily basis in the workplace. 

Next time a negative trait in the workplace presents itself, challenge yourself to spin it into something positive. We are PR pros after all. With that kind of attitude, you’ll definitely be more successful and also find yourself feeling happier.

Continue reading to learn how to transform negative habits into positive thoughts.

Topics: Public relations, audience, lawn & garden public relations, trends, Garden Media, lead

The world today is one of instant gratification. We want results, and we want them quickly. 

The web gives us access to more information than our predecessors could have ever predicted, and because we can get results quickly, we make decisions quickly too.

And that makes public relations measurement more important than ever. 

The ROI of money invested in gardening public relations should be easy to see. 

Keep reading to learn 3 effective ways of making public relations measurement visually appealing and easy to digest.

Topics: Public relations, PR Measurement, PR Strategy, garden PR consultant, lawn & garden public relations

Return on investment (ROI) is the ultimate goal of public relations for garden businesses. Everyone wants to see tangible results. 

PR firms gather data to demonstrate their ROI using many variables. Measuring PR's effects can often be quantified with hard data. Sometimes, however, it cannot.

A true measurement of ROI requires other types of evaluation, besides numbers.

Learn new ways of calculating public relations return on your garden business' investment below.

Topics: PR Campaign, PR Measurement, branding, lawn & garden public relations, image building, social media

Quantifying public relations provides valuable insight into the effectiveness of specific PR strategies, campaigns and tactics.

There are many ways to analyze the same set of data.

For example, looking at PR measurements and analytics through the lens of sports statistics develops an interesting, new perspective. 

Keep reading to learn how you can use sports to better understand the impact of public relations on your gardening business.

Topics: PR Measurement, PR Strategy, garden PR consultant, lawn & garden public relations, garden industry public relations

From Google Glass to virtual reality headsets, the way we communicate as a society is ever-evolving. But, never before have the changes been so drastic or rapid.

As communication habits change, gardening businesses need to follow suit in order to stay current and continually resonate with customers. Plus, being at the forefront of these trends allows you to better attract younger, new gardeners to your business.

Read on to learn the top four ways communication is changing--and how your garden business can use these progressions to modernize the way you do business.

Topics: lawn & garden public relations, Public Relations Trends, Garden Media Group, garden industry public relations, content marketing