Scotts was looking for a way to expand their footprint within major Canadian retailers, as well as position themselves as a total outdoor-living-area-care brand to new homeowners. To achieve this they wanted to communicate their relationship with the Miracle Gro brand. The challenge was the each brand (although both owned under the same Scotts brand) had always, up until this point, marketed independently of each other. Each had their own customer base, tone, look and feel. Within the organization itself, the personalities of each brand team were completely different from one another. Our first challenge was to find a way to bridge the gap between the two seemingly disparate brands.
One of our key observations was that the segment of new homeowners they wanted to reach simply had a lack of awareness that there was more to do than simply water the grass and flowers in order to maintain a beautiful lawn and garden. We suggested that being part of the DIY generation, the key was to get them to "get their hands dirty" by introducing them to small projects that would grow their interest in lawn and garden care. After much discussion we were able to demonstrate how this approach would work across both brands.
The other suggestion that helped the brands agree on a way forward was to simplify their point-of-sale language. Traditionally their marketing was displayed as pamphlets or labelling in detailed long-form, with the intention of providing the customer with as much info as possible to help them make the right buying decision. However, our DIY-ers wanted quick, easy-to-follow instructions with immediate results. In order to achieve this we distilled their info into key benefit-focused messaging that provided bite-sized tips on all POS displays. We also created project guidebooks that were made available in-store for free, and provided people with easy-to-do, educational projects that incorporated Scotts and Miracle Gro products.
Luckily, when we found out we'd also have to incorporate a mascot character from the ongoing US ad campaign, our brand-as-mentor approach was already aligned!
Once open to approaching their brand language in a new, simplified way, they asked us to also apply the same treatment to their pest control line of products.
