On a Budget

Problem:

Bonnie founded Plant Jungle several years ago and it quickly grew into a budding service organization and storefront. The service side of her company (corporate plant design and maintenance) was flourishing. She had an expanding list of clients who touted her ability to quickly and professionally service their office greenery. Her storefront, while beautifully designed and maintained, was not as successful and the growth had become stagnant. Due to her high overhead costs, Bonnie’s goal was to expand her presence within the local community and increase her local market share while sticking to a tight budget. She found that even though she was in a great location with great signage, people just were not aware of her extensive plant offerings, her high levels of service, or her competitive pricing.

Solution:

We brainstormed with Bonnie to get a good idea of what her goals were and what type of image she wanted to portray. After conducting research on the local market and her industry, we proposed several different solutions that fit within her budget.

-The first was to participate in an advertising cooperative with other local companies. We designed a coupon that was printed with several other local businesses’ coupons and hung on doors in the area. This drove local traffic directly to her store.

-Second, we designed postcards that advertised the extensive products Bonnie sells along with the things that set her apart from her competition (years of experience in plant care, customized service, quality products, etc.). We sent these postcards to neighborhoods in her area using a targeted system we have access to through the USPS. This increased her local exposure without a huge hit on her budget. The additional exposure generated an increase of 20% profit over the next 3 months.

-Next, we invested in a PR campaign where we distributed her information via coupons at events like the annual Lupus Walk fundraiser. The positive exposure encouraged the community to visit her store as well.

-Finally, assisted in the development and implementation of her social media campaign. Bonnie does most of the updates and development on her own, we just offer advice, guidance, or training where needed. We have developed a strong relationship with Bonnie and we continue to help her grow her storefront business. She is an extremely bright entrepreneur and her growing customer base consistently recognize her for her prompt and personalized service as well as the quality of her products.

What They Said:

"Ahmad and Twistlab Marketing are quick to action! He has a great sense of business and knows his marketing. The creativity, flexibility, and superb advice has made Twistlab Marketing and Ahmad a great asset in my small business!"