Costa Farms Aims to Build Better Connection With Indoor Plant Buyers
August 25, 2022 
Aglaonema ‘Ultra Pink’ (Costa Farms Trending Tropicals Collection)
Last week, Greenhouse Grower reported on how Costa Farms is shifting its commercial strategy to put an increased focus on the end consumer. As a part of this strategy, the company has launched a branding effort and consumer marketing campaign, as well as doubling down on efforts to educate and engage with the end consumer.
Greenhouse Grower Senior Editor Brian Sparks recently caught up with Costa Farms Brand Marketing Manager Justin Hancock to learn more about the company’s main goals with this approach, and how much consumers and retailers stand to benefit.
Brian Sparks: Can you start by talking about why Costa Farms changed its marketing approach?
Justin Hancock: The indoor plant space has just exploded in popularity, and we saw that there was an opening for our brand, especially at the retailers that typically sell unbranded pots and plants that don’t have a lot of recognition. We also believe that it’s going to benefit the retailers because if you can build the Costa Farms brand to the point where it’s something that consumers are looking for, it can help draw traffic into their stores. However, while we assumed the retailers could benefit from this marketing, our focus is really to connect and build our relationship with the consumer. If you’re going to be a consumer brand, the consumer needs to be at the heart of it.
Sparks: Costa Farms has always had a close connection to consumers. Did you conduct research that looked at, for example, how important specific branding is to a consumer when they’re shopping in a store versus if they don’t see a label tied to a specific company?
Hancock: Yes, we certainly did research on purchase drivers. We’ve developed segments to understand the main types of indoor plant buyers and perspective plant buyers so that we can target our marketing efforts and get the right message to the right consumer.
Sparks: In terms of education on the consumer side, especially with new consumers gained in the past couple of years, what information are you giving them about how to care for the plant when they get home? Did you put a greater focus on that?
Hancock: Absolutely, and we also want to make sure consumers know the different ways to reach us, that that we’re available via social media where they can ask questions. We also have a podcast where we’re trying to offer information before we’re even asked.
Sparks: Over the past couple of years, as you’ve seen this wave of new customers, the challenge for the industry is how we keep that customer coming back. How can Costa be a part of that process?
Hancock: I think that’s a great advantage that we have here at Costa, in that we have such a wide product line. If consumers start with an especially easy-care plant, the better your relationship with the plant, the more successful you are, and the more likely you are to buy other varieties. We have the whole spectrum from the basics up to the Trending Tropicals collection so that we can keep consumers engaged with fresh, fun varieties. We’ll have a steady stream of plant care information available on our website and on social media with tips to make sure that that you’re successful. We also want to make sure that we’re speaking to the consumer in a way that they know that we understand them. That’s something that I think can be a challenge when you’re used to being a grower and you’re not talking plant jargon or taking things for granted.
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