“Show Me The Monarchs”

Jennifer Schamber

Over the past several years, we’ve shifted our marketing strategy from what one could call a conventional marketing plan to a mission-based approach. We’ve been actively involved in local efforts to help raise awareness of the important role of native plants in our landscapes and also developed a branded program (called “Eco-Easy”) to help consumers make better decisions about the methods they use to maintain their yards.

Last year, the pieces were all in place to take the next step. We created a “call-to-action” campaign that helps raise awareness about the decline of the Monarch butterfly population and also gives consumers the tools needed to be a part of a solution. Participating customers receive a starter kit, which includes information on how to care for their plant, a brochure from Monarch Watch about how to create a Monarch Waystation, a flier to give to a friend telling them about the program and a certificate for a free one-year membership to the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

We started with a soft launch of the “Show Me The Monarchs” program last fall with the plan of distributing 500 native milkweeds for free to customers (one per person with any purchase). There was such an overwhelming response that we were out of plants in less than a week. This year, we have plans to give away 5,000 milkweeds starting at the end of April. One hundred percent of the money spent (which comes out of our marketing budget) for this program will go towards purchasing the plants. Zero dollars (with the exception of printing fliers) will be spent on advertising.

The success of the program is attributed 100% to our existing customer base, our allies within the green industry and support from schools and institutions. These partners are helping to spread the message through social media outlets, speaking engagements, collaborative events, fliers and good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth. Local green advocates and leaders have graciously volunteered to help promote the program. They believe in the message of the mission and have been supportive of the effort by endorsing it and helping to connect the dots between us and other key advocates.

The ultimate goal of the campaign is to create awareness to consumers about the important role they play in the health of their local eco-systems. Last fall, a very simple method of raising awareness was placing a host plant with larvae on the checkout counter. When customers approached the counter, some would recognize what they were seeing and comment on it (or excitedly point out “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to their kids), while others would say, “Uh oh! Do you know you have worms on that plant?”

During a brief, 20-second conversation, you could see a “light bulb” moment take place when that person would realize what they were seeing. So, hopefully, the next time they see an insect in their garden, they may think twice about spraying it with a pesticide and will hopefully have a greater appreciation for beneficial insects and birds. Of course, some of them will take home their free milkweed and forget to plant it and it’ll die in the pot … but maybe some will be inspired to plant more host plants or nectar sources with their children and create their own butterfly gardens.

By creating awareness on a micro level, our hopes are that there will ultimately be a better understanding of eco-system health on a macro level. Our plan for next year will be to focus on a different species and then another one after that. We encourage other garden centers to consider a similar campaign in their communities because we firmly believe that every dollar spent not only directly benefits the cause, but also helps create new gardeners with a new mission. GT

Jennifer Schamber is the General Manager of Greenscape Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri. She can be reached at jennifer@greenscapegardens.com.