Grow Campaign Spotlight: Tomatofest – Cultivating Sustainable Success

In the latest development of our comprehensive Grow Campaign, we are excited to continually provide updates on the program. Our goal has been to use cooperation between brands, service providers and retailers to create tools designed to drive sales to the store, differentiate IGCs from Box Stores, and build community at the garden center. With all that in mind, I want to share some thoughts as we introduce Tomatofest, a dynamic initiative designed to enhance our garden community’s engagement with edible gardening through innovative, sustainable practices. Anchored by our central digital platform, the garden center app, Tomatofest embodies our commitment to leveraging technology to unite, educate, and inspire gardeners nationwide.

A Sustainable Approach with GardenGlow

At the heart of Tomatofest is the introduction of GardenGlow by Earth Microbial, a pioneering product that underscores our dedication to organic, sustainable and regenerative gardening. GardenGlow offers gardeners an environmentally friendly solution to boost tomato production, yielding healthier fruit while minimizing the need for chemical interventions. This aligns perfectly with the Grow Campaign’s ethos of promoting sustainable practices across our gardening community.

Integrating Technology for Enhanced Engagement

The garden center app remains a cornerstone of our strategy, acting as the conduit through which Tomatofest comes to life. Participants can access a wealth of resources, including:

• Free Tomato Plant Promotion: By entering a specific promo code in the app, users can kickstart their Tomatofest journey with a complimentary tomato plant, setting the stage for a season of fruitful growth.
• Educational Content and Support: With consumers identified by that unique code we can then provide targeted push notifications.The app serves as a repository for expert advice on using GardenGlow, managing tomato plants, and adopting sustainable gardening practices.
• Follow Up Promotions: Our partnership with GardenGlow includes distribution of free samples of the product. This will be done through targeted push notifications using promo codes (gardenglow) in order to get consumers back to the garden center and achieve optimum results. Use of the promo codes triggers a reward on the app that customers redeem at the store, creating an additional store visit.
• Community Interaction: Through the “Why I Grow” campaign, the app encourages users to share their gardening stories, photos, and tips, fostering a vibrant community of like-minded enthusiasts. These are designed to be shared through social media, the app and in-store signage.

Celebrating Community with Onsite Tomatofest

The culmination of Tomatofest is an onsite event that brings digital interaction into the physical realm. This celebration not only honors the achievements of our community members but also provides an invaluable opportunity for live learning, expert workshops, and the exchange of organic gardening wisdom.

A Strategic Collaboration for a Greener Tomorrow

Our partnership with Earth Microbial for the Tomatofest exemplifies a strategic collaboration aimed at enriching the gardening experience with innovative, sustainable solutions. Together, we’re not just promoting a product, but advocating for a healthier approach to gardening that benefits our environment. This helps position the garden center with a message that resonates with today’s consumers.

Learning While Growing

With the app platform we are able to increase the direct engagement with consumers, while collecting valuable (non-personal) data on both the product and the shopper. We can then tailor future information to build on their specific interests with future promotions, gardening tips, all the while encouraging these ‘ambassadors’ to share their story and build loyalty to the garden center.

The Grow Campaign: A Framework for Future Success

Tomatofest represents a critical component of the broader Grow Campaign, illustrating the power of unified efforts in advancing the garden industry. Through initiatives like Tomatofest, supported by the foundational technology of our garden center app, we aim to lead the charge in promoting sustainable gardening practices, enhancing community engagement, and driving the success of garden centers nationwide. The key is to keep in fun, help gardeners achieve better results and build the garden center brand through innovative tools and supplier support.

As we continue to evolve the Grow Campaign, initiatives like Tomatofest will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of gardening. As a pilot program we’re interested in learning what works (and what doesn’t) in order to continue to grow and innovate. Watch this space for updates as we executive the program.