CHALLENGE:
EarthOne Inc. is a company focused on developing solutions that support a sustainable future. In one of their first products, they have developed the ‘Earth One Plant Monitor’. The Plant Monitor guarantees foliage, yield, and increased flowering. The software does the math, and the hardware brings all the sensors together. Using light, humidity, soil moisture, temperature, and pH sensors, EarthOne can provide a dashboard of the consumer’s plant’s needs, utilizing science-backed metrics like Vapour Pressure Differentials (VPD) and Growing Degree-Day (GDD).
The product has been in Beta testing, and EarthOne is ready to build out a comprehensive marketing strategy; having done some research themselves to ensure the product is viable and a marketplace exists, they now need the strategy to define their markets, and how to reach them, through both distribution and marketing channels.
The Business & Commercialization Innovation Centre team will build off the research completed by EarthOne to uncover key trends in plant ownership and look at competing products to understand what gaps EarthOne is filling in order to better position them in the marketplace. This information will be used to break down target market(s) from a geographic, demographic, buying behaviours, and psychographics lens. This will provide the information necessary to advise of the best distribution channels to use, along with what marketing channels and what tone/messaging is needed to resonate with the markets.
SOLUTION:
Secondary research to uncover key insights of the houseplant and gardening industry was conducted. A thorough analysis of EarthOne’s compatibility with various applications within the industry was completed, and insights from the analysis was provided.
An analysis of competitors was conducted to uncover potential positioning strategies and gaps for EarthOne was conducted. An analysis of potential target markets was conducted including demographic and psychographic research to be used for sales and promotional content.
Potential distribution channels were analyzed including direct-to-consumer channels, business-to-business channels, and business-to-consumer channels.
Finally, a promotional strategy was developed and outlined utilizing information gathered from previous sections.
Funding: This project was made possible by funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, through the Niagara College-led Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN).
