Innovative campaign pushes new product into market while shifting industry perceptions
Although fertilizer manufacturer Agrium Advanced Technologies was on the brink of releasing an innovative and exciting season-long fertilizer technology, there wasn’t necessarily a market available to house it. To turn the product profitable, Agrium would need to carve an entirely new niche and instigate a change in both cultural mindset and general fertilizer practices. The manufacturer and supplier turned to Elevation Marketing to develop an educational marketing campaign expressing the overall economic, efficiency and environmental values the new product would boast.
The Challenge: New Product Launch
Agrium’s target audience purchased fertilizer based mainly on price and size, leading Elevation to focus the campaign on the agronomic, economic and environmental benefits of the new technology product launch. Elevation needed to generate significant awareness around the technology’s benefits, support the distribution channel through impactful sales deliverables and drive product volume by supporting the sales team.
To achieve the campaign’s main initiatives, Elevation opted for a Total Customer Engagement Strategy— “pushing” the product’s technology through distributor partners and “pulling” end-user demand.
The Strategy: Marketing Campaign
Elevation worked tightly with Agrium to trial, name, brand, position and ultimately position the new product technology for maximum impact in the lawn care market.
The campaign included creative product naming, direct mail, emails, customer savings calculators, a B2B sales brochure and smartphone app. All campaign pieces were designed with the audience in mind, telling the product’s story through cohesive, compelling and easy-to-understand copy and design components.
The Business Wins
Due to the product launch’s initial success in the lawn care market, Agrium has positioned the product to enter the golf market as well.
- Overall, the integrated marketing campaign targeted more than 20,000 lawn care operators, municipalities and golf course superintendents.
- Strong engagement with distributors spurred new, stronger selling relationships.
- Product sales increased dramatically