Turf marketing snapshot - May 2020

Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the turf marketing levy into a range of activities to drive awareness and consumption, under the Hort Innovation Turf Fund.

Read on for a snapshot of how the turf marketing program will adapt to the new consumer and retail landscape created by COVID-19.

There have not been any major changes to the Hort Innovation Turf Fund marketing program due to COVID-19. Consumer engagement through channels such as the Lawnspiration Facebook page, Lawnspiration website, e-newsletters and media relations using ambassadors are continuing as planned, but with tailored messaging suitable to the new COVID-19 context.

The Hort Innovation Turf Fund marketing program has used this opportunity to provide relevant and helpful information to Australians such as:

• Benefits of having turf at home
  • Physical (exercise and activities during self-isolation)
  • Mental health (fresh air, open space, green space view outside your window)
  • Financial (value add for your home)
• Handy hints for installing and maintaining your lawn
• Fun lawn hacks and kid-related activities (such as turning your backyard into a gym, obstacle course, playground, picnic ground or sports field).

As consumers find themselves with more time and fewer activities to do, spending time in the backyard is a great solution to promote mental wellbeing and eliminate boredom. To begin making the most of this opportunity, the program has reviewed all planned content to ensure its relevancy and appropriateness for the COVID-19 context. New content has been created to focuses on the benefits of turf during these times of isolation, such as fun backyard activities for kids (and adults) and turf’s positive impact on mental wellbeing.

Specific activities in the program include…

Social media

Interest has been maintained on the Lawnspiration Facebook page. Consumers have been engaging positively as usual, posting pictures of their renovations, questions, and general comments about turf. New content is actively being created for this channel to reinforce the benefits of turf, provide garden activity ideas, and promote wellbeing in the backyard.

While consumers are confined indoors and have higher appreciation of their homes, a competition to win a $5,000 Turf Makeover via the Lawnspiration Facebook page was well-timed and welcomed by turf fans. Launched in April for two weeks, the competition received an impressive level of engagement, attracting over 1,000 entries consisting of poems, personal stories, and images of backyards.

Public relations and turf ambassadors

Turf ambassadors Michael and Carlene Duffy have provided DIY home renovation tips for consumers, including cost-effective way of improving the quality of your home (laying turf), which have been picked up by media outlets such as 9 Now, Your Investment Property and The Courier Mail. In the COVID-19 context, helpful information about improving your home and quality of living is just as important, if not more.