The San Francisco Botanical Garden had two dramatic problems to overcome: low awareness and low interest. In competition with more visible local attractions, SFBG was low on San Franciscans' consideration set. Many San Franciscans had been to the garden before, but didn't even know they were there! So, the Hive decided to rethink the marketing strategy, not just the advertising. We proposed a campaign that would treat the garden like a theatre venue. Our "Now Showing" campaign changes seasonally to highlight whatever's currently blooming in the Garden. That way, every season, we give San Franciscans another reason to visit this living museum.
Marketing shows up as an expense in every business's budget. In this case, it was a profit generator. First, based on the quality of the creative work, Clear Channel media donated close to $100,000 in outdoor advertising space. Then, sales from posters that matched the outdoor brought in revenue of $10,388, turning their first foray into advertising into a sustainable source of funding for future campaigns.
