ONTARIO, CANADA - In the marketing world, going beyond the ad or campaign to create a visceral experience can capture new customers and skyrocket popularity. That is exactly what Nature Fresh Farms set out to do with its Greenhouse Education Center (GEC), a unique approach to educating shoppers about where their food comes from while encouraging them to invest in its products. Because of this outside-the-box approach, the greenhouse grower earned the 2023 Besties Award for Best Alternative Marketing Campaign.
“Educating consumers using innovative and creative marketing techniques can set you apart from the competition, so our team is continually focused on bringing new ideas to the table that will allow us to stand out to consumers amongst a sea of sameness,” said Krysta Markham, Communications Manager. “The Greenhouse Education Center has allowed us to do this.”
The Greenhouse Education Center is a mobile greenhouse that travels to retail stores, summer camps, and schools across North America, showing consumers how greenhouse vegetables are grown. It is a 38-foot-long mobile snapshot of the grower’s combined 250 acres of greenhouse farm in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, and Delta, Ohio.
This exciting tool was custom-built to operate precisely as Nature Fresh Farms’ greenhouses do, from a recycled coconut husk base to the watering tubes, energy curtains, and computerized venting system. The GEC is filled with three types of bell peppers, two types of tomatoes, and long English cucumbers. It also has a Bumble Bee Eco-System located at the back end of the trailer to highlight the natural pollination process.
“By bringing the greenhouse to consumers, we’ve opened the doors to our growing operations, showcasing the sustainable technology, water conservation, and integrated pest management that all go into growing our produce. It’s a side to the greenhouse industry that consumers typically don’t get the opportunity to see and one that resonated and provided a ‘wow’ factor for many,” added Krysta. “By capturing their attention in such an exciting way, we’ve been able to promote our brand, but more importantly, educate consumers on the benefits of greenhouse growing.”
Nature Fresh Farms and the GEC are examples of what can be created when the boundaries are reimagined and innovation is fully embraced. As the industry continues to push the envelope of what is possible in the field and the marketing world, there is no telling what is possible.
Cheers to Nature Fresh Farms on this exciting win!
