Is the (fake) grass really greener?

Content Marketing, Copywriting, General Marketing Ideas

by Mark Nagurski, June 24th, 2008

Green Grass 1

I live in Ireland. By and large Ireland does not have too many problems growing grass. In fact, we grow so much of the stuff that we export it around the world. Sometimes, if you stand still long enough, grass will start growing right beneath your feet.

So, it was no small amount of interest that I read an ad in our local paper for a fake lawn service.

Admittedly, the stuff looked pretty convincing. Clearly fake grass has come some way since the coarse plastic mats we used to take camping with us when I was growing up in California.

The ad was broken up across the top of the page - half of it was standard display stuff: company name, picture of the product, that kind of thing. The other half was based on an imaginary Q&A whereby the fake lawn company addressed all the major technical points about their undoubtedly great product.

In that Q&A we found out what the fake lawns were made from, that they felt remarkably similar to real grass, that holes were used to allow drainage and - most importantly - pet pee could be simply hosed off. All good things I’m sure you’d agree.

Unfortunately, the display ad and Q&A both missed one important thing:

Why would I want fake grass in the first place?

Seeing as how fake lawns are a relatively new concept for Irish homeowners, educating potential customers is undoubtedly a good thing - but as always features don’t sell, benefits do.

Simply put, every ad must make one thing incredibly clear, ‘why should I be interested’?

This could be the greatest fake grass ever invented but I have no reason to care or take notice. All the technical info is completely wasted because the ad forgot to give us even the most basic of reasons as to why someone would want to buy fake grass (especially in Ireland).

So how could you fix the ad?

Never assume that your prospects know what you’re talking about - always get someone not associated with the business to read your ads before they go out. Ask them to point out the assumptions you make or jargon you use.
You could argue that people know the main benefit of fake grass. Whether they do or not is irrelevant, you need to address their needs and grab their attention.
Instead of leading with the company name, try a benefit led headline: “You’ll never need to mow your lawn again.”
A picture of a perfect lawn is OK but what about a pic of someone struggling to mow a lawn as a way to reinforce the benefit
Replace the technical points in the Q&A with clear benefits. Start by introducing a problem (the pet pee is actually a good one) and then describe how fake lawn can help
Include a clear call to action. In this case I’d want to continue the education process so I’d offer free samples or more info in return for getting in touch.
The ad should make as much as it can of testimonials, case studies and before and after shots. These need to be local too.

I’d also likely move away from generic print advertising in the local rags.

Free demos in garden centres
A great referral program
Cross promote with landscapers, developers etc….
Do a few small freebie jobs for community groups or charities and use that to gain media coverage

I’ll not pass any judgement on the prospects for fake grass in Ireland (for all I know it may be a huge winner) but a few small changes to their marketing - and print ads in particular - would likely make a big difference.