#FIRSTCUTSUNDAY: CREATING A NEW DATE IN THE UK GARDENING CALENDAR

DELIVERING A 5,000% INCREASE IN SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

 

THE OBSERVATORY: CATEGORY OWNERSHIP

Flymo is the UK market leader and ‘King of the Lawn’, so we set out to create a behaviour change among UK consumers that would live beyond the brand and affect the whole category.

We wanted the UK Public to associate the start of Spring with getting your Flymo out, kick-starting a category ownership campaign throughout the gardening season that could be annualised to build impact.

ORBIT: FINDING OUR TRIBES

Flymo is a brand for everyone, you don’t need to be a passionate gardener – in fact, you just want to get the jobs done so you can enjoy your garden with your family.

We know that UK family, home and lifestyle influencers often have similar audiences to Flymo customers in terms of values, demographics and lifestyle interests.

For this campaign we chose to work with a hero talent in likeable TV and social media star Joe Swash, whose following is in excess of 2m and we knew was about to see a huge engagement spike due to his appearance on TV’s I’m A Celebrity during our campaign.

Alongside Joe, we worked with four social media influencers including:

• Interiors, home and travel account, @hoppshouse
• Popular home account documenting the renovation of a 1930s semi, @theturnerhouseproject,
• A family man best known for his engaging home content, @daywithdad
• A couple who both have a big passion for DIY/interiors and regularly document their garden, @house_proud_dads

ORIGINALITY: CREATING A CULTURAL MOMENT

We wanted to create a moment in the gardener’s calendar that had never been done before – a cultural point in the year when you first get your mower out of the shed. So #FirstCutSunday was born.

First Cut Sunday is now a yearly date in the diary to celebrate getting ready for Spring based on market research on the most common day people take their lawnmower out of the shed and cut the lawn.

First Cut Sunday is now a key moment in the garden sector retailers’ calendar to drive people into their gardens after a long winter – retailer partnerships are now in place with the likes of eBay, Homebase and The Range hosting #FirstCutSunday website takeovers, PoS pop ups and social media competitions across the weekend.

Flymo fans are typically an audience new to gardening, so we created a co-created content strategy to introduce #FirstCutFacts in the build-up to #FirstCutSunday, educating the newbie Flymo audience on how to check their equipment, establish which lawn mower best suits their lawn and how to prep and mow their lawn for maximum results.

We partnered with eBay as our official campaign retailer and created a bespoke direct to purchase link for influencers to post alongside their content to drive traffic.

OMNIVERSE – A WORLD OF BRAND ASSETS

We created a world of campaign assets to generate awareness in a fun and creative way. Starting with ‘First Cut Facts’ graphics and videos to build excitement for the campaign through tips and hacks followed by ‘First Cut Sunday’ graphics landing on the actual day.

Flymo’s Facebook and Instagram owned content included a selection of static and animated assets from ‘Save the Date’ statics, to animated tips and tricks.

Co-created Influencer content was posted mostly on Instagram, with main grid content taking on a reel format, making best use of the channels in-feed experience, and keeping it digestible for the consumer. Each influencer used either a voice over, or a trending sound to catch and retain attention.

Amplifying Joe Swash’s content in targeted paid ads across Flymo’s Instagram and Facebook pages increased the campaign’s visibility.

OUTREACH – AN EARNED-FIRST CAMPAIGN

#FIRSTCUTFACTS

This campaign was all about attracting a whole new audience new to gardening. We created a strategy of working with relatable creator talent alongside introducing #FirstCutFacts in the build-up to #FirstCutSunday, to educate the new Flymo audience on how to check their equipment, establish which lawn mower best suits their lawn and how to prep and mow their lawn for maximum results.

For the build-up to First Cut Sunday, influencers shared #FirstCutFacts on their Instagram stories, introducing their followers to the campaign and seeding out helpful content to their audience to build brand trust.

Link sharing was made easy by utilising Instagram’s click through link sticker alongside stories posted on the day of First Cut Sunday, allowing for a seamless journey for those interested in purchasing product.

All influencer content was reshared to Flymo’s stories on the day, and Joe Swash content was used across Flymo’s Facebook & Instagram as a paid advert for the brand post campaign to build momentum.

 

OFFECTIVENESS™

CAMPAIGN REACH: 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE

sales: £30K ebay purchases in one weekend

ENGAGEMENT: 5,000% INCREASE IN SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT