COVERSTORY
in-house staff, a marketing firm can help you with telling your story more effectively. When Bower realized the company didn’t need to be about him, he collabo- rated with a marketing firm and changed the name from Dave’s Landscaping to Seven Oaks Landscapes-Hardscapes. Bower says he got the new company name when he saw a billboard for a real estate company. The acorn became a symbol that fits with their vision, mission and core values.
“It’s all in the details,” says Allison
Welch, marketing manager for Seven Oaks. “It’s the little things. A little acorn that grows to be the mighty oak.” Miller says since she has an agency
One way Weller Brothers stands out is with their custom beer that is sold at a popular brewer downtown. $1 from each pint is donated to a local nonprofit.
Photos: (Above) Weller Brothers Landscaping
(Right) Seven Oaks Land- scapes-Hardscapes, Inc.
to brainstorm on how to articulate their purpose last winter. “After two long brainstorming sessions, Cole, Brent, and I gathered around sev- eral huge sheets of paper that we taped to the wall,” Miller says. “On these posters were the sentiments from our employees answering some of life’s biggest ques- tions — what brings you joy? What brings our customers joy? What motivates you? What brings you a sense of fulfillment in your job?” They threaded together the common elements to create their concise purpose statement, which has provided a sense of direction in making decisions, hiring the right people and their marketing efforts. “Our employees: they create work that they are proud of, bringing a sense of fulfillment from a job well done, and the income and ability to enjoy life’s best moments with their friends and family, which most answered as their greatest source of joy,” Miller says. “Our custom- ers: they are able to enjoy life’s best moments because of the work we do.
24 The Edge //January/February 2023
That might be making memories in the backyard pool or having dinner together on the patio. Or, it might mean that dad never misses a soccer game after a long day of work because he doesn’t have to worry about mowing the lawn or tending to that broken sprinkler head.” Miller advises developing a purpose statement that communicates your story without having to tell the whole story. Barnes says because they don’t have the traditional founder story, they are able to focus on their strictly commercial cli- ent base and get to the point as quickly as possible. “For many of them, the point is what we can do to solve their problem and make them more effective in their jobs,” Barnes says. “How can we make them look good? How do we make them the hero of their story?”
Barnes stresses that the customer should be the hero in the story and most companies spend way too much time talking about themselves.
“I don’t believe many clients out there are looking for someone to ride in on a white horse and save the day,” he says. “They want a guide. Someone to show them the path to success and help them along the way.”
Covelli says the keys to an effective brand story are authenticity and relat- ability.
“Most importantly, a brand should ‘live’ their story in how they talk and operate,” Covelli says. “In other words, they should walk the walk, and their story should be a representation of that.”
ENLISTING OUTSIDE HELP Depending on your situation and
background, they didn’t need to work with a marketing firm, but they have benefited from their relationships with a local videographer and photographer. She says thanks to the videographer’s work, they can showcase their work and culture with professional videos. “If a landscaping company is working with an agency or firm, I’d encourage them to choose one that will really take the time to understand your story and purpose,” Miller says. “There are many firms out there that will take on as many clients as they can and provide cook- ie-cutter services. Those ones will not succeed in communicating your story to the public. Find a team that really jives with your company and takes the time to understand who you are and what your purpose is.”
WHAT RESONATES WITH CLIENTS AND NEW HIRES In Yellowstone’s story, Barnes says their rapid growth and openness to new ideas are elements of their story that are attractive to outsiders. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have all the answers, and if someone comes up with a great idea or a way to make us better in a local branch, we can take that one great idea and spread it across all our branches really quickly,” Barnes says. “We’re always re- writing our playbooks because we know we can always get better.”
Barnes firmly believes clients and new employees are more interested in the role Yellowstone can play in their story, so they don’t spend a lot of time talking about themselves. “What led them to contact us about working with them, or what led them to want to apply with us?” Barnes says.
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