COSTA FARMS
SHIFTING THE B2B BEHEMOTH TO A CONSUMER DARLING
As the number one horticultural grower in the country. Costa Farms brand wanted to elevate their “white label” brand to a consumer-facing brand and launch a disruptive, bold campaigns. That supported both the corporate growth goals and brand marketing vision.
Research
Consumer Segmentation
Discovery & Strategy
Naming
Branding
Packaging
Communications
Creative Direction
Production
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Deliverables
Marketing & Branding Strategy
Branding/Art Direction
Copywriting/Brand Voice
Videography/Photography
Digital Presence
Website Design
Omnichannel Campaign
The Challenge
Costa Farms came to Agency Squid with a bold challenge. They wanted to grow from $700M to $1B in sales. The goal was to build a stronger consumer-facing brand. The strategy needed to be fast, scalable, and insight-driven. It also needed to support big-box retailers and plant-loving consumers.
Costa Farms needed more than a campaign. They needed a movement that changed how shoppers saw houseplants. Our task was to turn a plant supplier into a lifestyle brand. The brand had to connect with wellness, design, and everyday joy. At the same time, it had to protect the company’s B2B foundation.
The Solution
The truth was clear. The houseplant category was exploding. However, no brand had claimed the emotional, design-forward space consumers craved. While retailers rode the wave of wellness and home personalization, Costa Farms still lacked a consumer-facing identity. Because of this, the brand needed a clearer way to meet the moment.
The opportunity was not just to grow plants. Instead, it was to grow culture. Agency Squid saw the real value beyond distribution scale. More importantly, the goal was to build a brand that made indoor greenery essential. As a result, Costa Farms could shape how a new generation lived, decorated, and defined self-care.
Research
Trends & Competitors
Agency Squid began by studying shifting consumer behavior in depth. Through this work, we uncovered a surge in houseplant interest. This growth was driven by home expression, wellness, and the rise of portable personalization. As home ownership became less attainable for Millennials and Gen Z, consumers looked for affordable flexibility. Therefore, they turned to movable items, like indoor plants, to make temporary spaces feel like their own.
Positioning Costa Farms Beyond Plant Supply
At the same time, digitally native plant brands were gaining traction. They proved that design-savvy, emotionally resonant storytelling could disrupt a traditionally commoditized category. As a result, these insights shaped the foundation for Costa Farms’ positioning. The brand was not just a plant provider. Instead, it became the authority in self-expression through greenery.
Audience
To build a brand that worked across retail and digital, Agency Squid mapped diverse psychographic personas. These personas were shaping the modern houseplant boom. For example, some were wellness-minded urban dwellers seeking calm in rented spaces. Others were expressive creators building Instagram-worthy backdrops. Meanwhile, naturalists wanted a stronger indoor connection to the outdoors.
Turning Buyers Into Growers
Each audience brought different motivations to plant ownership. However, our segmentation showed a deeper truth. Houseplants were not just décor. They were emotional anchors, creative outlets, and identity markers. By understanding what truly rooted each persona, we helped Costa Farms build wider relevance. As a result, passive buyers became passionate growers across many consumer journeys.
Branding
Strategy
The research phase unlocked a clear insight. Houseplants had evolved from passive décor to active self-expression. Costa Farms had the credibility to own this shift. Agency Squid uncovered the emotional drivers behind plant purchases. These drivers appeared across distinct consumer mindsets. As a result, the strategy focused on accessibility, empowerment, and creative identity.
Repositioning Costa Farms as a Lifestyle Brand
The foundation work redefined Costa Farms beyond its role as a grower. Instead, the brand became a lifestyle platform for meaningful growth. It helped people grow something meaningful inside their homes. At the same time, it supported growth within themselves. This strategic repositioning shaped every consumer touchpoint that followed.
Building Costa Farms’ Identity
Guided by emotional connection and everyday creativity, Costa Farms received a new identity system. The system was built to resonate with modern plant buyers. It had to speak to different audiences across retail and digital spaces. Therefore, every creative choice needed to feel warm, useful, and inspiring.
Creating a Warmer Visual and Verbal Brand
The visuals used a warm and approachable tone. They mixed natural textures, vibrant photography, and editorial-style layouts. Together, these elements reflected both expertise and inspiration. At the same time, messaging moved from transactional to transformational. It used inclusive and affirming language that empowered consumers.
Connecting Wellness, Design, and Self-Expression
The new voice helped shoppers see themselves as confident plant growers. It also positioned them as expressive home curators. Every element was carefully crafted, from logo refinement to voice and tone. As a result, Costa Farms connected wellness, design, and self-expression. This made the brand culturally relevant and commercially powerful.
The Work
Concept
The All Thumbs Are Green campaign started with a simple truth. Most people do not think they are “plant people.” Agency Squid flipped that narrative with a brand platform rooted in encouragement, inclusivity, and joy. The campaign told consumers they did not need a green thumb to grow something great.
Turning Costa Farms Into a Confident Growing Movement
The campaign celebrated the learning process and made plant care feel easier. It invited nervous first-timers and confident hobbyists to see themselves as successful growers. Through playful messaging and optimistic visuals, All Thumbs Are Green changed how people saw Costa Farms. The brand began to champion progress over perfection. As a result, plant ownership felt possible, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone.
Omnichannel Campaign
To bring All Thumbs Are Green to life, Agency Squid built a fully integrated omnichannel campaign. The campaign was designed to reach consumers digitally, socially, and in-store. As a result, every channel supported the new Costa Farms brand experience.
Connecting Every Brand Touchpoint
The campaign included paid social, influencer partnerships, retailer-specific content, branded packaging, and storytelling-rich POS. Each touchpoint reinforced the brand’s new voice and visual identity. At the same time, the channel strategy focused on high-impact digital moments that drove discovery.
Growing Confidence Through Costa Farms
Retail activations and educational content helped support conversion and retention. Together, these efforts created a cohesive brand experience for plant lovers. The campaign invited people to grow with confidence. It proved Costa Farms was not just selling plants. Instead, the brand was cultivating a movement.
With a brand overhaul and a new national campaign, Costa Farms grew with plant parents across the country.
Results
SURPASSING $1BN AND COUNTING
Media performance that outperformed competitors by 20x led to over 70% of sales coming from new customer acquisition. And with a new website to support, Costa Farms saw incremental revenue rise by nearly 50%.
