How Agency Squid Helped Costa Farms Grow from B2B Giant to DTC Houseplant Icon
Why CPG Brands Need to Rethink Wellness, Style, and Space When Building Modern Campaigns
If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram over the last few years, you’ve likely seen a fiddle leaf fig, pothos, or monstera hanging in the background of someone’s home—often with a caption about self-care or personal style. But for CPG brand managers and marketers, this trend is more than just aesthetics. It’s a case study in how consumer behavior, mental health, and lifestyle design converge to create explosive category growth.
And that’s exactly what we uncovered when Costa Farms, one of the largest plant growers in the world, came to Agency Squid to transition their business from B2B wholesaling to a consumer-facing brand.
The Challenge: Build a Brand in a Category No One Was Talking About (Yet)
Indoor houseplants were historically treated like commodities—a utility purchase from a hardware store, not an emotionally-driven lifestyle product. But during the pandemic, everything changed. Costa Farms saw massive growth, but without a clear understanding of why.
They turned to Agency Squid to decode the shift, define the consumer, and build a full-scale brand and campaign strategy around the behavior that was quietly transforming retail shelves, social feeds, and living rooms.
Key Consumer Insights That Shaped the Campaign
Through deep research, segmentation, and cultural listening, we discovered three major behavioral drivers that were reshaping the indoor plant category and creating massive opportunity for CPG marketers:
1. Mental Health and the Wellness Economy
According to MRI/Simmons data and research published in HortScience, consumers were purchasing plants not just for decoration—but for emotional well-being. Key motivators included:
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Reducing anxiety through nature-based décor
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Creating a calming environment in tight or shared living spaces
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Nurturing something simple during periods of isolation
Search trend alignment: Queries like “plants for mental health,” “best indoor plants for well-being,” and “therapeutic benefits of houseplants” saw a massive spike post-2020.
2. Aesthetic Personalization as Self-Expression
With homeownership out of reach for many Millennials and Gen Z, plants became the most affordable way to customize a space. Through our research, we found a strong correlation between rising home prices and increased plant sales—especially among renters and urban dwellers.
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Plants became part of the “style kit” for bedrooms, home offices, and apartments
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Social media normalized plant collecting as a form of aesthetic identity
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Younger consumers saw plants as a creative, affordable home upgrade
3. Learning and Community Through Content
As consumers became more engaged, they didn’t just buy plants—they sought out education and validation. This content discovery was happening on:
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TikTok (“planttok”), YouTube, and Pinterest
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Influencer blogs and DIY Instagram feeds
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Retail websites and brand content hubs
The Strategy: Turning a Commodity into a Lifestyle Brand
We built the campaign from the inside out—starting with brand segmentation, strategic positioning, and audience discovery. Here’s how we helped Costa Farms become a brand that resonates with modern consumers:
1. Consumer Segmentation: Four Audiences, Four Journeys
We developed a research-backed segmentation framework with four distinct houseplant buyer personas, each with their own:
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Purchase drivers (style, wellness, care, gifting)
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Information needs (education vs. aesthetic inspiration)
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Preferred channels (TikTok, YouTube, in-store, blogs)
This allowed us to build personalized messaging, tailored creative, and optimized media placements that connected with each segment in meaningful ways.
2. Brand Campaign: “All Thumbs Are Green”
We launched “All Thumbs Are Green”, a unifying brand platform built on inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment. The campaign directly challenged the “green thumb” myth and created:
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A welcoming message for beginners and plant skeptics
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A flexible system that adapted to our four segments
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A powerful brand story that merged plants, purpose, and personality
3. Visual Identity and Retail Differentiation
To stand out in retail environments like Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe’s, we modernized Costa Farms’ visual identity with:
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A fresh color palette that popped on shelves and social
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Photography and iconography that felt editorial—not clinical
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Packaging elements and POS tools that highlighted benefits like air purification, ease of care, and style appeal
4. Digital-First Launch and Campaign Optimization
From paid social to influencer partnerships to website UX, we deployed digital-first creative that allowed us to:
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Track engagement by segment and adapt messaging in real time
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Use social listening to capture cultural moments and trends
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Drive traffic to store locator tools and brand education content
The Results: Brand Awareness, Behavior Change, and Real Growth
In less than a year, Costa Farms went from a name few consumers knew to a wellness-forward lifestyle brand in a booming category. We helped them:
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Build a CPG brand from a wholesale legacy business
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Create a digital-to-retail ecosystem optimized for modern buyer behavior
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Position indoor plants not just as décor—but as an emotional and aesthetic essential
