Marketing ideas aren’t normally something that you can just grab out of a box, but in this case, I found a pleasantly tasteful surprise.

I have an uncanny eye for things that have changed, or are out of the ordinary.

And in this case, it was a familiar box of Triscuits that had been transformed into something quite out of the ordinary – an herbal growing kit on the side of the box.

“Plant a Seed, Grow a Movement”

The tag line is catchy and to the point. They are promoting community and home based farming, with the idea that they can sell some extra Triscuits at the same time.

Just the curiosity factor alone was worth buying a box.  There’s a cutout on the back of the box, with a glued in seed patch from the inside of the box. (see the images for detail )

The seed patch is very carefully placed in the imagery of a ceramic pot with some fresh potting soil in it, and the side of the box has a 5 step instruction set on how to take your seed patch from the box to seedlings.

My box has basil seeds in it, but browsing through other boxes in the store, I noticed a dill offer as well.  I suspect that there are some other common herbs as well, but I couldn’t confirm that.

So what is the big deal?  Why do I find this such an attractive selling point?  Why is it worth writing about?  How does it effect you and your business?

Simplicity

If there was a word for the marketing tactic,  it would be simple.

Simple as in, take a cardboard seed patch, soak it in water and plant it.  Leave it to an engineer to reduce the number of steps

But even if my 3 steps are too succinct, the 5 step plan they have outlined on the side of the box is still easy to follow and understand.

Wholesome

The Triscuits in this box aren’t even mentioned, other then the title, taglines and mandated nutritional information.

They use the connection with the seed growing and home farming movement to lay down the foundation of Triscuits as being wholesome.

The same can be said the other way around too – a win/win – where those that already know that Triscuits are wholesome, automatically make the association because of Triscuits existing repuation.

Seriously, Who Doesn’t Love Triscuits?

They taste good, they’ve been around forever, and are generally considered healthy.

They really do a good job of hiding the selling and branding behind the scenes.  All the elements are their, they’re just hidden.

Do you FaceBook?  So do they, and they push it not by trying to connect to you through Triscuits, but they ask you to “Join the Home Farming Movement” by reaching out to the Triscuit FaceBook page.

So whether you’re wanting to connect with Triscuit, or with home farming, they’ve got your number.

The Takeaway

But when you think about it, would you connect with Triscuit on FaceBook? And what would you learn on there?  The health benefits that we all already know? Doubtful.

They exert their expertise by getting you to connect with them through a movement – an underlying, meaningful group that you are more likely to want to go to learn more about how you can join and participate.

That’s just short of genius… except that all the big marketing firms are thinking this way.  But in this case they are thinking “inside” the box – the flower box that is.

The only thing I might have done differently, was to have targeted some of the flavored Triscuits that might appeal to that audience more, like the Rosemay or Rye trisquits.

Intuitively, it would seem that they would be more receptive to the idea, but they may have already done the tests to show otherwise, or perhaps this is a test

So what is your business doing to join forces in a win-win way with a complementary group that you and they can grow with?

*Title inspired by a nursery rhyme entitled “A-Tisket, A-Tasket“

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