EcoGarden Supply

Cultivating a Full-Spectrum Brand Revitalization

TLDR: Led a full-spectrum brand overhaul for Minnesota’s top grow shop—tripled social engagement, launched a high-converting website, and turned a legacy storefront into a modern, community-driven brand.

Role: Brand Strategy · Social Media · Meta Ads · Brand Voice · Creative Direction

Objective

EcoGarden Supply came to me with nearly two decades of credibility as Minnesota’s largest indoor grow shop—but they were ready for a serious growth spurt. They needed a modernized identity, a clearer voice, and a smarter way to connect with both longtime loyalists and newer growers entering the space.

The goal? Turn a respected legacy shop into a fully integrated, community-driven brand—one that could thrive online, offline, and everywhere in between. I led the charge on brand strategy, digital marketing, Meta advertising, and content development—essentially acting as EcoGarden’s full-service creative partner. I also provided creative direction and project management for the visual identity refresh and complete website redesign, executed in close collaboration with my design partner, John.

Together, we didn’t just give EcoGarden a new look—we helped them feel more aligned, confident, and connected to the people they serve.

Strategy & Execution

With the objectives clear, we translated vision into action—rebuilding the brand from the inside out. From identity and infrastructure to daily content and community engagement, every move was designed to reinforce EcoGarden’s legacy while laying the groundwork for modern, scalable growth.

Brand Identity
We started by defining the look and feel. The shop’s in-person energy—earthy, gritty, sun-warmed, and sticker-covered—inspired a visual system built around bold typography, modern badge-style logos, and a grounded color palette. I worked with John to finalize the full brand guide, ensuring the identity was modular enough for packaging, signage, social templates, and merch.

Everything was designed to reflect EcoGarden’s roots while signaling its next chapter.

Website Redesign
We brought the new brand online with a complete site overhaul. I led the strategy and structure to create a user-friendly digital storefront that mirrored the in-store experience. With mobile-optimized design, streamlined navigation, and tone-aligned product storytelling, the new site became a powerful tool for conversion and community engagement.

While the goal wasn’t to become an eCommerce brand, we did build a fully functional online store to support how EcoGarden’s customers actually shop. Many products were set up for local pickup or limited shipping—not to drive massive online sales, but to capture purchases that might otherwise be lost. It became a quiet but effective value add.

Social Media Management
I developed and managed EcoGarden’s organic content strategy on Instagram and Facebook, focusing on four key areas:

  • Education – Visual tips, how-tos, and explainer reels

  • Entertainment – Light, on-brand humor and community storytelling

  • Community – Showcasing real growers via UGC and vendor features

  • Consistency – A reliable cadence and clear tone across all posts

Daily comment moderation and DMs were handled in-brand to build trust and momentum. Everything was crafted to feel like it came straight from the shop floor.

Importantly, because EcoGarden operates in a cannabis-adjacent space, I also accounted for the platform limitations that come with it—particularly on Meta. I researched and navigated restrictions on terminology, imagery, and paid promotions to avoid shadowbanning, post suppression, or ad disapprovals. Every piece of copy and creative was carefully vetted to align with policy while still driving strong engagement and reach.

Meta Advertising
To amplify reach and drive in-store traffic, I designed and ran Meta ad campaigns that mirrored the organic content strategy. From seasonal promos to general awareness plays, the ads helped introduce the new EcoGarden to broader local audiences—and kept the content machine running across touchpoints.

Event & Environmental Design

Once the new brand system was in place, we extended it into the real world—making sure EcoGarden showed up consistently and confidently at key industry events like Legacy Cup Minnesota and CannaCon.

For Legacy Cup, we designed a custom postcard to serve as an informational handout at their booth—compact, on-brand, and designed to build curiosity and foot traffic.

For CannaCon, we went even bigger. I led the creative direction and production for their full visual presence, including:

  • A branded step-and-repeat backdrop

  • Custom retractable banners

  • A table throw

  • Redesigned business cards

  • A new informational postcard

Beyond design, we managed all vendor coordination—sourcing a local Minnesota printer and ensuring seamless delivery and pickup.

EcoGarden also used the refreshed brand assets we created to produce a full line of branded swag, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers—a testament to how versatile and immediately usable the identity system was, even beyond our direct involvement.

Brand Voice Development

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was building a voice that actually sounded like EcoGarden. They didn’t want to feel like a faceless chain—and they definitely didn’t need to sound clinical or overly corporate. They needed something that matched their personality and physical space.

The goal was to find a tone that could balance:

  • Technical knowledge and accessible guidance

  • Underground credibility and mainstream readiness

  • Minnesota roots and industry reach

  • Vibrant personality and regulatory awareness

We grounded the voice in four core pillars:

  1. Straightforward, Not Stiff
    Clear and confident, without jargon or pretense

  2. Knowledgeable, Never Condescending
    Whether someone’s scaling up or just starting out, we meet them where they are

  3. Rooted in Community
    Proudly local, with language that reflects real growers and regional culture

  4. A Little Grit, A Lot of Heart
    Friendly, funny, a little rebellious, and always real

This tone came to life everywhere:

  • CannaCon promos that nodded to Minnesota’s evolving grow climate

  • Instagram carousels like “4 Things Every First-Time Grower Should Know”

  • UGC spotlights, shop storytelling, and even comment threads

Paired with the modular visual system in the brand guide, this voice gave EcoGarden a recognizable presence that worked across digital, in-store, and community platforms.

Results

From July 2024 to August 2025, EcoGarden saw record growth across both social and web—reflecting the impact of a cohesive, content-rich strategy.

Facebook

  • Reach: 46,779 (+1,900% YoY)

  • Interactions: 7,891 (+27,100% YoY)

  • Link Clicks: 2,163 (+100% YoY)

  • Page Visits: 9,979 (+224.2% YoY)

  • Follows: 429

Instagram

  • Reach: 15,509 (+401.9% YoY)

  • Interactions: 4,574 (+100% YoY)

  • Link Clicks: 266 (+155.8% YoY)

  • Profile Visits: 2,623 (+171% YoY)

  • Follows: 358

Website

Since launch, the website has welcomed:

  • 24,000 total visits and 18,000 unique visitors

  • 66,000 total pageviews, showing visitors were exploring products and resources

  • A bounce rate near 50%, signaling that visitors found what they were looking for

  • Traffic led by direct visits, followed by search and then social

The site now acts as a true brand hub—turning brand curiosity into foot traffic, and giving loyal customers new ways to engage and buy on their terms.

Reflection

This wasn’t just a campaign. It was a reinvention. By aligning brand voice, design, content, and digital strategy, we gave a longtime local favorite the tools—and the confidence—to keep growing in a fast-changing space.

It’s one of my proudest collaborations to date—and a blueprint for how I like to work: strategic, grounded, collaborative, and built to last.

Next

Ground Up Grain