Local advertising? Check.
Community open house? Check.
New signage out front? Check.
Professional landscaping?
All we hear is crickets.
If you haven’t considered landscaping as part of your branding, you’re missing a crucial step.
Landscaping is marketing, says Gregory Smith, Greenscape Inc.’s director of business development. And the landscape company you choose has a huge impact on your brand.
How?
Smith is glad you asked.
That Crucial First Impression
Everybody knows your branding begins the minute visitors see your property, if not before.
So, how does it look?
“Have you ever been on vacation, pulled up to your hotel and said to your spouse or partner, ‘You’re kidding me, right? We’re staying HERE?’” Smith says.
Dead plants in the flower beds. Shabby pots, half empty. Thin grass.
That’s called your brand. And it doesn’t look good.
In happier news, remember a time you pulled up to a resort hotel and were instantly wowed by the lush green grass and large-scale planters brimming with intriguing tropical plants? You couldn’t wait to check in.
“We’re responsible for instantly capturing that guest,” Smith says. “Everybody wants to stay, shop or dine at a place that looks beautiful on the outside. Because that tells you what kind of services to expect on the inside.”
Signage — Your First Chance To Shine
Your sign is your first chance to wow. Your landscape company is responsible for putting on the show.
Landscaping professionals know exactly how to help your signage grab attention. They know to add substantial plantings around signage to give it more oomph. That way, the sign automatically looks bigger, taking up more visual space.
Trees, plants and colorful flowers create a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere that draws people in.
Color attracts attention, too, whether with annual flowers, colorful perennials or pretty flowering shrubs.
Don’t forget lighting. You’ve worked hard to establish your brand. Why leave it in the dark?
You’ll get more mileage for your landscaping dollar if people notice your landscaping after the sun goes down.
The Magic Of Maintenance
Add all the trees, shrubs and bountiful flower beds you want. If you don’t follow up that installation with regular skilled maintenance by a quality landscaping company, you just threw your money away.
Professional maintenance keeps your landscaping plants healthy, weed-free and under control — so they don’t grow so tall they block your signage or the lighting fixtures that illuminate it.
A lawn care maintenance plan keeps your turf green, healthy and free of weeds and disease.
Mulch helps keep the weeds under control, retain moisture and create a neat look.
A clean, well-maintained property is instant positive branding.
Communication Counts
At Greenscape, we’re sticklers about communication. You’ll hear from us so often, you might wonder if we moved in.
Our three-hour call return policy is just one example.
“If you call us at 9 a.m., you’ll hear back from us by lunch time,” Smith says. “We might tell you we have to research the answer to your question and get back to you, but you’ll at least know you were heard.”
Monthly service emails. Year-at-a-glance calendars that outline what we do when. Quality reports that ensure all your services are done exactly right.
All this communicating means we’re always on top of your property’s needs, keeping everything in pristine condition.
And that makes you look great.
Our Look Affects Your Look
And we look great, if we do say so ourselves.
“If your landscape company shows up in an old mucky truck, and their team looks shabby, people will assume your landscaping is shabby, too,” Smith says.
Our crews are always in full uniform, in crisp khaki pants, a Greenscape shirt and always a safety vest.
“We identify ourselves as professionals,” he says. “Not some guy in jeans and a t-shirt.”
Our trucks are clean, professional and expertly maintained.
“The cleanliness of our trucks reflects the cleanliness of your flower beds,” Smith says. “If a truck has a fender bender, we take that truck out of the mix until it’s repaired.”
Safety, Security, Street Appeal: The “S” In Brand
OK, so there’s no actual S in brand. But how do you know if the safety, security and street appeal of your property is highlighting your brand?
We’ll tell you.
Our client relations managers walk your property with our 3 S report in hand to check on the safety, security and street appeal of your property.
We’ll be your eyes and ears, checking everything from pedestrian safety to the health of your plants.
Are light poles clear of trees and branches? Any erosion or drainage issues? How’s your turf color?
If anything’s amiss, we’re on it.
Your property will always look great. Your brand is intact.
Everybody Wants To Feel Safe
Safety is a top priority at Greenscape. That dedication makes us look good, but it reflects well on you, too.
When your customers and visitors see our crews wearing safety vests and goggles and using safety cones and signs, they’ll feel secure on your property.
“That dedication to safety represents the caliber of the organization,” Smith says. “We’ve actually gained business because of our safety practices. People have seen our crews working and said, ‘I want to talk more with you.’”
That commitment to safety shows up in other ways, too. Our crews are always on the lookout for safety concerns on your property, from dead branches in danger of toppling to uneven sidewalks that pose a tripping hazard.
We keep your property safe and sound.
Looking Out For The Bad
We like compliments as much as the next guy, but part of our job is to point out ways you look, well, bad.
The good news? Then, we fix it.
“We point out your trouble areas,” Smith says.
If you have an office building, are there tree branches blocking the lights in your parking lot?
Are your overgrown junipers and decades-old azaleas making your property look dingy and out of date?
We care about the appearance of your entire property — not just the services you pay us to perform.
Our crews might see graffiti on a wall, or a bent handicapped parking sign.
“Property managers are handling so much, they’re not able to walk the property as often as they’d like,” Smith says. “We look out for their best interest — so they look good.”
And that’s good branding.
Enhancements As Brand Boosters
Our experts know just what landscape enhancements can boost your brand by adding comfort, beauty and appeal.
“We communicate to you the things you can do to make your place nicer,” Smith says. “Are there things you can do to improve your safety? Your security? We might tell you this area is a great place to add some lighting. Over here would be a great spot for a patio.”
Enhancements soften the landscape, boost curb appeal and entice people to stay awhile. You can’t ask for better branding than that.
Boost your apartment complex brand with amenities tenants will use and love. Add patio space around outdoor grills, or increase the usable deck space around the pool.
Even a small courtyard with a couple benches and some potted plants soften a retail space and encourage people to linger.
Highlight your building’s best architectural features with artistic, professional lighting.
Add vibrant beds of colorful flowering plants to your front entry.
Enhancements add value to your landscape, and your brand.
We Fix Things Before They Break
At Greenscape, we’re known for our speedy response time to client issues. We’re there before you know it.
But even more important than being reactive is being proactive — so you don’t have to call us in the first place.
We solve potential problems before they’re problems.
When we’re proactive with your turf care, it should be healthy and relatively free of weeds. If we’re proactive with your irrigation, there shouldn’t be a problem that causes a brown patch of grass or a bed of wilted flowers.
Your property’s appearance — and your brand — is safe with us.
A lesser company, on the other hand, not only damages your brand, but costs you time and money.
“If you’re following your landscape guy around telling him to pick up leaves, that’s time you should be spending getting tenants,” Smith says. “That’s lost opportunity for you.
“You focus on leasing these spaces,” he says. “Let us do what we do best, so that you can do what you do best.”
Care About Your Brand? Call Greenscape
Everybody wants to save money. But if your brand is important to you, don’t cut corners on your landscaping, Smith says.
“People look at their budget and say, ‘We have to save a thousand dollars,’” he says. “They think, ‘All we really have to do is mow the grass once a week.’ They’re not looking at landscaping as marketing. But that’s exactly what it is.”
We’ve been meeting the full-service landscaping needs of commercial customers in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary areas for more than 35 years.
We offer landscape management and lawn care, design and build services, irrigation, landscape lighting and more.
Call us at 919-552-7742 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation and learn how we can transform your landscape.
Your brand depends on it.