Brian Pia was on the original Bayer team that launched the Bayer Advanced and Natria lawn and garden brands. The products help consumers grow beautiful lawns and gardens and protect their landscapes from pests, weeds, and diseases. Bayer needed brand awareness, credibility, and sales.
THE WORK
Brian led PR, digital, and social media for the brands for 13 years. He created communication programs that helped consumers, retailers, the media, and thousands of county extension agents understand the benefits of the products and how they helped grow beautiful and healthy gardens and landscapes. His program educated thousands of county extension agents on product benefits. Those extension agents in 3,000 counties advised consumers. We also provided gardening tips to consumers featuring Bayer products on the Bayer Advanced and Natria websites, during Lowe’s and Home Depot consumer seminars, in local media across the country, on NBC’s Today, FOX News, CBS Early Show, HGTV, ABC, The Wall Street Journal, in digital newsletters, and through social media.
Brian also created newsworthy events, such as Bayer Advanced in the Rose Parade. He worked with NASA to put a rose grown with Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower Care in space. Brian led the Bayer Advanced/Arbor Day Foundation Restore America’s Trees Program, where the group planted a tree in a national forest for every bottle of Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed sold. He also led a national campaign to promote organic gardening using Bayer Advanced Natria products.
THE RESULTS
Brian and his team team generated thousands of news stories. Several sales records. Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower Care and Tree and Shrub Protect & Feed achieved the No. 1 market share. The Arbor Day Foundation planted one million trees in national forests thanks to Bayer’s sponsorship. Bayer Advanced and Natria became two of the most well-known and respected brands in the gardening industry.
Bayer sold the brands to SBM Life Science. Bayer Advanced is now called BioAdvanced and features Bayer active ingredients. Natria remains popular among organic gardeners.
