May 21, 2013

Costa Farms Hires Former BHG EditorSource: Costa Farms

Costa Farms has hired Justin Hancock to fill the newly created position of consumer marketing and digital specialist. Hancock had been the digital content manager and garden editor at Better Homes and Gardens.

According to Maria Costa- Smith, executive vice president of Costa Farms annual and perennial business, this position was created specifically to help transform the consumer experience at the retail level.

“Our company initiative is to change the shopping experience in the garden center. Justin’s knowledge and passion for gardening will help us achieve this,” added Costa-Smith, a third generation grower at the Florida-based nursery.

With more than 10 years at Better Homes and Gardens both on the print and digital sides, Hancock has written thousands of garden articles and blog posts, hosted a ‘Garden Doctor’ question and answer column and been a garden expert on the Today Show. Hancock also was a partner in an upscale garden center for more than four years

“His deep consumer and retail experience will enrich our promise to our customers to build better solutions that both inspire customers and boost sales at the retail level,” Costa-Smith explains. “He’s going to be an instrumental player for our customers and bring bench strength to our Costa team.”

Hancock will be working directly with both marketing and research and development to create targeted retail plant programs to both attract and inspire gardeners – from first time homeowners to master gardeners.

“Justin intuitively speaks the language of customers and the language of flowers. He knows and loves plants, has studied and written about what gardeners want, and has created a niche garden center catering to consumers of all gardening levels,” says Costa-Smith.

In addition to searching the world for great new plants for the home and garden, Hancock will help create and manage Costa Farms’ digital properties, create rich content and direct social media. He will also serve as a corporate spokesperson.

“We are focusing a great deal of attention on our digital spaces as tools to both encourage gardeners and drive them to garden centers to purchase a particular look we’ve inspired them to create,” says Costa-Smith. “Justin has been speaking to millions of gardeners for years at BHG.com and knows exactly how to reach them.”

For more information about Costa Farms please visit www.costafarms.com.