bloomline
Company name:
bloomline
Company overview:
Bloomline (stylized with a lowercase b) designs and maintains interior plantscapes.
Target demographic:
Working professionals in the 25-44 demographic range with disposable income.
Brand voice:
Friendly, Inviting, Cozy, Aspirational
About Us
We’re Cara and Molly Smith, two sisters with a lifelong love of plants. As the daughters of two botanists, our home was always filled with plants. Growing up, we loved to play in our parents’ greenhouse. We both eventually moved to New York City, which lacks greenspace outside of Central Park. This lack of greenspace made us homesick, so we decided to bring the green indoors and design spaces in our apartments filled with plants. Eventually our friends started asking us to make them similar interior landscapes (or “plantscapes” as we call them) for their own apartments. The business has since grown, and today we are proud to have created plantscapes for customers in all five boroughs.
Analysis
The aim of this “about us” section is to inform readers of what bloomline is and how bloomline came to be. It is written in first person to appear personal. Wheres third person is appropriate for the bio of a large conglomerate, first person emphasizes the smaller size of the business and makes the reader feel as if the “about us” is speaking to them directly.
This business offers a personalized experience for customers, which is conveyed not only by first person but also by tone. This section is written as if the speaker is talking to a friend. Through word choice and brevity, the passage comes across as part of a conversation with a friend.
Tagline:
Bring your garden in
Social Media
Caption:
Afraid your place is too small for a plantscape? No worries! We work in all sizes. Small spaces are especially fun if you’re looking for that maximalist aesthetic. You can never have too many plants! #bloomscape #plantscape #nyc #maximalism #maximalist #cute aesthetic
Caption:
Cara took this pic the last time she went to visit Mom & Dad. Don’t you just love the look of plants first thing in the morning? We love creating plantscapes in east-facing rooms with lots of windows- the plants always look amazing in the morning sun! #bloomscape #plantscape #nyc #backhome #morningsun #goodmorning
Caption:
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new event service! Do you have a big event coming up? We’re here to help! Our party plan offers florist services to brighten your space up. We do tables capes, flower arches- anything you need, we’re on it. If you want to make your next event fabulous, check out the link in our bio! #bloomscape #plantscape #nyc #eventdecor #florist #tablescape #eventideas #partyideas
Post:
Although the term “plantscape” is new, the practice of using plants in interior design has been around for decades.
Today’s blog explores the history of plants capes and showcases how this history has influenced our own designs.
What are your favorite historical plantscape trends? (Both Molly and I love the look of a classic 1920s solarium!)
Post:
On today’s podcast we’re talking all about roses. They’re seen as a sign of love, but did you know that different colored roses mean different things? For example, if you get yellow roses for Valentine’s Day, the giver isn’t your Valentine- they’re just a friend. (But so what? Like Miley says, “I can buy myself flowers.”)
We’re also talking about how to take care of your roses, how to pick out good roses from the nursery, and how to avoid getting pricked.
If you have any thoughts on roses (or what we should cover next!) leave a comment below!
Tweet:
How many flowers is too many flowers? (Trick question- there can never be too many flowers!)
#trickquestion #flowers #flowerseverywhere
Tweet:
Worried about keeping up your greenscape? We have just the gardeners to help!
#wevegotyoucovered #gardeninghelp #greenthumb
[link]
Tweet:
Thank you to @HomeandGarden for featuring us in this month’s issue! We’ve been fans since we were kids! (…yes, our childhood hobbies were a little unusual.) Have you picked up your issue yet?
#dreamscometrue #interiorgarden
Tweet:
Get 30% off your first bloomline session using the discount code BLOOM30 at checkout. Remember—the more you save, the more you can spend on plants!
#discount #indoorgarden
Analysis
The main purpose of these social media posts was to connect bloomline with their customers. A friendly tone was purposely used throughout in order to forge close connections with the readers of the posts.
First person was used across platforms to make the posts feel more intimate. Although the brand’s social media would be run by multiple people, I made it a point to emphasize when Cara or Molly was writing a post, as the goal is to have all of the posts feel as if they were written by the two sisters.
The hashtags used were chosen to boost the brand’s SEO and show its more playful side. Although it is important to optimize hashtags for search engine use, they can also be an additional source of humor, which makes readers feel more connected with the brand.
Blog Post
Topic: history of the sunroom/solarium
I knew sunrooms (also known as solariums, if you want to be fancy about it) have been around a long time, but I was shocked to learn the first origins of the sunroom dates back to 6,000 B.C. During that time in China, builders began constructing houses to be south-facing to let the sun heat the home’s interior. This practice was later adapted by the Greeks and Romans.
Speaking of the Romans, the next innovation in sunrooms occurred in 14 A.D., when the Roman Emperor Tiberius was prescribed Armenian cucumbers to treat an illness. The Romans had to find a way to grow the seasonal crop year-round. To do this, they built a structure that had a translucent roof, allowing sunlight in to keep the room warm.
By 1201, botanical gardens were being built in Italy. These structures resembled early greenhouses, which were years away—the English didn’t even use glass windows in their homes until the late 17th century! Large glass windows didn’t become commonplace until 1902, when the sheet glass drawing machine was invented (which allowed for the construction of floor-to-ceiling windows).
Cara and I have incorporated some of this history into our most recent projects, which has turned out to be a big hit! Part of the reason we’re so drawn to plants is their connection to the past. The trees around us have seen life in centuries, and the fresh buds we plant in sunrooms today will look over our future generations. By incorporating historical elements into the sunrooms (or solariums) we design, we’re able to play with that love of timelessness.
If you’re interested in seeing some of these historically inspired sunrooms, check out our gallery below. (And if you’re feeling really daring, book a consultation with us! We’d love to spread our history and plants around the city.)
Analysis
This blog post continued in the tonal trend of the other bloomline copywriting samples seen here—that is to say, it has a friendly tone to draw readers in and keep them engaged. It introduces historical information in an engaging manner, so readers are compelled to finish the post. The conversational style of the texts prevents the post from straying into classroom territory; instead of feeling like a lecture, the post feels like a conversation with a friend. The post also manages to connect historical trends with the current service being offered, making the blog post an asset for bloomline’s marketing strategy. Although this post is a marketing tool, it does not feel like one, as the service being sold is not pushed onto the reader nor made the central topic of the post. Rather, the service is brought up casually and seamlessly tied into the main topic of the post. This makes the appearance of the service feel like a casual addendum rather than a sales pitch.
Analysis
Purpose: Greet a person who has just signed up to join bloomline’s mailing list
Welcome!
We’re happy to have you join us here at bloomline. (You could say we’re blooming with joy.) This newsletter will keep you up-to-date on our what we’re up to, showcasing our latest greenscape projects, sharing our favorite gardening tips, reminding you when a new blog post (or podcast episode) goes up, giving you first dibs on sale codes, and more!
If you want to reach out to us directly, we’re always available on our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. Social media not your thing? No problem—just drop us a line using the contact form on our website.
The grass is greener now that you’re on our mailing list! (Is that one plant reference too many?)
XO,
Cara and Molly
Purpose: Auto-response to a negative review
Hi there,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy your bloomline experience. We strive to do the best for our customers, and the idea that we didn’t live up to that expectation is something we take seriously.
Would you like to get in touch with a customer service representative so we can help you make this right? If so, please click on this link. We will do everything possible to improve the situation.
If you don’t want to take this further, we totally understand! The link does not expire, so you don’t have to make a decision right now. Whenever you want help, we’re here to give it.
Again, we apologize for your negative experience and are ready to assist at anytime.
Sincerely,
The bloomline Team
The friendly tone is carried throughout these emails, but executed in two different ways. The first email is similar to the tone seen in previous copy but on a more personalized scale, as it is only addressed to one person. The goal of this email is to create a connection between the reader and bloomline, ideally turning the reader into a future customer. It is signed by Cara and Molly so the email closes on an intimate note.
The second email is still friendly, but has a more serious tone to match the gravity of the situation. It provides a direct action for the reader to take so that the reader feels heard. The apology is repeated throughout to emphasize the sincerity of it. Unlike the first email, the second email is signed by a general “bloomline team.” This choice was made for two reasons. First, if the customer decides to get in touch with bloomline, they will be connected to a customer representative, but no representative has been assigned when this email first sent. Second, this choice deflects attacks directed at one specific person. Some unsatisfied customers can take their frustration out in an aggressive manner; by not listing a name, employees are protected from this aggression.