Case Study
Rooted Promise is an online garden supply company
Equipping Gardeners To Thrive
The Challenge
Robert Ghobrial is the Founder of Emma’s Garden, a company featuring a single ingenious gardening product selling online through Amazon and Walmart and in several brick-and-mortar stores. He is a brilliant mechanical engineer and expert gardener who invents unique patented products, making gardening easier and more successful for all skill levels. Robert had amassed several of his patented products and was ready to turn his single product company into a dominant online gardening presence.
With Emma’s Garden, Robert was relying on AI to create his story identity and content but realized that fragmented wordy copy wasn’t emotionally connecting with his audience. Robert came to Spotlight Monkey for a cohesive messaging framework and branding strategy to gain national recognition for his innovative online garden supply company.
The Approach
Spotlight Monkey’s goal was to create an engaging brand story that showcases the benefits of Robert’s unique products while identifying the brand’s heart without exploiting it. Robert ventured to create his company when his daughter, Emma, was born with Down Syndrome, an enlarged heart, and underdeveloped lungs.
As he sat watch for several months in hospital next to Emma’s incubator, Robert worked on creating a company where Emma and her three sisters could work and thrive. During that time, he created his first patented product – the Growinring. However, what began as his legacy turned into Emma’s legacy when she abruptly passed away within a year.
Work with Robert focused on:
Creating a unique brand identity with a new company name allowing for the brand to expand into a burgeoning online garden supply store.
Creating a strategic, focused, and emotionally connecting messaging framework for the brand to communicate consistently across channels.
Consulting on visual branding, web design and social media strategy.
Creating content for website, product descriptions and charitable foundations that align with brand’s narrative theme.
The Impact
Robert walked away with a brand name encompassing his philosophy on life and gardening. Thematically, the name Rooted Promise works on various levels; every garden and person holds promise and when organically nurtured and given a supported space, the promise will take root, bloom, and thrive.
From this theme, we created a brand identity and story with heart that emotionally resonates with gardeners.
Robert launched Rooted Promise on World Down Syndrome Day 3.21.2024. He has seen a 125% increase in sales since introducing the new brand and story. They’ve sold more at a recent trade show than in the last three trade shows combined.
The Feedback
“Joan (Spotlight Monkey) is a storytelling and copy writing genius! I was using AI to create my branding and copy for my website and packaging because I thought a company is all about the product and functionality. But then Joan brought Rooted Promise to life giving it a voice and personality more beautiful than I ever imagined would be possible. She listened to what I wanted and applied her storytelling talent to create spot on branding. I now understand that story is about the entire brand and not just about the product.
Joan has also given me a greater appreciation for perception and that how you say things makes a huge difference. She helped me create a name for the company that works on several meaningful levels. We’ve seen a 125% growth in sales since we introduced the new brand and story. More than sales growth though, we now have a solid foundation to build upon. Without a strong brand foundation, future growth, if it ever happened, would be like building a house on sand. Now we have strong concrete foundation to begin growing and scaling our business growth and impact.
I am so glad our paths have crossed and will continue to rely on her as my company grows.”
Robert Ghobrial, Founder of Rooted Promise
Rooted Promise’s brand story
Narrrative Theme
The brand’s theme is rooted in the beauty and complexity of nature and the philosophical benefits of gardening. Gardening is relaxing and life-affirming, but nature is always in control, making gardening challenging even for experts. When best laid plans with promise aren’t rewarded, gardening becomes frustrating.
However, if you have the right equipment, your garden’s promise will be fulfilled.
Rooted Promise creates innovative patented products to help gardeners of all levels successfully grow while conserving resources. The products are designed for growing success.
The company was conceived while founder Robert Ghobrial sat watch next to his newborn daughter’s incubator in hospital. Emma was born prematurely with an enlarged heart, underdeveloped lungs, and Down Syndrome. Robert wanted to find a way to create a company so when Emma grew up, she and her siblings would have a place to work and thrive.
Sadly, Emma passed away a year later. Rooted Promise is Emma’s legacy.
Website landing page copy
Tagline: Equipping Gardeners to Thrive
One Liner: Products For Gardeners To Be Organic Grow-It-Alls
Call to Action: Become a Grow-It-All!
Every gardener encounters growing challenges they aren’t equipped to handle, which can turn their garden’s promise into disappointment.
We are a small family-owned business dedicated to designing and manufacturing innovative American-made products to help gardeners easily grow, keeping their happy place rooted in promise with abundance to share.
Mission statement
Our mission is to give everyone the opportunity and tools to thrive by empowering gardeners with innovative American-made products while employing and advocating for individuals with Down Syndrome.
Core Values
WHY CHOOSE ROOTED PROMISE?
We believe every garden and person holds promise. When organically nurtured and given a supported space, the promise will take root, bloom, and thrive.
Our values are rooted in integrity, innovation, and American craftsmanship, and enriched by nurturing family, community, inclusivity, and the planet.
Product Descriptions
Gardening is fun, relaxing, spiritual, life affirming and rewarding. When asked to write the Product Descriptions, SM drew from these philosophical attributes of gardening to continue the story theme so the customer could imagine themselves with these products.
SUNSHINE IN A BOX!
Warning: Wear sunglasses when you crack open this grow kit because you're about to be dazzled by the brilliance and promise of sunflowers.
Our Sunflower Garden Grow Kit packs a radiant punch with two types of sunflower seeds, Plant Markers, and our patented Grow Rings and Greenhouse Domes for gardeners of all skill levels to easily grow a Van Gogh painting in their backyard. In addition to their beauty, the entire sunflower is edible – even the petals and stalk! Birds and pollinators will flock to your garden and love you for filling their bellies.
We can learn a lot from these majestic beauties who follow and lean into the sun even on cloudy days.
YOU’RE ONE IN A MELON!
Not many kids can say they’ve grown a watermelon in their own backyard. Our awesome Watermelon Garden Growing Kit helps kids become one in a melon to experience the magic of growing fruit in a big way. This gratifying easy-to-grow kit contains instructions, 100% organic seeds, Plant Markers, and our patented Grow Rings and Greenhouse Domes to create a unique watermelon patch. Imagine a child’s thrill of gobbling up a juicy watermelon they grew!
Growing a watermelon patch creates a big, fun, and stress-free space for kids to acquire STEM skills. They’ll also naturally learn about patience, hope, resilience, mindfulness, and nurturing while experiencing an enormous amount of satisfaction and pride.
Charitable Foundations
Brand Persona & Story are consistent through charitable foundation copy
THRIVING WITH GARDENING
Down To Garden
Every parent wants their child to lead a happy and fulfilled life, but when they learn their baby has Down Syndrome, this dream can feel hopeless and unattainable.
In honor of their daughter Emma, who was born with Down Syndrome, the Ghobrial family created Down to Garden to help parents and individuals with Down Syndrome realize they can live a meaningful and satisfying life just like everyone else. Our programs provide opportunities and tools that empower individuals with Down Syndrome to stretch, grow and discover purpose.
One of our programs is creating a community garden run by individuals with Down Syndrome. We chose gardening because it’s the ultimate metaphor for life. Tending a community garden teaches us that we can’t control nature, but if we work with nature, cultivate patience, rely on others, and nurture the power of resilience, then our garden will thrive.
Please join us in our quest to create spaces where every individual can bloom and thrive while being celebrated for their unique strengths and unwavering spirit.
MEET THE SEED
About Emma
Emma Faith Ghobrial was a beautiful yet fragile gift who prematurely came into our lives on Christmas day, 2021. Although she was born with Down Syndrome and many physical challenges, Emma was in every way a perfect baby whose courage, love, and joy made our family whole.
Sadly, Emma passed away on December 16, 2022.
Though with us for a short time, Emma taught our family that a diagnosis does not define a person and that everyone deserves to live a meaningful and fulfilled life. Robert and Gina, along with their daughters Alexandra, Katherine, and Lauriana created Down to Garden to honor Emma’s legacy.
GROWING TOGETHER
Community Garden “Promise Program”
We're on a mission to make fresh, nutritious, and affordable produce accessible to all. That's why we're dedicated to providing Rooted Promise products to community gardens in need. By supplying essential tools, we aim to empower these gardeners to thrive and produce a bounty of healthy fruits and vegetables.
To inquire about getting Rooted Promise product for your community garden, drop us an email at programs@rootedpromise.com
LEARNING STEM THROUGH GARDENING
School “STEM Buds” Program
Studies show when kids participate in a gardening and food education program during elementary school, they are more likely to eat healthier as they grow up. We created “STEM Buds,” a hands-on growing opportunity, to support health and wellness and help elementary and middle schools transform gardens into a learning experience.
Our gardening lesson plans integrate STEM education while inspiring curiosity, patience, mindfulness, and sustainability, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of connecting with the earth and growing and eating healthy food.