Mint Re-Branding
Mint was first recorded in Greek mythology as Minthe, a nymphe who was transformed into a mint plant. It is thus believed to have originated in Greece. It was also present early in history in Central and South America, as well as the Iberian Peninsula (probably where it originated before spreading to Central and South America).
Mint is believed to have many healing qualities, and was known as the “herb of hospitality” in Greece. Today it has taken a more therapeutic, healing positioning and is used commonly for stomach ailments. It can also be used to heal a number of different things like nausea, stomachaches, stress, chest pains, and congested sinuses. It is also a diuretic, can whiten teeth, and can be used to stop the itch of bug bites and other rashes. In cooking it can be used to flavor a number of things both sweet and savory, such as ice cream, curries, and other baked goods.
It relates to the target audience in that it is a fun natural way to de-stress, but also add interesting flavors to many different things. It’s a healthy snack that also has health benefits and aromatic benefits. They also repel pest insects and attract beneficial ones.
It is a hardy plant that can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions. Mint thrives in cool, moist areas in partial shade but can also be grown in full sun. It can be harvested at any time (though it is recommended to be planted 7-8 weeks before the start of spring so its in full bloom by summer) and can be harvested for a minimum of six months a year. Mint plants are fast growing, which will give our target audience more instant gratification, and one plant is enough for a multitude of home uses. The plant is very aggressive and invasive, and will easily take over other plants in the same garden, so it is recommended to be planted in deep, bottomless containers in the ground to restrict its growth, or in tubs above ground. This quality will also be appealing to our target audience, as it can be seen as an uncontrollable, volatile virus. Seed growth is unreliable though and so it is recommended to use healthy plant cuttings for replanting. When harvesting, fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or stored up to just a couple of days in plastic bags within the refrigerator. They tend to go bad pretty quickly. You can also dry leaves by leaving them for 2 to 3 days and then storing them in an airtight container kept in a dark place. Fresh mint leaves can also be frozen, or you can even make ice cubes with mint leaves in them for a nice flavored twist to your ice.
My Target Audience lives in Brooklyn, in Downtown Brooklyn (Fort Greene) around DUMBO. They take the F train and live on Dekalb Avenue or Flatbush Ave. They are extremely independent, strong minded, and like to skateboard and hang out with friends. They tag graffiti, make random videos of funny and weird things, and they go to eclectic concerts every once in a while. They go to Union Square to hang out with friends on Friday nights and can be seen skating around the rest of downtown throughout the week. They are between the ages of 13 and 18. Their family doesn’t have that much money, but enough to get by. Both mom and dad have full time jobs, and sometimes work two jobs, and they themselves may sometimes have a part time job. They are laid back and fun to hang out with, but are very skeptical of advertisements and large organized media channels. They question everything and are extremely critical. To speak to them we will need to be smart and authentic. They know who we are and what we want them to do, we just have to show them that we really are keeping them as an individual in mind. We will need to use guerilla marketing techniques, interactive advertisements and smart campaigns. We need to treat them like adults.
We will promote Guerilla Gardening through this campaign, in keeping with the underground, independent youth target market, and will promote mint as the rogue herb. Mint will also be presented as a way to fight back against the system, as a way to provide free health benefits for its planters and the community around them. It will be shown as “free health care,” something the community has control over that’s free, that doesn’t require the help or dictation of the government or pharmaceutical companies.
The three slogans I have come up with are:
Mint: Keep it fresh.
Mint: The Cool that keeps you fresh.
Mint: The Rogue Herb
Sources:
http://www.easytogrowherbs.com/Grow-Mint.html
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-mint-1808.html
KRC Design 
