It’s spring so let’s think green, and focus on a promotion that gets us outside and envisioning the best practices of the stuff we like to watch and play on. Grass. This past week TruGreen expanded their brand portfolio through a partnership with Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called “TruGreen Spaces” aimed at revitalizing community ballfields and public spaces across the country.
The multi-year partnership, which designates TruGreen as the “Official Lawn Care Treatment Provider of MiLB,” unites two organizations deeply rooted in local communities. Through the partnership, TruGreen and MiLB will celebrate the local pride associated with each club, work together to keep communities looking their best and share in the one-a-kind game day experiences that make Minor League parks so special.
At the heart of the partnership is a new initiative called “TruGreen Spaces,” which will revitalize public ballfields and parks in MiLB markets across the country. Fans can nominate a local field or park at www.MiLB.com/TruGreenSpaces through June 30, 2025. The winning entry will be selected from the 120 MiLB club markets. Deadline to enter is June 30, 2025.
In addition to the revitalization initiative, the partnership features in-stadium promotional segments that offer fans discounts on lawn service, while the home team dugout makeover includes the railing, ribbons and the back wall, providing season-long exposure for the company. The partnership with local groundskeeping crews encompasses the following teams – Columbus Clingstones, Iowa Cubs, Lansing Lugnuts, OKC Comets, Portland Sea Dogs, Wichita Wind Surge, Worcester Red Sox, SWB Rail Riders, Syracuse Mets, Memphis Redbirds, Omaha Storm Chasers, San Jose Giants and Springfield Cardinals.
We wanted to know a little more, so we connected with Doug Terfehr, who recently joined TruGreen to head up partnerships, activations and PR to explain a bit about why green lawns provide such a blue ocean of opportunity for the company.
While grabbing a category with a major property is one thing, activating in a unique way to tell a story about the brand is another. Walk us through the how and the why for TruGreen here.
We pride ourselves on being the local experts in lawn care. We study the conditions in every community we serve, and partnering with Minor League Baseball is a tremendous opportunity for us to demonstrate that local expertise and commitment to the community.
Golf and baseball seem like natural fits, no pun intended. How are these partnerships critical to the brand vs others that may come along?
I think many homeowners have imagined their lawn look like a golf course or the outfield at a ballpark. We are on a mission to plant a TruGreen flag in every yard across the country and a big part of that is partnering with our customers to give them the best looking lawn possible.
Talk about timing. The announcement comes as people are thinking lawncare. Is it a one off, will this engage throughout the year?
The spring is when many homeowners begin to turn their attention to their lawn, so a partnership with MiLB times up nicely with that seasonality. At the same time, it takes a game plan to get a lawn looking its best and that doesn’t end just when the season starts. Our technicians are truly the best at assessing and understanding the needs of the lawns we treat. So, our activation with MiLB runs throughout the season with giveaways, contests and local engagement with our branches and much more.
In today’s challenging times it seems like sports and the environmental messages have taken a back seat. Even though the company isn’t directly tied to what some may think are ‘green’ initiatives, the concept of thinking about a better world outdoors is still vital to success. How important are sports partnerships with initiatives tied to best environmental tactics today and do you have some examples you point to?
As for answering the question, sports present a great platform for TruGreen. Our customers enjoy getting outside in their yard, watching their kids play sports and experiencing sports like golf and baseball live as well. We are passionate about the work it takes to maintain a great looking lawn and that’s why we are in the business we are so families can spend more time doing the things they really want to do!
What does success look like for you in this new role, in six months or a year, and other than the dollars, what do you partners say success looks like?
Over time we believe our partnership with MiLB will provide a great stage for us to show our support locally. Our “TruGreen Spaces” initiative in which we are inviting local communities to submit ballfields and open spaces in need of revitalization is a very meaningful way for us to further our support in the neighborhoods we serve every day.
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