STIA is a Macedonian startup behind an innovative upcycled watering cushion that keeps plants hydrated for up to 30 days. The product absorbs water and releases it slowly, solving the common problem of forgetting to water houseplants.
STIA came to Solveo with a product ready for market — but zero presence. No brand awareness, no distribution channels, no proven demand. The founder needed to answer a critical question: would people actually buy this?
The challenge was designing a full go-to-market strategy that could test multiple channels, identify what resonated, and build enough traction in 90 days to prove the concept was viable.
Our Approach
We started by building the foundation: building the full go-to-market strategy, wall of ideas and moodboard. This gave STIA the infrastructure to test messaging across markets from day one.
The first month focused on content and community. Our team produced five videos and 116 photos showing the product in real-life situations — not just polished product shots, but lifestyle content that felt native to Instagram. We published 54 posts over the quarter, mixing educational content about plant care with the product's unique benefits.
To build early credibility, we pursued a multi-channel awareness strategy. We reached out to 33 influencers, securing seven who agreed to feature STIA in their stories. We also contacted 20+ hair and beauty salons and flower shops as potential retail partners. Free samples went to restaurants like Mrs, Amigos, and Paname, plus travel agencies — generating organic posts and word-of-mouth among their customers.
Paid advertising became the engine for scale. We allocated € 2,500 across Meta platforms, testing three campaign types: direct sales ads linking to the e-commerce store (Ananas), direct messages campaign and boosted organic posts for engagement. We have also organized a giveaway campaign. The messaging campaigns alone generated 474 direct inquiries from interested buyers.
Our PR efforts amplified everything. The founder appeared on Telma's morning show, got featured in Portret and Inovativnost publications, and we secured an installation at City Mall that brought the product to foot traffic in a major shopping center. Each media placement reinforced the brand's positioning as an innovative, eco-friendly solution.
The 90-day test phase proved that STIA has real market potential. More importantly, it produced a repeatable model: the channels, creatives, and tactics that worked in Macedonia can now be adapted for expansion into other European markets.
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