WE ARE NOT SELLING WE ARE NOT SELLING PLANTS – WE ARE PLANTS – WE ARE
SELLING LIFESTYLES!SELLING LIFESTYLES!
Times have changed
OK, ok, I’m good with that but wait a minute …
…lifestyle ??– what does it even mean?
Bird watching ….
bicycling
couch potato-ing or …
traveling
All of these things, I guess
-The Changing and Confusing Landscape of Consumer Preferences and Industry Trends
- and the plants that make them go -
Gardening is a Four Letter Word
“Gardening is work”
“Landscaping is pleasant”
From a marketing meeting, I learned the following perceptions to be true
We have a message – plants and gardening are good for health, good for the environment …
Where is our message?
Others do it …Way too expensive
We have tried – marketing boards, voluntary contributions, but to no avail
We are independent producers who hate taxes of any kind.
Been voted down twice.
Perhaps a new initiative using Facebook,
Youtube and Twitter may be the least
expensive means and may reach young people sooner.
Discussed at OFA and discussion is on-going.
I know I am an old guy, but there are still many baby
boomers who garden – with money. I hate discarding them because they don’t have a clue what Twitter
tweets. Maybe we resurrect an old idea – it would be a
winner, I am sure…
Why not – well, it was tried once but … needs to be tried again
Trends that are real:
Aging of America,
more diversions and distractions,
communication (websites, blogs)
greening of America, -native plants-green roofs
New plants.
The Poker Game, who holds the cards?
Gardener?
Independent Garden Center?
Broker?
Plant Breeder?
Box store?
Grower?
Landscaper?
ie who determines what plants are sold at retail?
My daughter does not need to be force fed botanical names
She does not need to have to chose between 15 different heucheras and 10
different cone flowers
We have to make gardening less complicated!!!
In fact, the issues of gardening from the consumer’s point of view and from the industry point of view are
close togetherThe Green Movement
Green is in, there has never been a more opportune time to do “green things”.
Easy things like recycling, water catchment (rain barrels, etc), reduction of
chemicals, but one of the catch words today is …
… Sustainability
California Pack Trials
Approx 30 breeders showing off their new products and ideas to
Mostly growers and retailers (independent and box store buyers),
Burpee and Ball – taking advantage of the Burpee name. All pots and labels biodegradable & compostable.