Pick a lane!#^@!!

I am not really upset. I just thought I would get your attention with a snappy title. Well I hope this won't get sloppy, but I was excited to see that Goodby, Silverstein & Partners had cleaned up at the Cannes Lion awards in, well, Cannes (France). In addition to Interactive Agency of the Year, they claimed a Silver for their Haagen Daz Loves Honey Bees campaign. They produced a great spot that chronicled the progression of the promotion. Going interactive was a shift for HD. While I would be hard pressed to tell you how many honey bees they saved, or how it impacted the sale of ice cream (somebody probably could), it did create some buzz (sorry).

Of course, I am only interested in things like this for two reasons, my kids and my customers (in that order). Well if you check out the credits (dig deep) for the HD campaign you'll find Account Manager Erin Fromherz. Can I get a whooo hooo?

OK, I got that out of my system. On to the point of this post. It is usually marketing types who position campaigns like this as a groundswell (read article on Hot Tomatoes), but like Gandhi used to say "we must be the change we wish to see"... Quite a marketing guy that Gandhi.

The point is a 'groundswell' comes when like-minded people converge on a movement, such as the slow food or organic gardening movement. So what does this have to do with the damned honey bees? Well, grasshopper, we are all connected. No bees, no honey; no honey, no money. If you want to get the attention of business (or anyone else for that matter) in this country you have to talk in dollars and sense.

What Haagen Daz, or rather those clever folks at GS&P, realized is that this stuff does matter. People are interested in the larger picture. While, yes, a cynic might just trod over the issue with $200 sneakers (made in a sweat shop in Asia for $5), people do get the big picture. They can connect the dots between SUVs and icebergs.

Now, I am not going to go all global warming on you, but you don't have to be Albert Einstein to know that no bees is no good for us (oh yeah, or the planet). No one can tell you exactly what is happening to those bees, but I am thinking it is one of those "we don't know what we don't know" situations.

Chilling. Big, big, big problem. However, as I get older I realize that it is baby steps, baby. Part of the HD loves HB campaign included something as clever as an ad which was printed on recycled stock. You could tear it out of the magazine, crumple it up and plant it. Wildflowers would grow and it would be one small step for bees, one big step for mankind. But that was just one piece of a very complex organism that included bee fans supporting the cause with self made videos on YouTube. Check this one out. I liked it. So did the other 1,145,000 +/- people who downloaded that sucker.

My point (I knew I had one somewhere) is that good marketing does more than sell stuff, but it also connects with people in meaningful (and not-so) ways that motivate them to do something. If you watch this video (on the Cannes Lion site, make sure to click on the capital) then you will get a sense of what kind of commitment it takes to create that ephemeral 'viral' marketing we all count on.

Haagen Daz was sold on the idea of committing to a new type of marketing, and a message that meant something to them, and as it turns out, those people in Cannes. HD made a decision on a very specific message (bees), but with a message that was global. It was their commitment that got them from a clever idea to a movement that link arms with other like minded movements. People do care about this stuff.

I do, or I wouldn't have written this stupid post.

Do you Twitter?

Before you say another word... I am with you; I am confused by all the hype surrounding Twitter. For those not in the know, Twitter is another one of those ubiquitous social networking sites. I swear they must be paying people to use it, or at least, say they use it.

As with many of these experiments in technology, I wonder to myself how a garden center client would best use something like Twitter or Facebook.

Without breaking a sweat I have 20 'followers', many just subscribed to the thread, or tweet, because, like me they were curious. So I am conducting a little socio-economic experiment here. I promise to post a 'tweet' at least 5 times a week with something more meaningful than what I ate that day. My goal is to see how many followers I can amass by the end of July. Of course you can tweet me with your guess.

In order to make it worthwhile and not just another gimmick I will need to produce some pretty meaningful content. I promise. The good news is that I won't need to do it all on my on. That is one of the good things about Twitter. For example, if you wanted to take a peak at one of the more interesting ways to 'tweet' then check out the NBC LA affiliate at NewsRaw. My youngest daughter is interning there this summer and works at posting lead ins. For the news industry it makes a lot of sense. What is more immediate that hooks leading into a web video.

Back to all things green. The reality is that there are many times that I hatch one idea or another. Some are good, some, well... not so much. I figure I drive my staff crazy, why not you? So here goes - a simultaneous - ok, within a day or so - posting the same general information on our website, e-mail, blog, and twitter.

More to come... I pinky-swear.

All Signs Lead to Boosting Sales - The 5 keys to better signage

The first thing I do when clients debate the merits of store signage is to ask them to do the ‘360 test’. It is a simple way to test how well you and your business are promoted at the store level through signage. Stand anywhere in your store, nursery yard, - even your parking lot, and do a full spin noting the number of times you see your company name or logo. Often times when I just describe this exercise retailers will grimace. (Are you seeing a Monrovia logo more than your own?). Whose brand are you promoting?

Effective store signage is an important way to direct shoppers to product, support and reinforce the store brand, and, of course, sell more products. The success of a signage strategy hinges on the integration of function, style, and placement. Signage can also help you avoid the pitfalls of ‘decorating’ vs. ‘display’. A pet peeve of mine is when I visit a garden center and see product, (usually your best stuff), collected in random fashion through out the store. Not sure of the difference? Well, here is an easy way to tell: is the product organized and supported with fixtures and specific signage? Does it complement the traffic pattern you would like to establish in the store or create roadblocks or distractions? No, well you’ve just failed Display 101.

Before we tackle the keys to better signage, let’s consider the different types of signage. At Sunrise Marketing we recommend Seasonal, Event, Sale, Departmental, Directional and Product Spotlights. These can be produced on a range of substrates (banners, paper signs, mounted signs, etc.), sizes, and display fixtures. Cumulatively they form the basics for organizing your store signage.

The 5 keys to better signage –

1) Design – Whether your objective is a complete store signage project, or just beginning with a few of the basics, you need to establish a consistent design style. Your signage should complement, and not compete with the rest of your marketing media. A specific message is communicated more effectively with consistent presentation. It is helpful to establish a specific color palette (identified by specific PMS – Pantone Matching System – numbers), fonts, logo placement and overall design standards. Try to include your logo and web address on every sign.

2) Style – Style, in conjunction with design, can create a ‘look and feel’ that will establish an environment your customers experience when they visit your store. Style will help reinforce the personality of your business, and the personality is usually an extension of ownership. The reverse of the process is also true; the experience should reflect the personality of the place. Are you fun and friendly? Upscale? Expert? A low price leader or something else entirely? These concepts can expand to communicate your USP, or Unique Selling Proposition, which helps you stand out from your competition.
3) Image – The image – whether a graphic or a photograph – is an important component to the signage process. Before you default to the near clinical precision of the ‘mug shot’ of a particular plant variety, consider images that again complement the design and style you wish to communicate. People respond viscerally to the images. The composition of images, in the case of photographs, can either nail the style or confuse the message. If your goal is a sophisticated, upscale look and feel, then the photography, or artwork, must work in concert with this idea. Another important consideration should be to consider how men and women respond to images. Women respond more to the emotion of color and composition, while men respond to the information contained in a sign or an image.

4) Purpose – It is essential to understand that signage, like any other marketing medium, needs to have a well defined purpose, or objective. What do you want to accomplish with your signage? Are you looking to assist customers in locating products, or specific departments, or are you looking to establish an atmosphere? It is not that these elements are mutually exclusive, but rather a simple ‘Sale’ sign has a different purpose than a sign that says ‘Spring!’ The purpose of the sign will, in many cases, drive the design and style of a sign. The ‘Sale’ sign can be as simple as a red background, signaling importance, or urgency, and the word ‘Sale’ in a high contrast color like white. Whether or not red is your school color (so to speak), a consistent use of the color red in conjunction with an urgent message is another effective way to establish consistency throughout your signage.

5) Location – I am a firm believer in using signage to move people through the shopping experience. When you consider that most garden centers sprawl across acres of product, it is easy to see how that might overwhelm your customer. For that reason I would suggest that you begin with a site plan, establish a traffic pattern, and then utilize signage to mark the path. While scale is important, good signage should move people in 25 to 50 foot increments. You can also organize your signage into primary, secondary and spotlight. Your primary signage might be a departmental sign such as ‘Greenhouse’; your secondary sign might be ‘Geraniums’ and your spotlight sign might be ‘Geranium Sale’. Remember to utilize signage to move the eye from a distance down to a destination. When you section your store into micro-markets, such as pottery or trees, it will provide a logical progression from large to small. This process can be applied to as large a concept as your parking lot – main roadside sign (primary), fence banners (secondary) and store entrance (spotlight) – or as small as a vignette for plants that attract butterflies.

In order to build a successful approach for signage, you may need to break some bad habits. Again, make the distinction between ‘decorating’ and ‘display’. Another benefit of organizing your fixed displays will be the ease and effectiveness of quickly changing out your promotions. Fewer displays mean less work, and in this case, less is better. At the very least you should establish displays in key areas such as the store, greenhouse, and nursery yard entrances. When you apply one of the key rules of retail – WIFS (What’s In Flower Sells) – the decision of what to promote is easy. A calendar of display changes can be worked into a schedule that can coordinate effectively with your other marketing messages. Success at the store level is the timely coordination between the right product, the right message and the right merchandising. Simply put, schedule your plant deliveries for optimum sales (bud & bloom), sign the product (spotlight POP), and advertise the product (direct marketing).

Just about all retailers realize how important store signage is, but fail in the execution of a plan. Despite what you may think, I would suggest that summertime is the best time to plan and execute a signage project. It is easier to work with product than to try to work from a blank canvas. Finally, shopping more tradition retail such as grocery stores (I like Whole Foods), specialty stores (Williams-Sonoma), and yes, even large box stores (IKEA), can spark ideas that might motivate you towards directing your business towards a boost in sales.

They're your customers - fight for them!

While many green retailers have finally arrived at the fact that they need to implement some type of a loyalty program I am concerned that they might be doing it for the wrong reason - because everyone else is.

Years ago I used the analogy that watching our green industry chase ideas was like watching six year-olds play soccer. A scrum of kids would all converge on the ball until it popped out to another spot on the field where seemingly all the kids would rush over to form another pile. The process would repeat itself until the most talented kid would eventually break free of the pack and score.

So I will ask the question, which are you the leader or the pack?

Following the pack is a poor excuse for not paying attention in the first place. Customer retention is the most fundamental of all business practices. Done properly it will allow you to identify and connect with your best customers. Practiced poorly it can become ungainly and will ultimately disappoint customer's expectations. So before you busy yourself with rebate schemes or calculating points, remember that customer retention is job one. Your customers represent your most important business asset - more than the building, the inventory or the staff. So just as you wouldn't neglect the plants you inventory, you shouldn't neglect the customers who have built your business.

Which brings us to the technology of customer retention.

When I started Sunrise Marketing 15 years ago I built it on the strength of communicating as directly as possible to each individual customer. It was over 23 years ago that I entered the garden center industry as a part owner in a local garden center. At the time my business partner was forward thinking enough to install a POS system - this was back in 1986. While it wasn't perfect it was with the information we collect that we could best track inventory, monitor profitability and identify our best customers.

In 1986 the emerging technology was centered around the PC, or personal computer. I remember when I purchased my first (of many) HP laser printers. I got it on sale for $2400. It was with the marriage of the PC, the POS and that HP that we generated an in-house newsletter. Eventually we found a local printer who helped us develop our first four color postcard. Those days we had to print a sticky label for each address and then, one by one we stuck them on each mailer, sorted them into mail bundles trudged them off the post office and hoped we had done it right.

It was my goal at the time to develop marketing strategies that were 'concrete and measurable'. In other words if I sent out 1000 postcards and 237 premiums were returned then I knew I had a 23.7% rate of response. If it cost fifty cents for each piece mailed then my expense was $500. If my average sale was $30 then it generated $7,110 and I received a 14 times return on investment. Because I was able to track prior results I could better forecast the future returns.

To paraphrase hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, I wasn't as interested in where the puck was, but rather where it was going. Fast forward over twenty years later and the facts remain the same: customer retention is the cornerstone of any business. Understanding their wants and needs allows you to create marketing messages that truly resonate with your customers. The results are tangible... and they can be measured.

This is critical as you can't manage what you can't measure. However, when you have accurate information you can begin the process of analysis that will allow you to execute strategies for growing your business.

So it was because of technology I can tell you that we had 409 unique visitors to the Sunrise Marketing website on Wednesday, January 14, 2009. I can review the e-mail sent earlier that day and find that it had a 30.4% open rate and a 32.5% click through rate. The majority of the click-throughs, nearly 48% read the latest article written for Today's Garden Center. Likewise I can measure specifically that phone and website traffic spiked again from mailing out our catalog, The Idea Book, on January 5th. So when I look at developing a marketing strategy I can quickly figure out that I should continue to send out e-mail newsletters monthly (at least) and should schedule another catalog mailing.

But success in direct mail, or direct marketing, is not predicated on having a POS system, but it helps. It makes it easier, but it is not essential. What is essential is the ability to put a name to a customer and begin the process of communication that will keep you and your business top of mind for that customer. Customers that are treated well will tell their friends and word of mouth is the most effective advertising.

What is important to remember is that collecting information is just the beginning of the relationship. Proper customer relationship marketing, or CRM, is a process where actions and reactions are tracked, measured, and improved upon. When you are able to systematically measure and respond to customer feedback you can the systemically and strategically grow that customer - and thousands of others at the same time.

So these days when time and money are stretched to the breaking point isn't it about time for you to look at instituting a system that will identify and reward all of your customers. My advice is to make it your primary mission this spring to meet and greet all customers with enthusiasm and appreciation. Establish the objective of enrolling as many customers as possible into a customer loyalty program. Make sure you identify and communicate the benefits quickly and accurately and then deliver on the promise. If you would like to learn more about it then check out my earlier article on building a loyalty program >.

These days can you really afford the indifference to a consumer that has built your business? Isn't it time to create a lasting bond before your competition does?

Hey, they are your customers - but now more than ever you are going to need to fight for them.

Three things I would do if I were you ...

I have returned from the MANTS show (I know it sounds like the 'Man Show' with Jimmy Kimmel) in Baltimore. It is a green industry trade show that generally kicks off the winter trade show season on the east coast. Like many vendors and wholesale growers I was looking to take the temperature of the attendees.

Well, it wasn't that bad. The traffic was down, but the contacts were better and more focused on getting things done. Signage continues to top the list the to-do list for many retailers, but many that I talked with were interested in some of the more sophisticated selling strategies such as the 'We Plan, You Plant' (a DIY design service), the Perfect Patios & Dream Decks (a DIFM container garden design service) and the Grow Green marketing program.

The common denominator is that all agree that marketing is more important than ever. Unfortunately comments at winter trade shows are somewhat akin to New Year's resolutions, that is you know what you should do, but rarely do it. This year might be different because fear is a great motivator.

With that in mind, here are three things I would do if I were a retail garden center...

1 - I would take advantage of the fact that large scale landscaping projects might be downgraded to smaller projects and quite possibly more do-it-yourself (DIY) than do-it-for-me (DIFM). This means that garden centers will be able to compete with smaller landscapers on home landscape projects. The good news is that small landscapers rarely advertise (they even brag that they never had to), so the marketing you've done over the years should pay off. In a tight economy I think that homeowners are going to scrutinize their budget. Take a look at our We Plan, You Plant and Perfect Patios & Dream Deck programs. You can also see how we integrated these two items into our sample website - www.xyzgardencenter.com.

2 - Don't be surprised if you see a bump in lawn care products as people will look to do it themselves to save money. You should consider advertising more lawn care products. Stress that it is easy and will could save in excess of $100 over the course of a year. Push organic lawn care products and the fact that it is easy and you can help them with professional advice.

3 - This is probably the best year, and this is actually the best time to roll out a community fundraiser program. What with budget cuts and reduced services groups are looking everywhere for ideas that will help them raise money. The winter months are one of the few times you might have the time to sit down and actually sell something. It takes time and a commitment to the process. At Sunrise Marketing we created a 'turn-key' program that can help you hit the ground running.

The great thing about all of these ideas is that you can, and should start them NOW in order to generate pre-season sales while grabbing market share from those landscapers who don't advertise and the garden centers waiting to see what is going to happen (to them).

That's what I would do...

New Year's Resolutions Anyone?

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that we were anxiously awaiting New Year's day 2000! In many ways it feels as though I have lived several lifetimes since then. Our business was booming as we entered our 6th year. And then there was 9/11 and our business like many others took years to recover. But recover it did and 2007 was a record year.

It is important to realize that during challenging times like these that we will survive. Our country and our business regained it's footing and boomed again. I am glad that the feds finally acknowledged that our current recession started 12 months ago. I am sure many of us could have told them that.

Not that I am any more clairvoyant than the next guy, but I remember advising clients I saw at the MANTS show in January of 2008 that this was a year to 'hunker down'. This should not be confused with giving up, but rather a call to manage your business like your life depended on it. I really didn't say it with quite that drama, but we've seen dozens of small owner operated garden centers go out of business this past year.

Who knows what 2009 will bring.

Well the answer to that one is up to you. Are you in it to merely survive, or are you in it to thrive? I know that this economy is a scary thing, but you've got to take a deep breath, swallow hard and get to work. As the trade show season looms on the horizon you should make this the year that you develop a practical approach to running a profitable business. It is a time for tough choices. You are going to need to approach staffing, inventory and yes, advertising with a steady hand and a steadier plan.

So take some time to re-charge your batteries and commit yourself to success. It shouldn't be entirely defined by your sales figures, but rather the bottom line. Approach each day with an eye towards the possibilities and then make them come true. As a small business owner your staff (and customers) are going to take their cues from you so you must be up to the task.

We have survived before and with proper planning and even better execution, we will survive again. So what will your New Year's resolution be? Enthusiasm and optimism is contagious. Spead the word...

How fast was that?

As I create this post I am about 650 words into my monthly article for Today's Garden Center. I decided to focus this month's article on the speed of information. So I thought it would be an interesting exercise to compose a quick blog on the subject and compare the time and effectiveness of the two methods of publication. In the article I referenced a blog posting that had an interesting working definition of the word 'community'. You can read the complete posting here >

The subject of the TGC article is networking with your community of industry peers and most importantly, your customers. In the most recent issue of Time magazine the 'Going Green' section features a 'green, not green, and greenest' option for the holiday Christmas tree. The article, about a thousand words, went through the pros and cons of the fake, the cut and the b and b options. You can view the article with images here >

Now this article should be pretty good information for the local garden center to share with their customers - providing of course that the garden center has taken the time and effort to aggregate a community of customers. They could reinforce the benefits while letting their customers know that they sell live trees. Heck, they could even provide a coupon.

If they had they could post a blog on the subject, like I am doing here, or send an email newsletter on the subject like we do with Constant Contact, or they could sit back and think 'wow I should have done that'.

So by using this blog I am literally able to create a more dynamic and interesting feature than I can with a print article. In print I can't really link the readers to the content linked here. The reader could do their own detective work on the subject, but this blog has done it for them.

Got to go for now. I have to finish my thousand words on the subject. Boy this blog was easier. Oh, by the way, if you would like to read the complete TGC article before I actually send it to the publisher you can go to the Sunrise Marketing website and read it and the other forty or so articles composed over the years. Better give me a minute or two to actually finish my article...

Some thoughts on cooking your own goose.

This holiday season is going to be challenging. That's an understatement. With the economic woes broadcast 24/7 it is no wonder that spirits (and business) are down. Now I have written a couple of blogs on the subject, and more than a few articles on advertising in general and marketing in particular. In fact, a recent article urged retailers to "Stop Advertising". But before you take it too literally, understand that the message was directed towards improving your advertising. Often times many retailers get stuck in a rut with an outdated message to an un-caring audience.

They say that fear is a great motivator; for some it drives them to find new solutions in tough times, but for others it stops them dead in their tracks. But it always a matter of choice. The irony is that bad news can become addictive. Each day you are drawn to the evening news, the online fix or even the morning paper. It's all you think about. Pretty soon it becomes a fearful obsession. I know, I've been there. I feel like I am spending way too much time with Chris Matthews, Wolf Blitzer, heck maybe even Campbell Brown.

Recently though I have sought intervention in the form of ESPN's SportsCenter and the guys from PTI. I have had enough with bad news. I am boycotting the blues. Not that the stocks will stop their nosedive, or that the Big 3 from Detroit will pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (that's what I have to do everyday, maybe it might build some character), or even that the Christmas retail season won't suck. It probably will. Times are tough. But to curl up into a ball and wait for the end is nothing short of business suicide.

When the options are to do or die, then by all means 'do'! Like every other small business owner I am trying to anticipate the future and adjust accordingly. What's important is to make good decisions, but by all means do all that you can to drive business to your store, your site, whatever. It is tough to face down fear everyday, to manage payrolls and go on with business as usual. I know it feels lonely some times, so I thought I might share some inspiration.

So when I was shaving the other morning I got caught up in a sing song rhyme from Charles Osgood - the Osgood Report. It made me smile so I hope you will like it too.

So inspiring was the message I thought I might give Suessing a whirl. So when I was finishing this blog I decided to juice the Seuss.

"Well, the water was running so I couldn't quite hear, but when the talk turned to advertising it gave my heart cheer.

So I turned off the water so I could hear better, and his rhyme made me smile as I put on my sweater.

(What, you have a better word that rhymes? Well then don't listen to me then, you do it next time)

Well a day or two passed when my wife said she heard it. She couldn't say where, and she couldn't say when, so I googled and found it and we listened right then.

Well, we listened with rapture, we listened with care, so it was right then and there that I thought I might share.

I hope it brings solace, I hope it brings cheer, but most of all lately, may it drive away fear."

The Fromherz file.

Cool is as Cool does...

I recently gave a talk at the New England Greenhouse Conference in Worcester, MA. It was an interesting day. I gave two talks separated by about five hours. It was great because it gave me a chance to sit in on another talk. It is helpful to gain perspective when you have the chance to observe. It was another marketing presentation. A professor from Purdue gave a very good talk on market segmentation. Upon completion they opened the floor up for questions.

There was one exchange that left me scratching my head. It wasn't so much a question as an observation from an audience member. The subject was how to attract that ever elusive X and Y shopper. With an aging clientele many retailers are struggling to come to some sort of understanding of this target market.

Her concern (point) was that those consumers were attracted to places like Home Depot by the strength of their marketing message and the fact that it was 'cool'. This point eluded me a bit. Was it that the store was cool, or just the advertising and marketing? I have to think it was the advertising. Anyway, it got me thinking.

My original thought was how could someone get it so wrong. Kind of a harsh thought so I kept it to myself (until now, of course). With props to Gump's Mom, 'Cool is as Cool does'.

You can't fake cool; for that matter you can't even manufacture cool. It either is, or it isn't; and if you are concerning yourself with the 'cool' effect you are way off track (especially if you are a garden center).

This thought has stuck in my head - let's call them the XerWhysers - aren't so much defined by external forces, but rather how they see themselves. They are curious. They like to explore and discover stuff. They are relentless researchers, (read web-serfers), and are, for the most part, educated and smart - at least those I know.

More than any other consumer base they have a real snout for the good, the bad and the ugly. As it relates to garden center stuff they are kind of a non-starter. They are never going to become 'gardeners' in the sense that their parents might have been. They are into other things; landscaping and home improvement will come when they become, well, home owners.

So, as I do when I am interested in getting to the heart of things I e-mailed my daughter Erin. I find that I can lob an idea her way and she'll cut right to the point. So, I told her about the 'cool' Depot story.

I had the answer in about an hour:

"you're exactly right. it's not the advertising that makes it cool, it's the sense of discovery that gets people hooked. when i get a "cute shirt" comment, it kind of even feels better to say that you got it for $4.99 at the gap on super sale.

i don't think things are as dramatic as "as quickly as they spot something great they will turn something bad" but i do know that my generation is super fickle, and i'm not sure there's been much success in advertising to us.

i can honestly tell you that home depot is NOT geared towards my demographic. a ton of us don't own homes, let alone gardens that we can work on. we're more fixated on contributing to our 401k, getting ahead at work and dressing ourselves. and what, pray tell, is cool about the home depot ads?? they show young families ripping up carpets and painting their kid's rooms. god she was off.

the whole thing here is that we are constantly trying to define what is our own self-image. what our style is. what music we listen to. how we keep house. what kind of foods we like and what our morning routine is.

information moves FAST. by the time the today show or CNN reports on something, it's usually passe. and they have 24 hour news!"

Thanks Erin.

So, with that said, I think we should table the whole XerWisers (or, is it XerWhyers; we'll see if that sticks) thing. I don't think anyone has figured that one out anyway, at least with the traditional media mix.

Back to the seminar. Well, the q and a session ended and I got ready for my final presentation. At the risk of falling back into ad-speak, I tried to sum up a strategy for those souls out there trying to make sense of it all. They deserved something, after all, at least they were committed enough to attend a marketing talk.

The answer is to be 'remarkable'. I think I said it about three times more - you have to be 'remarkable'; 'remarkable' (that ought to do it). A business will (usually) rise and fall on merit. If you have a great product, great service or superior staff people will find you. Word does get out. Of course effective marketing will help, but you can only do so much if you can't deliver the goods. (Was there something about a pig and lipstick?).

The point is to concentrate on your customers; look to understand their needs and connect with a genuine message that clearly states your value proposition. The world is spinning faster than ever. Believe it or not, many will (re)discover the peace and feeling of accomplishment that come with planting a tree or feeding the birds. Keep on point with your message and always look to improve.

Neato Torpedo!

You can learn quite a bit by just goofing around. I have started a rather involved process of building a sample garden center website. I did it in order to use it as a reference tool for an upcoming presentation at the New England Greenhouse conference on November 6th. Well, what started out as a simple, straightforward project has ballooned into a race against time (deadlines, ugh!).

It seems as though the more you add, the more you want to add; ad naseum. You can really get hooked on technology. I really did have rather modest goals when I started to create XYZ Garden Center's fictitious website. Then when I was adding a Google map for directions it occurred to me that I need a real address. So I added the address of my childhood home. Why you ask? Well, because with a Google map you can see a street view and actually see the house. Neato!

Then when I was adding a fictitious Constant Contact account I decided to add the 'survey' function and put a poll onto the site. You never know, you might want to know what your customers think. Alright, I did it because I thought it was... neato!
Well then I was going to add this new cool form creator. It would allow for all kinds of applications for the website - an 'Ask Us' form, a submission for the 'We Plan, You Plant' service, and of course for the 'Contact Us' page. It was fast and really neato!

Are you sensing a trend here? Of course there is a danger in cramming so much stuff onto a website just because you can, but I though, hey, wouldn't it be cool to create a Facebook page for the site and show people how you could create a 'Fan' club for XYZ Garden Center? Still sorting that one out for now.

The reality with a website is that it is never finished. There are always new ideas and adjustments that could be made based on the feedback you get when you add the Google Analytics - neato stuff!

The only thing that will stop me now is the deadline for submitting my PowerPoint presentation outline for the talk. I sure hope they have high speed Internet access. I guess I should really get back to the creation of the site, but I had to compose a sample Blog post to make sure it would work on the sample site.

Did I mention the blog post? Or the podcast? Neato stuff for sure...

A little tale about a 'Land Down Under'

Well all the time and money that has been poured into our oldest daughter's education is finally starting to pay off. This past week she asked if we would like to take part in a 'secret shopper' experience at a chain restaurant that shall go nameless. She said there would be a little money in it for us if we played our cards right. All very hush hush you know - on the QT. I can't tell you more right now. After all, it wouldn't be a secret if I told you now would it? Let's just say that they were interested in getting the skinny on a bloke from 'Outback'.

The adventure began with an e-mail from a guy named 'Andy' with a list of questions for before and after the dining experience, as well as detailed directions on how to photo document the visit. Without naming any of the companies involved I will just say that the instructions came from a courier company - we'll call them company X. Very mysterious...

Did I mentioned there was an envelope in the package stuffed with cash? Plot thickens, doesn't it? Now before you get carried away, it doesn't mean we are on the take, but actually they just wanted our 'opinions'. I guess they figured a little walking around money might loosen our tongues.

The first order of business was finding out what we knew about the restaurant in question. First it was all the typical stuff - what comes to mind when we think about the _________ restaurant? Why do you like to go there? What do you think of the food? But then they wanted to know some rather personal stuff. What other restaurants do we frequent?

It only got tougher when we had to go undercover. To make things less conspicuous we had the inlaws come along. It made the photos that we needed to take a little easier. We pretended we were tipsy and asked a passerby to take our photo - but make sure you get the _______ logo in the shot. So far, so good.

But thats where things got a little tougher. They wanted us to check out the place. What made it unique? What actually identified it as an __________ restaurant? It was tougher than I thought. The reality was it looked just like many other chain restaurants with all the flair of a Friday's and atmosphere of a Chili's. Now I have been to a few ____________ restaurants, but this place looked tired and the menu wasn't that much different than you might find at their competitors.

It was dark, lots of wood, noisy with a waiter named Jim, or Jimmy, or Bill or Bobby. The fact was it was kind of a bland experience. The ribs I had came with the same sides as both restaurants 'F' and 'C' and they were OK, but not memorable. I'd have to give this place a 'D'. The rest of the table had a similar experience - what looked great in the pictures wasn't matched by what was on the plate.

All of a sudden things were getting serious. When you really thought about it, this place had really slipped. It was obvious that nothing had been done to the place since they opened. The whole atmosphere was worn out and tired. It needed a facelift. My Father in Law, we'll call him 'Glenn' told us a story about a world class restaurant in Charleston, SC that actually closed for two months every five years to totally upgrade the place. Now that is a serious commitment of money and manpower. Not many places could afford to close for two months.

As I thought about it though, I think there are too many places that can't afford not to. Being in the Green Industry I started to wonder about some of the garden centers I'd visited over the years. Out of the hundreds we work with, only about a handful had actually upgraded their facilities in the last few years. Sure for those that did it took money, but many of these same places started out as pretty humble retailers. Many others just showed the wear and tear of years of neglect. Some times when you are so busy working in your business, you don't have the time to work on your business. You never seem to have the time to stand back and take an honest assessment of your business. For that reason and others, many retailers do use 'mystery shoppers' to gain some perspective on how customers really experience their business.

Now all kidding aside, in a time where competition is tough and the weak are falling by the wayside, it is more important than ever to deliver on the experience each and every time. After all, you never know who might be watching...

Not for the faint of heart...

While surfing the net today for news of the latest bailout – plus the fallout from another precipitous drop (-449 pts) in the stock market – I came across a link for a website called ireport.com with a questionnaire asking “What are you giving up?”

A quick poll was prefaced with the following:

“With a struggling economy and rising gas and food prices, many Americans are cutting back expenses to save money.

Tell us what you're giving up. Have you stopped eating out at restaurants? Cut your trips to the movie theater? Left your car at home on the weekdays?”

So as my wife and I were eating out at a new burger restaurant in town I was going on and on about the ramifications of the election, the economy and the impact on our customers – retail garden centers. In order to keep my blood pressure in check I told her I would not be watching the Red Sox tonight, but I knew all along we would be glued to the news trying to gain an insight into what it all means.

What will be the immediate impact to consumers? Simultaneously we agreed it was “consumer confidence”. Of course that confidence is affected by gas prices, hurricanes, and to top it all off… a presidential election.

Of course the next question was, “What do you do if you’re in retail?”

“Advertise” said Ann. Now is not the time for the faint of heart. The important thing is to get the message right. So, what is the right message?

Home, family and friends and the safety and security of what you know. Now is not the time to disconnect from your customers, but rather to reinforce your relationship. When things are tough people will fall back to what they know – home, family and the warmth and comfort that the fall and holiday seasons represent.

The message needs to be personal, meaningful and represent the real value of making the home warm and inviting. It should be an invitation to bring the family, have some fun decorating the house and share the season with you (the retail you).

Reinforce the fact that you are that local business where you’ve always shopped.

With that said, it is more important than ever to get it right, because consumers are going to look for value when they do eat out and shop.

Which brings us back to that new local restaurant - $30 for burgers and diet coke? Wrong. A wine bar at a build your own burger joint? Wrong. This ‘Counter Burger’ was right next door to a Moe’s Southwest Grill so the fact that CB was waitress service right next to the cafeteria style at Moe’s meant another $5 (in tip). Strike three and your out. One and done.

Retailer beware – When consumers are asked “what are you going to give up?” you better make sure it isn’t you and your business. This is just another reason for you to keep close to your customers.

A Tale of Two Cities

Earlier this month (August 2008) we had the girls (plus erin's boyfriend Chris) out on vacation for a week. Since Chris was new to the east coast we wanted to make sure to work in some road trips throughout New England. Short story is we made one; long story is the one trip we actually made. Cara spent her freshman year in college at St. Michaels in Burlington, VT. While she loved the area she moved onto U of Mizzou for the journalism program. So when the subject came up as to where to go Vermont was on the short list.
The Fromherz family has few traditions, but one important one is food. The typical vacation day is spent deciding the where and what to eat. So Burlington was exciting because we could get breakfast all day long at Sneaker's, a popular eatery in Burlington (actually, Winooski). So when we rolled into town the first stop was Sneakers where we gorged ourselves on the crab cakes benedict, rooster special and plenty of maple syrup. That was 1 in the afternoon. A bit of shopping interrupted the process shortly as from Burlington we stopped in Watertown for the Ben & Jerry's factory tour - strawberry cheesecake ice cream - oh yeah...
That was around 5 ish. We then staggered back to the car and headed south on 89. While I wanted to just bomb it home we decided to stop in Brattelboro at a little diner we discovered the previous summer - the Royal Diner.
We got there around 8:30 after discovering they closed at 9. Whew! Who knows what would have happened if we couldn't eat again soon! Any hooo... our romantic notion of the roadside diner was validated by Jen, our waitress. Even though she was probably at the end of a long shift we was enthusiastic, happy and helpful. Now the Royal Diner is not Haute Cuisine (more about that later), but rather home cooking by a dedicated staff of owners and employees - of which Jen detailed by name with how long they had been there. She also let us know that all the food was made from scratch including the pies. Well we ordered everything from Buffalo Wings to Spaghetti and Meatballs; Meatloaf to Chicken Parmesan and everything was great. But what really made the experience was Jen. She was fun, helpful and all in all a great waitress. By the end of the meal we had voted her in the top five waitresses of all time (this includes Barb from Sally & Bob's!). Well of course we capped off the meal by sharing the last piece of Blueberry Pie with homemade ice cream. No slight to Ben or Jerry, but it was awesome. Here's proof. Total for the meal was around $60 for five. That's important because later that week we were invited by Ann's parents to a trendy restuarant in Hartford. Over $500 bucks and not so good...
Now the moral of the story is not so much a food war, but rather how an enthusiastic employee can shape the experience. Why is the story of a small diner so important? Well, the success or failure of any business ultimately comes down to the experience. Royal Diner (and Sneakers) scored high. Even though they were small they excelled through a great product and better staff. Ben & Jerry created a culture of caring and quality that grew from a funky old converted gas station into an ice cream dynasty. They did it by doing the best they could every day and inspiring their staff to do the same. Oh, and by the way if you are ever traveling through Vermont we know a couple of great places to eat!

It's inconceivable!

The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies. In it the character Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) responds to each setback with "It's inconceivable!" To which Indigo Montoya responds "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

This past weekend I was at a garden center and I was flabbergasted! The place was a mess. Display gardens and shrubs overgrown, garden beds weedy and tired, trees knocked over and cinder blocks everywhere. "I can't image that any other retailer could survive running their business like most garden centers," I said to my wife. "Can you imagine a department store with piles of clothes on the floor, dirty and wrinkled? Displays featuring torn product, empty tables and with no help in sight? It's inconceivable!"

Yes, I think I do know what 'inconceivable' means. Of course this is a generalization, but I would challenge you to take a good look at your garden center. Are customers met with knowledgeable and friendly staff? Is the product displayed professionally... signed with pricing? Is the product worth the price, or is it tired, leggy or any other way sub-par?

So on Monday morning I wasn't surprised by what I found in my Fax machine. I was reading the Bottom Line, a weekly update sent by Robert Hendrickson to his Garden Center Group clients. This week (Vol. 14, No. 447) he commented on the fact that many garden center owners and employees admit that they don't shop. He was surprised. How can a retailer not participate in the retail process? How can they possibly understand the consumer experience if their only frame of reference is their own store? It's inconceivable! That might explain how some retailers find it acceptable to stock dirty and chipped pottery, or plants that are months past peak. Any other retail store would be out of business, or they would at least fire the manager. You need to hold you and your business to the highest retail standards. How can you know what that is if you aren't out there to experience it.

You need to get out there and see what's really going on in retail. As consumers we make decisions everyday where and when we will shop. It is now gotten to the point where I only shop my local Stop & Shop when I absolutely have to. My experience at Whole Foods has made me a more discerning customer so I find I am less tolerant of sub par produce or poor selection of products - worse yet core products that are out of stock.

If a typical consumer starts looking at a major grocery chain with this type of scrutiny do you really expect them to give you and your garden center a pass? Do you really expect them to pay premium prices for a bargain basement experience?

I know... it's inconceivable.

Stellaaaa!!!

When you talk about Stella most people will recall Marlon Brando wailing in Street Car Named Desire (thanks Sergei). Of course people in the green industry will think of the ubiquitous Stella D'Oro daylily. I recently wrote an article for Today's Garden Center titled the Stella D'Oro factor... etc. In the article I argued plant sales are impacted by... well, plant sales. The more people see it, the more people buy it, so more people see it... rinse and repeat.
These days you see Stella D'Oro everywhere from the mass planting in front of the 'Welcome to Our Town' sign to the desolation of the McDonald's parking lot. It is in just about every tragic front lawn perennial border and is sold by the truckloads at the local Home Depot or Lowes. People like what they see and they see a lot of Stella.
But now it is like that stupid pop song that you can't get out of your head. It is driving me crazy. Imagine hearing the Bangle's 'Just another manic monday...' over and over and over again. The only thing that could possibly be worse is the 'Knock-Out' rose. Worse yet is when you see them together... and you see that alot.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for plants that sell well and people that are happy with hemerocallis. It is just that it has become a second tier commodity that has become over exposed. It is the David Hasslehof effect. It is tolerable at times, but sometimes... Won't it just go away?
So now I just play a game of 'I Spy' all the time pointing out the KO and the SDO. I was thinking of creating some sort of Internet virus where people would submit photos of all the Stella roaming around their town. There would probably be millions! No thanks. (Actually there are already 7480 Stella pics on a google image search).
Ok, so hopefully I got that out of my system. I have to go dead-head the Stella D'Oro I have planted in my backyard... just a few yards from, well, you guessed it... the 'Knock-Out' rose.

You read my mind, so maybe you’ll read my blog

I recently received an email from Erin (oldest, SF, advertising) with a one word message and a link:

Jackpot:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/dining/11garden.html

Wow. Psychic! She must have read my mind. But I guess there are more than just a few folks who are picking up on the growth in vegetable, fruits and flower gardening. Just like Yogi always said, “you can observe a lot just by watching”. Suddenly it is all you notice. It’s just like when we bought our Prius. At first it felt a little goofy, but then we started seeing them everywhere and now I look prescient (big word points). The point is we started noticing what we were looking for.

Which get us back to jackpot girl…

As recently as two weeks ago she called with two bits of information: she wanted help to create an herb planter and wanted to start a “Victory Garden” when it comes time to settle down. Well you could have warmed up leftovers with the glow of pride. I don’t now if she could possibly remember but the first book that got me hooked on gardening was Jim Crockett’s original “Victory Garden”. His PBS show was the best, never to be equaled. So for my bouncing little girl to remember this is heart warming (or a coincidence). But the fact remains she was interested and despite a sub-par shopping experience (she would make a great mystery shopper) she must have gotten the bug. Now I get regular updates on everything from lemons to cilantro.

So like the flood of Prius tooling around in my unconsciousness (thanks Yogi), I went out making my regular rounds in search of new, fresh images. I routinely scour the city gardens, upscale neighborhoods and the occasional ‘Welcome to our Town’ sign for garden shots. As it turns out Hartford, CT boasts Elizabeth Park. A great city garden with a spectacular rose garden. Over the years I have taken hundreds of photos there. Both girls are familiar with it because as a condition of a walk, or bike ride we had to stop to take photos. So, earlier this week I was out there with my tri-pod creeping out the early walkers, but especially the help that comes in early to prep food at the Pond House restaurant. Here they are coming to work to find a guy hunched over in the garden beds taking pictures. The Pond House is really cool because it is located in the park and is planted up with tons of flowers, perennials and now a little organic garden for fresh veggies and culinary herbs.

Earlier in the spring I noticed they were creating raised beds for a vegetable garden. Great idea for an urban restaurant of sorts, but it is also a great idea for garden centers, but particularly landscape garden centers. As a customer what would you say to a landscape company that could come in and install a series of raised beds, mulched walkways and perhaps a garden features such as a fountain or sculpture to serve as a focal point for some geometric pattern.

With that in mind I had the same conversation with Dan from Fraleigh’s. A quick aside: Isn’t funny how we become Kurt from Sunrise, or Rich from Krikit’s. I suggested that maybe we should feature this concept for the landscape company. The more we talked about it, the more excited we both became with the concept.

So, when I looked at my e-mail and saw her link I knew I was on to something big. You see while some will raise vegetables to save enough to buy gas (are we still in America?), many others are interested in the ecological and health benefits of growing your own. There is no surprise that the New York Times has picked up on it, isn’t it about time that you and your garden center step in to help your customers and your communities. Looks like three cherries to me – jackpot!

Here's new one... Staycation!

It seems lately that most of the buzz I pick up comes from my wife. You see she is one of the people who actually read the newspaper and the TIME magazine articles, and of course, the secret indulgence of the occasional People magazine at the hair salon. I am a skimmer. I look at the pictures, catch ESPN for my sports fix and generally float around attracting interesting ideas … sort of like a cultural fly strip.

So last night as I am actually reading a few articles from TIME – just the short ones, she offers, “I have a new one for you… ‘staycation’. I saw it here in TIME.”

“Wow,” I think (in my inside the head voice), “that is perfect! What a great marketing idea for garden centers!”

Twisted, huh? But it makes perfect sense. With gas prices skyrocketing, (here in Connecticut I just paid $3.95 for REGULAR), huge surcharges for airfare, and potentially a good summer movie schedule, I am staying home. Actually, I have to drive my daughter back to Mizzou (Columbia, MO – 1200 + miles) and I am going to have to take out a home equity loan to finance the trip. But after that, I am not moving.

That’s fine with me because it means I can do more work in the back yard. I love my back yard, but more importantly, my wife loves the back yard and that is where you will find us this summer.

That’s right… it is a ‘staycation’.

While it means that the oil companies will not necessarily feel the decrease from my $70 FILLUPS, the local garden center might profit.

So, if you were thinking about packing it in for the summer you’re nuts. If the oil companies can claim windfall profits, my not your business? I am not suggesting that you raise the price of top soil to $120 a barrel, but you should advertise your business as a way to escape the high prices in their own private oasis – the back yard.

You should absolutely promote container gardens, herb gardens, grow your own veggies (for the grill, cookouts and entertaining) and perhaps a new water feature, perennial border or that new pair of West County Gloves (OK, that’s just me).

Now more than ever, you need to put your foot on the gas (sorry) and pump up (sorry) the summer sales.

Here’s an idea for you: a mailer listing all the things you could get with the $70 you are not giving the oil companies. Multiply that by a couple of fillips and you could get a pretty neat fountain. The gardens of Rome right in your own back yard! Think about what they could do if they gave you the money a trip to Rome would actually cost.

Long live the Staycation!

Crunch the numbers

Well, it is baseball time so Spring sales can't be far behind. Just as you shouldn't panic if your home team gets off to a rocky start (Sox are 3-4, Yankees 3-3), you shouldn't panic at the sluggish start in the first couple of weekends in the green industry. OK, so what does that have to do with baseball? It's all about the numbers. My fascination with baseball began with a statistics game called Strat-O-matic. The game was based on the statistic averages from the previous season. Your skill involved understanding match ups and setting your lineup and pitching accordingly. With a roll of the dice the game began. Based on the information you had, you formed a game strategy. You had to adjust for the opposing pitcher, know who the top hitters were and understand the opportunities from one game to the next.

So it goes with retail this Spring. Match ups are tough as green retailers are going to faced with competition from higher food costs, gas costs are through the roof and the housing market is in deep doo doo (technical term from Alan Greenspan). Now more than ever you will have to play the odds. For me that has always revolved around making the most of your existing customer base. That is where the rubber meets the road, and consequently, where you will get the best return on your dollar.

To revisit a favorite formula we will take the way back machine to 1998 (or around there...). Most of my talks at industry events revolved around understanding the critical dollars per transaction, or average sale. Getting a handle on this key number should be the number one priority. The only way you can plan for growth is to create a way to make things happen consistently from one day to the next. Sort of like a baseball manager knowing you are not going to win all 162 games, but if you manage the basics you will win more than you lose.

You see it really isn't about hitting home runs all the time, but rather getting on base, moving the runner along and timely hitting. In retail that means getting customers into the store, selling them more, and getting them to come back. While it is fairly generic, lets see what happens when you 'crunch the numbers'.

Here's the formula --

1) take your total sales for the year and divide by the average sale - in our example we will use $1 million in sales with a $40 average ticket (highs and lows equal out over the long haul).

2) from there we can determine how many customer visits we had. we take the total transactions - in our case 25,000, and we divide that number by the average that any one customer shops your store in a single year. We will use a theoretical number in this exercise, but if you have a POS system you won't have to. When I surveyed retailers years ago it came out to around 2.875, or 8695(.65). We'll round up to 8700.

3) the 8700 represents your potential 'core customers'. In an 80/20 formula (80% of your sales will come from your top 20% customers) these 'core customers' are the ones to concentrate on.

4) next, we multiply the 'core customers' by your average sale. In this case 8700 X $40 equals $348,000 (based on a single transaction). If we multiply the $40 times the 2.875 then the customer is worth around $115.00 over the calendar year.

5) the goal then, is to increase the dollars per customer. The simple way to do that is to increase the average sale and improve the amount of times they shop in a year. When you apply the numbers to this it looks something like this: 8700 X $45 (just $5 more per transaction) you come up with 391,500, or an increase of around 11%. If you get them back 3 times (up from 2.875), the customer is now worth $135 per visit - around 15%.

6) put those two together and you end up with 8700 X 45 = 391,500 X 3 = 1,174,500, or an increase of around 12%. Of course these numbers are purely speculative, but the numbers don't lie.

Again, it isn't about knocking them out of the park, but rather the day to day attention to great customer service, promotions designed to increase the average sale and a mechanism to communicate with your core customers on a regular basis. With a customer acquisition cost that is roughly 26 times the cost of retention, shouldn't you be paying attention to your best customers?

Now your results may vary, but even if it took you a couple of years to realize such increases, wouldn't it be worth it?

I’m confused, how about you?

On the one hand there is actually a GF (gluten free) movement. It must be true because it has its own magazine. So when I was driving around town I passed my local garden center that had a sandwich board sign announcing it had Corn Gluten. Corn Gluten? Wasn’t that a bad thing?

I have to admit that I had no idea what Corn Gluten was. So my wife Ann says, rather matter of factly, “oh yeah, corn gluten is a natural approach to suppressing weed seed in your lawn.”

How did you know that? “Well,” she explained, “when you proof as many newsletters as I do, you learn a lot.” She went on to say how much she learns from the Natureworks (Northford, CT) newsletter. Sure enough, I had to look over a website post from Stringer’s (Memphis, TN) and found another reference to Corn Gluten.

I still am not really clear on what CG (not GF) is and how it works. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable, so if I haven’t heard more about it, how many of your customers are confused as well. Not to confuse the issue, but confusion is not my point.

The point is there are some really good newsletters (both traditional and virtual) out there and they have quite a following. I can tell you statistically that the Natureworks newsletter averages over 35% for opens, and has a 25% click through rate. Nancy DuBrule, the owner and spiritual leader of the cult that is Natureworks, has a very loyal following built over the years by her ability to connect with her customers.

I can tell you with some certainty that the Natureworks customers know CG from GF.

Just another example of how “content is (still) King”. So, with that said I thought I might suggest a few (e) newsletters for you to subscribe to:

www.naturework.com

www.stringersgardencenters.com

www.forestlakegreenhouses.com

www.mostardi.com

This is not a judgment of what is good or bad, (all are managed through Sunrise Marketing), but rather a suggestion that you subscribe to as many newsletters as you can. This will give you a good feel for what you like (and don’t like). Notice I said newsletter. Despite the fact that e-newsletters are a hot topic, Natureworks paper newsletter has twice as many subscribers.

Care to share? I encourage you to post your thoughts, whether it is on Corn Gluten, great sites, or great newsletters you’ve found along the way.

That Tomato Lady

First of all, a very happy Easter to all; May your spring be wet, but not too wet… warm, but not too hot. We could all use a good spring and the prospects for many more to come. Visiting with my daughters this weekend I had an interesting exchange with Cara, our daughter studying Journalism at University of Missouri.

First of all, you have nothing to complain about weather-wise compared to those poor folks in Missouri. This past week they had over twelve inches of rain! Makes those rain barrels seem silly, doesn’t it?

Well, we picked up the rental car in Phoenix and started the long trek back to the desert. We started talking, and believe it or not, she didn’t know that dear old dad writes a weekly blog. So we got to talking about blogs. It turns out I didn’t know that she wrote a blog. She was a little more reluctant to have me read hers than the opposite.

All that set aside for another day, we had an interesting talk about life beyond college. The conversation ranged wildly, but for the sake of this post I will confine it to communes. (I guess it was because Woodstock was playing on the radio). It wasn’t that she was necessarily enamored with the sixties, but rather a sense of finding peace in a simple lifestyle.

“I want to grow my own vegetables, have a few chickens and sell excess produce at the farmer’s market. I want to be ‘that tomato lady’. You know,” she explained, “that lady that grows those killer tomatoes.”

Which led us to Fritz; Fritz was my grandfather and her great-grandfather who, in true German fashion, had a rather prolific vegetable and fruit garden in the backyard of his 1950’s tract home in California. Fritz and Anna were from the old country. The backyard featured blackberries, raspberries, tangerines, climbing roses, pole beans, plums, apples and ‘killer’ tomatoes (and much more).

In a scene right out of the Godfather - the first one, where Marlon Brando keels over in his veggie garden after chasing his grandson around with an orange peel grin – I have memories of a six year old tied to those summers growing up in Sunnyvale (true story). It was in that sunny garden that I was exposed to grafting fruit trees (his friends included a rather talented Swiss arborist), drying fruit and of course growing tomatoes. It was there that I learned an ‘organic’ approach to pest control – a sharp knife applied to those giant green tomato worms.

As we fast-forward to the rental car, I wondered what would inspire the next generation to value a simpler time where you ate tomatoes still warm from the sun, and squeezed lemons into a juice glass.

You see, I think Cara’s fascination is not necessarily horticultural, but rather the sense of community that comes from those that share similar interests. Isn’t that the whole appeal of blogging, facebooks and Bonnaroo?

Of course I have a tendency to generalizing, but I am starting to form an opinion that the garden center of the future is going to be formed more by the ‘kindly and knowledgeable’ garden guy/gal than by branded pots. At the risk of dumping just another buzz word on you, advertisers are now enamored with ‘authenticity’. Whether it is an experience, a relationship, or in this case a tomato, people can tell the difference between the real deal and a poser (sorry).

Building on last week’s post – inspiration – I would like to stress the importance of distinguishing yourself from the competition (it is easier to think of it as a box-store for now) with inspiration and information. You might shudder at the thought, but your presence in the marketplace might be enhanced with your presence in the marketplace.

In a complicated world, people continue to seek peace and quiet wherever they can find it. Maybe the seeds for that future tomato garden can find their start at your local, authentic, grass roots, tree-hugging, green loving, inspirational garden center.

Here’s a hint – you can’t connect unless you’re out there (virtually or otherwise) talking with your customers.

Green, it's the new pink!

When I came up with the idea for the 'Grow Green' marketing campaign I wanted to help retailers get in front of the environmental movement that is sweeping through the media these days. The irony is that for many green industry retailers the 'green' movement is finally catching up to their life long passion for nature. However, communicating all this can really be a challenge. Where do you start?

The short answer is to lead by example. Now more than ever you have the opportunity to really connect with your community. Whether you are initiating a neighborhood recycling effort, or organizing a tree planting project at the local grade school, this is the time to educate and inspire.

Your marketing and advertising needs to present you and your business as a resource for your community. Your years of experience and community connections should help you position your business in a very positive light.

Easter is next week. It is a time of rebirth where hope, literally, springs eternal. With April comes the first day of spring, as well as Earth Day and Arbor Day. You should schedule promotions that connect with the community. For the next generation of customers you and your business might be the only chance for them to learn such basic skills as planting a tree or clipping a hedge.

That's the message that needs to be in front of your customers... and all those who should be your customers. Document the events and use your marketing tools, such as your website, or maybe even a blog to spread the word.

One person can make a difference and each decision you make has an impact.

This past week Ann and I took our 'carbon footprint' from a size 14 to a more manageable size 9. That's right we swapped our SUV for a hybrid. Going from 12 mpg to over 50 makes a lot of sense (and cents)! Like your customers how we shop is in some ways a statement. So when we tool around in our Prius we can feel good about using our Whole Foods shopping totes to pick up some organically grown apples. True story. But a good picture is worth a thousand words:


That's right - Toyota Prius, Whole Foods Shopping Bag and 'Keep the Hive Alive' t-shirt. It's part of the Haagen Daz - HD for HB promotion calling attention to the challenges being faced by honey bee populations. Hey, we're consumers just like your customers. Help your customers feel good about shopping you and your business. With any luck they might spread the word about you on their blog!

Content is still King

Whether you know it or not, you are in the content business. Wrong, you say, we sell plants. Wrong! Supermarkets sell plants, box stores sell plants - plants have become a commodity. So if you are still selling plants, you are missing the bigger picture. You see the reason why people come to you is (I know, you've heard it before) to either solve a problem, a seek escape. Either way they need your help. Your help is the years of experience, plant knowledge, design ideas, etc. that make you different from your competition.

OK, you say, but where are the ten things that will make my website better?

I am getting to that...

The experience you possess doesn't amount to anything unless you are able to share it. However years of patterned behavior (newspaper ads) has put too great a distance between you and your customers. You see advertising and marketing is the process of telling your story. I know we all get caught up in the 'story' part, but the 'story' is an encapsulation of what your business is all about. Unless you are encouraging a response from your customer (what ad does that?) you are just talking to yourself.

Alright already... what does that have to do with my website?

Here's what it has to do with it. Websites are one of those rare opportunities to create a marketing message that 'interacts' with the audience. You publish information on your website and people can point and click, mouse and move, email and better yet even buy stuff.

So if your website is still being managed by that friend of a friend, or buddy, or best customer or whatever, it is time for you to get involved. What separates a good website from a 'so-so' one? You guessed it - content!

So without any further ado... first the soft stuff:

1) Content. The reason why people will come to (and come back) to your website is how fresh it is. Is it current? Up to date? Does it have information, or access to information, that might be helpful? Use your site to establish yourself as the expert. Think about contributing an article or editorial to your site. Think of it this way - you can talk to one person at a time, or you can put it out there for tens of thousands to read.

2) Interactivity. Does your website create opportunities for visitors to interact with you? Can they ask questions? Get directions? Make yourself easy to contact. In many respects you are your business. Initiate an "ask your name here". Respond quickly to questions. Add a sign up form for follow up e-mails.

3) Images. Let's face it - a picture is worth a thousand words, but a great image is priceless. Websites need a careful blend of information and eye candy. People are inspired by beautiful photos of beautiful gardens. How do they get there? See answer number 2. With the number of stock photo websites it is easier than ever to get access to great imagery and graphics. Check out links on the Sunrise Marketing site.

4) Fast. People might read blogs (well, you are), but scan websites. They see with their mouse. Careful use of bullet points, bold fonts, color, but be careful with underlining (can be confused with links), can help your readers get to the good stuff. Keep your visitor moving, make the navigation simple and easy to understand.

5) Links. Just as important as sites that you link to are the sites that are linked to your site. Take an inventory of suppliers that feature a 'find a retailer' locator and make sure you are listed with website address and email information. When you are able to cross link within your site it helps your standings with search engines. A word or two about internal links. Links to your pages establish a level of relevancy to the value of your site. So, create as many links (that make sense) to other pages on your site as possible. Another simple way to link back to your site is through the 'signature' on your email. These are the name and details that you can add through your email system. Don't overlook a link back to your website.

OK, here are some of the techy stuff...

6) Keywords. Create a list of words and phrases important to your site. The best way to find out which words are important you can take a look at the source code of sites you like (on your browser go to 'view'; 'page source'. Within the first paragraph or two will be a listing of keywords, descriptions and meta tags. Take your list and then run them through a tool such as WordTracker, the Google keyword tool or Yahoo Overture Keyword Selector Tool to see what the volume of search activity is and find alternative phrasing to add to your list.

7) Searchability. Key words are important in tags, but the important part is to make sure that the keywords you select are represented in the content of your page. That means the title of the page; plants.html rather than annuals.html; (nobody searches for 'annuals', they want 'plants.' They should also appear in the headlines (specified headlines) of the page and of course in the content of the page. You can also increase the relevance to keywords by titling your images - echinacea_plants.jpg rather than per_18.jpg. Alt tags - photos and graphic descriptive terms (another code item).

8) Structure. Make sure your site is easy to navigate. Think like a visitor to your site. Just as you would lay out your store to make it easy to shop, you should build your site so it is easy to use. Another point out structure: create as many pages as possible (within reason). An example would be to have 'plants', but also individual pages for 'perennial plants', annuals, flowering shrubs, trees, shrubs, etc. You can also establish pages for specific plants like 'Endless Summer', 'Knockout' roses. Getting to them leads to...

9) Blog. This is one to think about down the road. You see spam filters are going to continue to impact deliverability. The answer is rss (reader subscriber service) feeds. Ultimately people can 'subscribe' to feeds that will automatically update them when you publish a post to your blog. Of course you can also post video feeds, audio tracks, etc. When you think about it you can create your own tv and radio ads directly to your customers. You have to think about building visitors and readership now! This will create the most important way for you to reach your customers in the future (not that far off). Look for the little 'subscribe to posts' link on the lower right hand column.

10) E-Mail Newsletters. A monthly email using a tool such as Constant Contact will keep your customers in the know about your latest business news and will drive traffic to your website and blog. More about blogs at another time. Make sure you create as many opportunities for readers to link back to your site.

Of course, there are probably a hundred other ideas that you could come up with. Of course one of the benefits of a blog such as this is I can hear from you. What do you think?

One of the those 2 AM moments

First, I would like to say that I am not making this up. This evening we had dinner at Chili's. In the middle of the meal Ann (my wife) turned and said "you'll never guess what I woke up thinking about the other night." OK, I give.

"I was thinking about the future of garden centers."

The rest I will have to paraphrase. In the nutshell her concern was how customers were going to relate to shopping at a typical garden center. You know, tables all lined up with plants by category, pots on pallets; everything all lined up in a row.

"How do they expect people to figure it all out?"

She went on to describe what she thought a garden center should look like. More of a showroom with display beds designed and set up for customers to get a better idea of how there home landscape 'could' look. The old concept might of worked for people who saw gardening as a hobby, like building model airplanes, but what about the rest of us?

Then there was a dooooo, doooo, dooo, doooot (substitute the Twilight Zone theme music) moment.

You see I spent Wednesday and Thursday with a group of landscape professionals at a meeting sponsored by Willoway Nursery. One of the other speakers was an old friend Kip Creel from Standpoint Marketing. I have known Kip for a few years now and I felt fortunate to be able to sit in on his talk.

Brilliant stuff - but the thing I kept hearing was a shift from gardening to landscaping; and the fact that the next generation was less likely to become 'gardeners', but rather they saw the landscape as an extension of the home. He went on to describe the shifting market and the opportunity that the future held. Then comes the spooky part - he went on to describe that the garden center of the future would be more like a showroom with the garden center moving towards helping customers with design solutions. (OK, maybe I added that part)

So with that I scrapped the original blog story and went with this one. Landscapers are going to find stiff competition in the future and they might be surprised at where it might come from. It could be that local landscape design center. Will that be your business, or a new player in the market?

I'll keep saying it - stop selling plants, sell design. People want to buy the result of a beautiful landscape. They want the peace and quiet, the increased value to their property and a place to get together with friends and family. They don't want to have to learn latin to understand plants, they will shop where someone can make it a fun, creative experience to landscape their future.