Do you think you know the ideal marketing messages and methods to capture the attention of today’s new consumer? Today's Garden Center's 10% Project: Expanding The Customer Base has conducted focus groups within key consumer demographics to learn what they think about gardening and garden centers. The marketing team presents four marketing campaigns it developed based on what they learned about consumer attitides and what keeps them from gardening more often.

2. The Research
and Marketing Team
Susan Hogan
Actionable Results
Research &
Adjunct Prof. Marketing,
Emory University
Carol Miller
Editor
Today’s Garden Center
Bridget Behe
Professor
Dept. of Horticulture
Michigan State University
Lynn Switanowski
Founder and President
Creative Business
Consulting Group
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3. Thank you to our sponsor,
AmericanHort, and to the USDA
and the Ohio Department of
Agriculture, which partially
funded this research.
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4. Webinar
Controls

5. Webinar
Controls

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7. Goals
• Increase the diversity (starting with age)
of the customer base.
• Understand what they want and how
they “garden.”
• Unearth the barriers to activity
and purchase.
• Identify the likeliest of potential
customers and lure them into action!
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8. The Focus Groups’ 4 Key Findings
1. The act of gardening has mostly positive
impressions, although there are significant
negatives (it’s dirty, it’s hard work) that
need to be countered.
2. Consumers have a distinct ideas of the type
of person who gardens – and it’s often a
limiting viewpoint.
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9. 3. Garden centers are the third most popular
place to buy plants, after big boxes and
grocery stores. The only exception was for the
30 to 49 year old group of consumers, which
preferred local garden centers more than
grocery stores.
4. Consumers lack a sense of control when it
comes to gardening. They repeatedly used
the terms “luck” and “risk” when describing
gardening.
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The Focus Groups’ 4 Key Findings

10. 5 Strategies To Connect
With Customers
1. Create customer-loyalty programs that:
– Showcase how garden centers meet today’s consumer needs.
– Engage customers to keep coming back for more during the
entire season.
2. Showcase “new” in-store merchandising with an
emphasis on how-to projects.
– Use targeted messaging
– Explain how to complete a project both visually and in signage
3. Use visual imagery in messaging which:
– Includes younger people in ads and displays using technology
(cell phone/tablet) that make it easy to get in-get out quickly
– Showcase technology being used in store – tablets for education,
in-store QR codes, outside checkout with mobile devices
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11. 4. Create an integrated marketing communications
strategy
– Increase social media marketing
– Integrate messages:
• Across multiple media platforms (TV, newspaper,
magazines, emails, direct mail)
• Between messaging and in-store experience
(merchandising, employee tags and shirts, in-store
promotional material and layout)
5. Community/Out-of Store Events
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5 Strategies To Connect With
Customers

12. The 4 Recommended Campaigns
1. Helping Your Garden Grow – We
Guarantee It
2. Grow Up Gardening
3. We LOVE Where You Live, Too!
4. How Does Your Garden Grow?
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13. Each Campaign Includes:
1. Communication Strategies
1. Bringing them in (out of store/media
promotion)
2. In store promotion/merchandising
2. Implementation Strategies
1. In-store (merchandising/activities)
2. Out of store (community)
3. Measuring Success
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14. Campaign 1:
Helping Your Garden Grow
– We Guarantee It
Promote & Deliver at Beginning of Season
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15. Sample of
In-Store
Signage

16. Helping Your Garden Grow
– How to Tell The Story:
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• Offer grow guarantee to showcase
expertise and commitment to
customer service
• 30-minute sessions on how to plant/care
• Garden demos next to displays on busy
days
• On-call gardener — via social media
/eMail/ website — 24/7
• Contests on social media during campaign
to generate excitement and education
• Social media links for more information
when you have time

17. Helping Your Garden Grow – Where To Tell The Story:
• Dedicated eMails
– To Introduce, Launch And Engage Customers During Campaign
• Social media engagement
– Facebook: Posts, Cover Photos, Advertising, Contests, Fan Share Requests
– Twitter: Posts, Sponsored Posts
– Instagram: Pictorial And Video Messages From Campaign
– Pinterest: Dedicated Board For Campaign, Contests
• Traditional marketing (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Direct Mail
And Billboard)
• In-store signage
• In-store events
• Create coupon offers/bag stuffers to promote
contest
• Highlight campaign on store website
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18. Delivering The Campaign To Customers In The Store
• Set up windows with campaign images
• Set up key gardening project displays
throughout store
– Create lists for what you need to do each project
• Post seminar times prominently on store
displays, registers and windows
– Use bag stuffer with links to more information via social
media and website
• Showcase social media sites at display point
where customers can go for more information
– Pinterest board address
– Facebook page, Instagram page
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19. Telling Your Community About The Campaign Classes
• Communicate educational
session schedule via
social media
• Communicate sessions via
local community News (online
and traditional marketing)
• Create list of sessions on your
website for customers to track
• Send out eMails with list of
session times
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20. Helping Your Garden Grow – Measuring Your Success
• Create a bounce-back coupon to be used at
time of seminar for small discount on all
purchases — or a free gift with purchase to
measure return and sales from event.
• Teach sales associates how to capture this
information based on their POS method (will
vary by store).
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21. Delivering The Campaign To Customers – Via
Social Media Marketing
• Facebook posts about programs
– Have customers ask questions, show
pictures of their progress-should be very
interactive
• Targeted Facebook ads to showcase
programs and education sessions
• Set up Facebook events for in-store
seminars
• Twitter posts about programs and
educations
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22. Sharing Your Success: Continuing The Story
• Pinterest boards for each type of
garden to grow
– Weekly updates: have customers pin
pictures of their gardens growing
• How-to YouTube videos for each
type of garden
• Blog posts linking pictures, videos
and instructions for growing
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23. Campaign 2:
Grow Up Gardening –
Grow Sessions for Kids of all Ages
Timing: Ongoing Campaign Can Be Use All Season Long
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25. Grow Up Gardening– How to Tell The Story
Host Interactive In-Store Sessions Where Garden Center Experts Can
Teach Kids About Gardening Via Fun Activities
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• Showcase how gardening can be family
time, fun and healthy
• Host classes that fit all types of families
— 30-to-45-minute Saturday-morning
sessions for working parents and
weekday sessions for homeschoolers.
• Create activities for kids of multiple ages
• Take pictures or videos during events to
engage parents with your social media.
Invite them to share them with the
extended family.

26. Communication
Strategies
• Dedicated eMails
– To Introduce, Launch And Engage Customers During Campaign
• Social media engagement
– Facebook: posts, cover photos, Advertising, contests, fan share requests
– Twitter: posts, sponsored posts
– Instagram: pictorial and video messages from campaign
– Pinterest: dedicated board for campaign, contests
– Blog posting: sharing via moms blogs 26

27. Growing Up Gardening– Where To Tell The Story
• Traditional marketing
– TV, radio, newspaper, direct mail and billboard
• In-store signage
– All relevant product displays and windows
• Local event blogs
– Mom bloggers, school websites, community newspapers
• Highlight campaign on store website
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28. Delivering The Campaign To Customers In Store
• Create series of weekly or bi-weekly events
for kids in low-traffic times
• Create product displays nearby where
parents can buy products from activity
afterwards
• Create multiple places where parents can
download activity to replicate at home
(social media sites, website, eMail)
• Take pictures and videos of events and
share link with parents while they are at
your store or via a dedicated eMail
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29. Delivering The Campaign To
Customers In Your Store
• Give kids who participate a prize or
certificate or a stamp in a garden
book they can fill each week
• Offer parents a one-time day of
activity in store discount for all
purchases made that day
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30. Delivering The Campaign In Your Community
• Showcase pictures from the
event in outside-the-store
marketing pieces
• Send press releases about the
event’s success
– Local newspapers, free press release sites
– Local community newspapers
– Mommy blogs
– Your eNewsletter or publication
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31. Delivering The
Campaign To Customers
In Your Community
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• Create albums from event on social
media pages (Facebook, Pinterest)
• Create referral programs for parents to
share link for next events with their
friends (share with friends on Facebook)
• Ask kids to write notes about experience
and post them on social media, Yelp, etc.

32. Collecting Data to Determine Campaign Effectiveness
Measurement Opportunities:
• Impressions via marketing messages
– eMail opens
– Reach via social media
– Website clicks
• How many people sign up in advance via marketing tools
– Calls to store
– Sign ups from social media
• How many days of transactions based on the number of
attendees
• Sales from actual event
– Teach sales associates how to capture this information based on
Their POS method
• Post event measurement
– Likes/shares/re-pins from social media
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33. Campaign 3:
We LOVE Where You Live too …
Build Customer Engagement With Participation In
Community Events/Activities
Timing: Ongoing Campaign Can Be Use All Season Long
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35. We Love Where You Live– How to Tell The Story
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• We’ve been part of this great community
– List years here to personalize the campaign
• Off-site events give chance to be personal with
customers in a fun, non-selling way
– Allows you to showcase your brand’s personality and
the people who manage that brand
• Connect with customers on their terms, not
yours
• Shake hands, meet potential new customers
– Key for success is to provide multiple opportunities
for re-engagement based on the marketing activities
you create

36. We Love Where You Live – Where To Tell The Story
• Dedicated eMails
– To introduce, launch and engage customers during the campaign
– Ask community partners to showcase your participation
• Social media engagement
– Facebook: posts, cover photos, advertising, contests, fan share requests,
share on local community pages
– Twitter: posts, sponsored posts
– Instagram: pictorial and video messages from the campaign
– Pinterest: dedicated board for campaign and contests
– Blog posting: sharing community pages
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37. We Love Where You Live – Where To Tell The Story
• Traditional marketing
– Garner free local cable TV
announcements , community events
radio, classifieds In newspaper, sponsor
town banner advertising if possible (and
affordable)
• In-store signage
• Local event blogs (featuring community
bloggers)
• Community newspapers
• Highlight participation on store website
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Some pictures from
Campaign here
(email samples, SM
cover photo?

38. Delivering The Campaign To Customers In Your Community
• Create in-store signs to generate excitement for event
• Use social media to market your participation at event
• Highlight event participation in as many community places as possible
• Showcase your fun (and local) garden center personality (exhibited by
booth sales associates)
• Create strong visual imagery at booth
– Offer products for sale that are tailored to specific event
• Run contest for prizes or gift cards
– Through booth entry jar or computer sign up
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39. Delivering The Campaign To Your Community
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• If it’s an outdoor parade activity, make sure to
carry your company banner with your logo
prominently displayed
• Hand out coupon at event to get customers to
come to your store
– Use short time frame for offer to prompt quick
return
• Take pictures and videos of events – share via
links after event

40. Delivering The Campaign To Your Community
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• Send press releases about event success
– Local newspapers, free press release sites
– Local community newspapers
• Create albums from event on social media
pages
– Facebook, Pinterest (a board from the
event)
• Create referral programs to share link for
next events with their

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Collecting Data to Determine
Campaign Effectiveness
Measurement Opportunities
• How many impressions via marketing messages
– eMail opens
– Reach via social media
– Website clicks
– Referral links
• Return coupons from event sales
– Teach sales associates how to capture this
information based on their POS method

42. Campaign 4:
How does your garden grow?
• Goal: Increase your Online Presence-ask
your customers to help you do so
• Timing: All Season Long
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44. How Does Your Garden Grow – How to Tell The Story
Your garden center will build marketing processes for customers to share
their love of gardening – online via key internet sites, social media sites
and blogs – with other potential customers.
• Marketing process is to create programs using
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online techniques and asking customers to
share their best gardening tips, tactics and
memories
• Goal of campaign is to remind customers how
much fun gardening is, to share that online
and for other potential customers to learn
and see the passion that comes from
gardening

45. How Does Your Garden Grow – Where To Tell The Story
• Dedicated E-mails
– Create series of eMails asking specific how-to questions for gardeners to
answer and list multiple places to respond (eMail, social media, website,
in-store)
• Social Media Engagement
– Use Facebook to create a series of customer questions:
• Ask customers for Best Of… tips/tactics, product reviews,
• Use daily posts to share information, change cover photos with customer pictures
• Run contests to get customers to post quickly
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46. How Does Your Garden Grow –
Where To Tell The Story
• Traditional marketing (radio,
newspaper, direct mail)
• In-store signage
• Local event blogs (featuring
community bloggers)
• Community newspapers
• Highlight participation on store
website
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47. Delivering The Campaign To
Customers In Store
• Create in-store signs to generate excitement
• Use social media to market the event
• Highlight participation by sharing notes,
letters, pictures and videos sent in by
customers
• Create Pinterest page to photograph all
hand written notes and put there
• Run contest for prizes or gift cards
• Use multiple contests during course of season
attached to campaign
• Best picture, best tip, best video, best overall
garden
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48. Collecting Data to Determine Campaign Effectiveness
Measurement Opportunities
• How many impressions via marketing
messages
– eMail opens
– Reach via social media
– Website clicks
– Referral links
• Return coupons from event sales
– Teach sales associates how to capture this
information based on their POS method
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49. Contact Us!
Carol Miller
CLMiller@meistermedia.com
Susan Hogan
susan@actionableresults
research.com
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Bridget Behe
behe@anr.msu.edu
Lynn Switanowski
lynn@cbc-group.net