North American Program

2008/09

Challenges of the North American Marketplace

• Regulatory / Border Challenges– Plants with soil can not be imported or

exported– Product line eligible for export very limited– Phytosanitary regulations and inspection

practices a deterrent to potential customers

Challenges of the North American Marketplace

• Demographics– Huge marketplace to cover– Large range of hardiness zones

• (from zone 2 to 10)

– Different “attitudes” between American and Canadian marketplaces

Challenges of the North American Marketplace

• North American requires a B2B program:– Perennials and some lining out stock are

the main product lines– Nursery growers and retail distribution

centres are the target markets

2008/09 Program

• Online Website / Newsletter

• Association Sponsorships

• Press Trip / Press Articles

• Conference Speaker

• Perennial Marketing Contest

On-Line Newsletter

• Complete revamp of site – Launched in January 2009– New features, including “Ask the Expert”– Direct “news” from The Netherlands

• Translated articles from de Boomkwekerij• Improved Site Optimization Strategies (SEO)_

– Improved analytics capabilities

Plant of the Month Link

Association Sponsorships

• New for 2009

• Main purpose is to “ease the way” for possible Colour Your Life campaign in North America

• North American demographics make it desirable to work with trade organizations

Retail Road Show

On-line newsletter sponsorship

Press Trip / Press Articles

• 2008 replaced journalist with technical writers

• Better guarantee of published articles

• Summer timing is more and more of an issue for North American journalists

• Trip has been combined with Plantarium and/or winner’s trip

Press Trip July ’08

Conference Speaker

• International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) Annual Symposium– Ronald Houtman– New varieties, variety trials

• Landscape Ontario Congress– Jan Habets– The Green City

Perennial Marketing Contest

• Discontinued after 2008– Declining participation despite increased

promotional efforts– Retail market increasingly difficult to target

• Finish up program with a winner’s trip in August of 2009