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Understanding What Millennials WantA panel of four young adults moderated by Katie Dubow, Creative Director of Garden Media Group, gave an eye-opening view of what Millennials value and how they shop. Kennett Square, PA-based Garden Media Group specializes in public relations for the lawn and garden industry.
Among the many take-aways of the informative program:
e Millennials will spend money for experiences – such as cooking dinner with their fresh-grown produce.
e Sustainability and social responsibility are important values. They look favorably on companies that actively support these values.
e Whether using social media, email, or browsing the Internet, they’re online virtually every waking hour. “We never really leave the Internet.”
e Pictures and videos hold more clout than words.
e Individuality rules. They want to personalize their spaces and gardens.
e Friends are part of the buying process. Millennials will post a picture and solicit comments from friends. “I would never buy anything without a recommendation,” remarked one panelist.
e Customer reviews are also key, but before and after pictures are suspect.
e Catalogs they didn’t request are an annoyance. Once they’ve bought from a company, they welcome catalogs in moderation “especially if there’s a coupon. There will never be enough coupons.”
e They’re overwhelmed by debt. “I pay more in college loans than rent. I’ll be in my 40’s or 50’s before I have a house.”
e They want to be experts. Educate them.
e Entertainment is part of the sale. Give them something they can share.
e Most will shop on a phone, and purchase from a desktop, where it’s easier and more secure.
e They learn of companies and products through social media. Email works after they become buyers.
eFear of failure was evident. “I would buy seeds, but I would NEVER buy a plant online,” remarked one panelist.
“The biggest thing we’re not doing as an industry,” concluded Dubow, “is putting out there that we’re the experts, and explaining things in laymen’s terms.”
One attendee asked why we should devote resources to marketing to a group that doesn’t yet have significant buying power. “If you don’t,” cautioned Dubow, “your competitor will.”
“A home run! Very informative on how to approach Millennials, their likes and dislikes with marketing . ”
Where’s the WOW Factor in Your Business? “The Direct Gardening Association is on the cutting edge of the future of the gardening industry,” began Lloyd Traven of Peace Tree Farm. A renowned organic grower and propagator of unusual plants, Traven advocates for small growers.
“You have to impress the buyer in the first 10 seconds or you’ve lost them,” emphasized Traven. He urged direct marketers to play to their own strengths, marketing the new, the unusual – plants with a WOW factor.
“Home Depot understands that they’re selling convenience to new homeowners, and they offer limited varieties. A portion of those new homeowners will move on to newer, cooler stuff.” The big box stores don’t want to serve that segment of the market. That’s where the independent retailers and specialty retailers have an opportunity to shine.
“Stop selling what Home Depot sells,” Traven advised. “They will kill you. You will not beat them at their own game. Play a different game!”
Summer 2015 Conference Wrap Up
QVC Exec Reveals How to Grow Your Own Content StrategyFor QVC, the largest TV shopping market, communicating with customers and prospects across all channels plays a vital part in customer retention and acquisition. Senior Content Strategist Lori Leone shared QVC’s step-by-step methodology for developing a cohesive content strategy, and some of the lessons learned along the way.
QVC’s content centers around storytell-ing and – in the gardening category – helping new gardeners. Facebook, blogs, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube are all used regularly and cross-fertilized, with an editorial calendar planned a year in advance.
Planning ahead allows the team to gather content and photography in season for later use. But things are always changing, based on tests and market-place shifts. “The world changes quickly,” observed Leone. “At one point, videos were great on Facebook. Not so much anymore. Twitter used to be important, not so now. Now there’s huge growth in Instagram.”
Leone’s advice works well for companies of any size: plan ahead, document your strategy, but keep testing, listening, and revising as conditions dictate.
“I really liked the Content Strategy session.
The step-by-step process gave me something to begin with . ”
Consumer Panel:Bridging the Gap Between Online and Big Box SalesHow do consumers decide whether to buy gardening products from garden centers, big box stores, or online? What concerns do they have about buying online? What are their expectations regarding product quality and customer service?
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society brought together a panel of five gardeners to discuss their thoughts on these topics. Four worked in some aspect of the horticulture industry: one selling garden design services, another selling organic soil, and two working at the PHS display gardens and garden center. The fifth became a gardener as a result of her passion for beekeeping.
Together we explored their thought process in buying plants and gardening products. Most panelists agreed that they preferred to shop locally when possible, but online retailers had the edge on unusual plant varieties. “Online, I can get stuff that local nurseries don’t have,” remarked one of the panelists. “If I could get it locally, I would. But I can’t.”
Another commented that, with his growing family, he was doing more online shopping than he used to, in order to save time.
All agreed, “When we’re buying plants online, we’re not usually shopping on price.”
The conversation uncovered some misconceptions about the direct gardening industry:
e Most panelists were of the opinion that garden centers would refund or replace plants that died, while online nurseries would not.
e Some also felt that online retailers weren’t interested in speaking to customers who had a question about or problem with a plant.
e The size of plants received through the mail didn’t always match the panelists’ expectations.
Clearly, as an industry, we have some educating to do!
Without exception, the panelists loved getting catalogs. “It’s always a joy to get a catalog through the mail, chock full of information,” remarked one panelist, who went on to praise the Forest Farm and Swan Island Dahlia catalogs. Other panelists gave thumbs up to catalogs from Gardens Alive, McClure & Zimmerman, Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, North Creek Nursery, and Lee Valley.
One panelist summed up the group’s feeling about catalogs: “I love the eye candy.”
Kirk Brown on Marketing in aChanging, Ever-Connected World
A riveting speaker, Kirk Brown gave an infor-mative and entertaining presentation on the marketing implications of today’s informa-tion technology and changing demographics. The incoming President for the Garden Writer’s Association, business consultant to the green industry and national lecturer on horticultural topics, Brown was back at DGA by popular demand.
Brown was quick to point out that there are now nearly as many Millennials (68 million) as Baby Boomers (72 million). And while they don’t yet have significant buying power, they have considerable influence over their parents’ buying power. But marketing to them requires an understanding of both their mindset and communication preferences.
Among the differences, explained Brown, is the propensity for Millennials to get approval from numerous friends before buying anything. That, coupled with less face-to-face interaction than previous generations, means that buying decisions tend to be made via social media. “They don’t read email,” declared Brown. “They consider phone calls an invasion of privacy. There’s no incentive for them to move their communication preferences to accommodate you. You need to meet them where they are.”
Another defining characteristic of the generation is fear of failure, which includes having a plant die. “They’ll spend a zillion dollars on stuff to try to ensure success and become completely stressed out when something doesn’t work,” noted Brown. “We must help them overcome fear of failure.”
“Very engaging speaker with useful information to impart . ”
Star Roses and Plants Welcomes the DGADespite overcast skies and an ill-timed thunder-shower, DGA members enjoyed a tour of Star Roses and Plants’ impressive breeding facility, where it creates thousands of new varieties each year. We were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the modern production greenhouses where Star produces plugs and liners of its patented plants and its new test plants. And at tour’s end, a wonderful wine and cheese reception!
“Love the oppozrtunities for networking . ”
Lifetime Value Calculations SimplifiedIf you don’t know what a customer is worth to you over the long haul, you don’t know how much to spend to acquire a new one. Spending too much on acquisition isn’t sustainable. Spend too little and you can leave a lot of money on the table.
Cheryl Zatz of Zatz Direct walked us through various examples that showed how small differences in buying behavior from one customer group to another can add up to a significant difference over time. Making prospecting decisions based solely on upfront results may not be the best course of action for long term results.
“Look at the who, what, when, and where of your buyers,” advised Zatz. She elaborated by explaining:
Who = What customer groups are buying.
What = What products they’re buying. Analyze by product category and price point.
When = Time of year that they buy. Certain times are better than others for prospecting.
Where = The channel that triggered the order. Was it a catalog? Retail store? Print ad? The lifetime value of a customer can vary greatly depending on the source.
“Establish purchase value benchmarks,” Zatz recommended, “at the initial purchase and at three month intervals thereafter, and use them to forecast results from similar buyers down the road.”
“The speakers were great. Each session was interesting . ”
Participants Share Information and Advice at Roundtable DiscussionsDGA conference attendees repeatedly cite information gleaned from other members’ experiences as one of the single most valuable aspects of the conference. Round table discussions are a key tool in facilitating these insights.
This session’s roundtables included:
e Learn about the Google mobile-friendly update, Dave Waterman, Ink-IT Digital Corp.
e Is print still a viable marketing channel? Lisa Balch, Sargeant House Design Studio; Mike Zuckermandel, Zed Marketing Group; and Sheryl Konz, Schmidt Printing
e Selling organic goods to gardeners: reaping the rewards & staying on the right side of the law, Jim Gerritsen, Wood Prairie Farm
e The best seeds produce the best plants: Tips for modeling off of your best customers to produce a stronger new customer, Eva Perretti, Wiland
e Guarantees: why it matters what you say, Val Gosset, Evergreen Marketing
“Helpful and productive . ”
Welcome, Newcomers!We were pleased to welcome a number of newcomers who were attending their first DGA conference:
eLuther McLaughlin, Abbott & Cobb
eIvy Perez, Abbott & Cobb
eEddie Grenier, Amazon
eUday Sangar, Amazon
eLarry Seymour, BCS America
eBrian King, Dixondale Farms
eEmily Lord, Dixondale Farms
eKatie Dubow, Garden Media Group
eElaine Quinn, Horticultural Alliance
eJames Quinn, Horticultural Alliance
eDebra Balcerzak-Wilson, Lebanon Seaboard Corporation
eMark Highland, Organic Mechanics Soil Company
eFloyd Traven, Peace Tree Farms
eLori Leone, QVC
eJulien Matthieu, Spear Head Spade
eEva Peretti, Wiland
We hope you enjoyed the conference, and look forward to seeing you
at many more!
Winter 2016: See You in Phoenix!Mark your calendar now for the Winter 2016 DGA conference in Phoenix, AZ from January 13-15. Some timely topics are on the roster, including updates on Google and Facebook algorithms, advice on selecting ecommerce platforms, a new garden industry benchmark study, and insights from a panel of gardening consumers.
The summer conference will move to St. Louis, MO, where we’ll help Stark Bro’s Nurseries celebrate their 200th anniversary! The conference will run from July 25-27, with a visit to Stark Bro’s to follow.
Phoenix, Arizona Winter ConferenceWinter ConferenceSave the
Date!Save the
Date!
New Board Members ElectedThree DGA members were nomi-nated by the board of directors and elected by the membership to serve on the DGA board starting with the 2015-16 fiscal year. They are:
eJohn Beaty, Beaty Fertilizer
eGreg Key, Hoss Tools
eStacey Meggison-Haines, Green Sky Development
They will be replacing:
eJim Gerritsen - Wood Prairie Farm
eHoward Kaplan - HMK Marketing Services
eKerry Richardson - Organic Plant Magic
whom we thank for their service.
Board members elected to serve as offices of the Executive Committee this fiscal year are:
ePresident - Noel Valdes, Cobrahead
e1st Vice President - Polly Welch, Washington Bulb
e2nd Vice President - Ken Oakes, Oakes Daylilies
eSecretary - Matt Bollinger, Stark Bro’s Nurseries
eTreasurer - Alisa Meggison, Green Sky Development
Exhibitors
Abbott & CobbWholesale vegetable seedIvy Perez, [email protected]
Horticultural AllianceSoil amendments, mycorrhizal inoculants & water management gelsJames Quinn, [email protected]
Sponsors and Exhibitors At Your AssistanceWhether you’re looking for products or services, you’re likely to find help from a fellow DGA member. Turn to our valued sponsors and exhibitors when you need help in areas like these:
Platinum Sponsor & ExhibitorFine Gardening Magazine
Linda Delaney, [email protected]
203-304-3508
QuadGraphics
Catalog & other commercial printing
Rob Doome, [email protected]
414-566-3507
Schmidt Printing
Direct mail, card packs, inserts & general commercial printing
Sheryl Konz, [email protected]
507-775-7545
Gold Sponsors
Wiland
Transactional Database
Eva Perretti, [email protected]
303-485-8686
Silver Sponsors
Green Sky DevelopmentInternet MarketingAlisa Meggison, [email protected]
HMK MarketingPrint, lettershop, tradeshow support, video production, incentive productsHoward Kaplan, [email protected]
MantisGardening equipmentSteve LePera, [email protected]
Marketshare PublicationsGardening card packsEllen Payne, [email protected]
Sargeant House Design StudioDesign & copy for catalogs & marketing materialsLisa Balch, [email protected]
Stark Bro’s NurseriesFruit trees and berriesKen Lane, [email protected]
Zed Marketing GroupInsert media, list brokerage/ management, print media buyingMike Zuckermandel, [email protected]
