April retail sales rose an unanticipated .1% over March, it was announced Monday. Many had expected a .3% decline with an earlier Easter holiday this year and continued cooler weather in many parts of the country. Sales over April 2012 were up 3.7%.

One of the key steps in marketing is to make sure your marketing messages are in alignment with your key customer groups, and that those messages resonate with them and to the proper connection.

One of the ways to keep your messages on track and aligned is to be able to think like your customer. Creating a persona for each of your key customer groups is a helpful way to accomplish this. Personas are representations of the different types of customers your business may have or want. Personas are useful in ensuring that your marketing messaging is on target and relevant. It is also an extremely important step in reaching that coveted state of marketing and sales alignment.

There has been a lot of discussion over the years of whether to provide identity to your products through branding or not. A recent survey by Weber Shandwick, global public relations agency, may help settle the argument. The study finds that 56% of Americans hesitate to buy products if they can’t identify the brand or the company who makes them.

Retail sales declined from February 2013 at a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent last month, the Commerce Department said Friday. However, retail sales rose 2.8 percent from March 2012. Both February and January figures were revised lower in the report.

An earlier Easter (March 31 this year, versus April 8 in 2012) brought with it the expectation that the sales increase between March 2012 and 2013 would be higher

This Spring, you, as growers and retailers will launch and communicate various different promotions this spring through signage, direct mail, emails and social media posts designed to promote new products, and the many benefits of gardening and landscaping. It is important to remember that you need to look at the message you are presenting through the consumers’ eyes. What is in it for them? You need to make an emotional connection with the consumer to make them want and to use your products to meet their perceived needs to improve their surroundings.

A new survey recently revealed that people are on Facebook 4 times a day on average. So 400 million users check their Facebook 4 or more times day. Another 200 million check it at least once and up to 3 times a day. How many of your customers do you think will look at or visit any of your other marketing efforts with that kind on frequency? Facebook is a great tool to inspire your customers, provide timely advice, show new products, promote seminars, highlight community activities and much more. In short, it allows you to interact with your customers on a personal level even when they are not in your store.

If you don’t have a Facebook page yet or a plan on how and when to market your products through it, now is the time to start. There are three reasons to get stared now. 1) Your customers are there frequently. 2) You competitors are there. 3) If you are not there, your customers are going to interact with your competitors. The fact is, Facebook is no longer a nice to have, it is a necessity.

The Customer of the Future
It was at a seminar in Austin, Texas back in about 1994 or 1995 that I first saw the Internet unveiled. The presentation did not go smoothly, and the demonstration of its capabilities was slow and awkward. I remember thinking at the time, if they can ever get this thing to work the way it is described, this will really change the face of the way consumers get their information, and the way companies market to customers and we communicate with each other.

Fast forward about 18 years, WOW it is more than I ever imagined it could be. The article below recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal, and talks about some of the capabilities and advancement we may see in the next 10 years that will again change peoples lives. As marketers, we should continue to be aware of the changes taking place in technology and our society. These type of advancements create opportunities for us to interact at a closer level with consumers and help them improve their lives by taking better advantage of the products we offer.

Did you know that more than half of U.S. adults over the age of 65 are now online. A recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in the past year, the growth rate of older Americans using the Internet, email and social media has continued to grow rapidly.

Among other important stats, the study shows over 53% of adults over age 65 now use the Internet or Email, 70% say the go online everyday, and 34% of seniors are also accessing and using social media sites.

Pinterest continues to be a hot topic this spring. Many garden centers and growers are starting to use Pinterest as part of their spring marketing plan. It is not too late to get started inspiring consumers with Pinterest yet this spring. Below is a link to an article that can give you some helpful tips [...]

If you’re a grower, retailer or marketer in the Green-Industry and have not heard about Pinterest yet, your missing out on what could be the best “Social Tool” for our industry. A new report from Experian says Pinterest is now the third most popular social network in the U.S., based on number of visits, surpassed only by Facebook and Twitter.