30 JulThe Customer of the Future

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.

08 JulAdults Over 65 Becoming More Tech-Savvy

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.

30 AprPictures are worth a thousand words

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 [...]

01 DecInsights into Successful Product / Concept Development

Many times product concepts are developed because an item is easy to produce or because companies have a lot of a particular item in the inventory pipeline that they need to find a new way to market and sell. While the product concept might meet the producers need to move inventory, it may have missed the mark in addressing a true consumer need leading to a failed product launch. The article below points out many of the pitfalls you can run into when developing a new product or brand concept.

One of the pitfalls the author points out is not making an emotional connection with the consumer. This is an important point for the green industry, as plants have a very strong emotional connection to consumers. Research done on this topic provided great insights that this strong emotional connection between people and plants can overcome the logical benefits and features of a product. If a brand or product can create that emotional hook to the consumer, it can provide an exponential value to them resulting in more sales than products that fail to make that connection.