Leslie Kirk is a public relations manager with Eberly Public Relations, specializing in media relations for the home, garden, design, and agribusiness industries. Today, she talks about how point-of-purchase materials help drive home marketing messages.
Last month, along with many of you, I attended the 2008 Farwest Show in Portland, Ore. And, wow! I was so impressed with the creative plant and product displays this year. The industry as a whole has come such a long way in branding and marketing that I am just itching to see what happens next.
I spent a good deal of my time flipping through catalogs, reading signs and learning about the new efforts companies are making to reach out to customers, and even the “unknown” Generations X and Y. In fact, I spoke with quite a few show attendees on the growing importance of point-of-purchase (POP) materials and how they can impact sales and brand equity.
One of the lectures at the show featured this topic. Fran Hopkins, president and founder of Under A Foot Plant Co. and its national plant brand of creeping perennials, Stepables, spoke about specific strategies for utilizing POP materials to market brand messages.
So, I wanted to share a few ideas from Fran’s talk and some insights on POP topics that I absorbed while at the show -- a subject that seemed to be on the top of everyone’s list of ways to integrate the most effective marketing styles.
1. Other industries thrive through building their brands, and we want to be in the same category!
Fran definitely drilled one message home during her lecture: Brands in other markets play an integral role in sales, yet not all IGCs place such importance upon branding. Now, in many cases this is simply due to limited budgets and time, but the point is definitely one to consider.
For example, Fran compared a simple trip to the grocery store to a visit to an IGC. If you walk into a grocery store, you will more than likely see a dozen products on the shelf, and you will be able to differentiate each and every one of these through their packaging material colors and styles. Many of the products will even state on the packages what makes them unique, oftentimes providing consumers the needed nudge to purchase the products right for them.
It really got me thinking about the growth possibilities. Imagine the sales potential if all plant brands made it a goal to inform consumers exactly what makes their product the perfect choice. In bigger numbers, people may begin walking into IGCs and asking for particular plants in the same ways they walk into pharmacies and ask for Advil!
2. Keep the message simple and the POP consistent.
As I was working in the Stepables booth, I spoke with several people who walked up to the brand’s display tables and commented on some very fundamental branding strategies of the program.
Stepables plants come in bright purple pots. All of them. The tags are shaped like a foot. All of them. And, the Stepables plant line consists of exactly that -- plants that can be stepped on.
It may sound simple, but being able to keep the message clear and straightforward can be more difficult than it sounds. At Farwest, I saw several tags, brochures and catalogs sporting elaborate designs, hundreds of colors and beautiful detail. It was all very striking, but it made me wonder, “If I am standing 15 yards from a sign that has an elaborate design, am I going to have a clear and quick idea about the product being offered or have an inclination to find out?” Probably not.
So, maybe it’s smart to keep it simple, only using two or three colors in the design, keeping copy to a minimum, and maintaining consistency.
For example, one attending retailer walked up to the Stepables booth and noticed one of the newest POP signs stating “Stepables Tough Ten.” We began talking, and he had already drawn two conclusions just from the one sign -- that these plants can be stepped on and they are very durable varieties. This was great, since the intended message hit home quickly and concisely. The signage was simple and to the point; it took the guesswork out of the scenario for him, causing him to catch the message in seconds.
3. Information is key!
I recently read that many people do not garden because they do not know how to keep the plants they purchase healthy and beautiful. Something as simple as providing valuable how-to information for the customer can improve a customer’s image of both an individual brand and the retailer. Consider adding some detailed growing instructions in the forms of tags, pot wraps and brochures or revamping your Web site to easily provide customers with photos, charts and other visuals. They can serve as teaching tools to show consumers how to succeed in their gardens. This will keep them excited about their landscapes and purchasing home and garden products.
As far as this industry has come, I was absolutely thrilled to hear so many positive opinions on how far marketing efforts have come in the past few years. Attitudes regarding future efforts were even more on tap. So, even though times are a bit tough these days, it is good to see growers and retailers moving full speed ahead with innovative ways to address industry challenges.
-- Leslie Kirk
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