Greetings!
Well I'd usually begin this February newsletter with a greeting about winter - typical for some of us. But this year is anything but typical! In fact, as we send this, weather forecasts say the weekend temperatures in Illinois will be warmer than here in Encinitas! (Joli is working hard not to be smug.) As Mother Nature often does, she's reminding us that it's ok to not follow the norm. True in marketing as well as in the greenhouse. Digital marketing in particular benefits from the opposite of a one-size-fits-all approach, and with 65% of all digital time now spent on mobile, there's plenty of opportunity to explore the possibilities. Just leave your cookie cutter at home.
|
|
 Growing Digital with Individualization
As if we needed any more reminders that we can't cookie cutter our advertising by resizing print ads to fit digital, the experts at econtentmag.com are reminding us that digital media, social media in particular, are more of a tool for discovery than ever before. What does that mean?
- Digital marketing is focused more on personal, one-on-one interactions
- Focus has moved from engagement to conversion
- Video has become a staple
- Digital spending in 2018 ($77 million) will outpace TV ($72 million)
Finding a way to personalize recommendations to customers' needs can make a huge difference, as major retailers are finding out: 75% of titles watched on Netflix come from personalized algorithms, and 35% of Amazon purchases come from personalized product recommendations. That's true at both the B2B and B2C levels. How can you change the strategy for your business?
|
|
Teasing Trade Show Trends
 Though summer may be a bit far off, it's never too soon to start thinking about summer trade show season. Who better to touch on upcoming trends in exhibit spaces than our friends at Skyline? Must-haves for this year's traffic-stoppers? Here's what they predict:
Lounge areas - comfort stations in individual booths
LED lighting - less energy, brighter white plus the versatility to use for backlighting, arm lights and more
Mobile technology - Send real-time messages to attendees while they're on the show floor
Hanging structure - Show real estate isn't limited to the 10x10, the sky's the limit (within show regulations of course)
How will you stop traffic in 2017?
|
|
Pen & Petal Pick of the Month
 Why does Botany Lane grow poinsettias on capillary mats? We asked that question in a recent Greenhouse Grower magazine article. The Denver, Colorado-based grower changed production strategy.
“This made a big difference in many areas of production and resulted in a better crop with significant savings in labor, water, fertilizer, and pesticide use, as well as shorter production times," says Daniel Ortega, Head Grower at Botany Lane.
“We were able to cut our fertilizer use by 60% to 70%.”
Plus, they reduced plant loss--Ortega estimates a total plant loss of 0.5% or even less. And, they cut production time. Ortega says he was able to shave a week to 10 days off the 4-inch crop time, which is a substantial savings in greenhouse operation costs. The company saw similar reductions in production times in its 6-, 8-, and 10-inch crops.
Read the full story
|
|
April Ad Deadlines
PRINT - GREENHOUSE
Greenhouse Grower 3/7
Greenhouse Grower Technology 3/7
GPN 2/28
Greenhouse Management 3/7
Produce Grower 2/4
GrowerTalks 3/6
Greenhouse Canada 3/29
PRINT - NURSERY
American Nurseryman 2/28
Nursery Management 3/15
|
PRINT - CANNABIS
Marijuana Venture 3/17
Cannabis Business Times 3/6
PRINT - RETAIL
Garden Center 3/20
Lawn & Garden Retailer 2/17
Greenhouse Grower Retailing 5/2
IGC Magazine 5/1
Green Profit 3/6
DIGITAL
All pubs 3/18 Reserve space
|
|
Until next time,
Kerstin Ouellet
President
Pen & Petal Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
