Got Web? - 2007

The OFA Short Course has come and gone yet again. The highlight of the show for me was Green Profit's Consumer Buzz Live. Bill Calkins led the show with a panel of eight Generation-X consumers. This group was wide ranging in its attitudes about gardening and its approach to it. There was one thing, though, that all of them agreed on: they do everything on the web.
I grew up in the generation before cell phones and personal computers. I still view these things as conveniences: nice to have but not crucial. It isn't so uncommon for me to forget my cell phone at home for a day. The web is not my very first choice for information; although, with good search tools it probably should be. Members of Gen-X on the panel said they turn first (and almost exclusively) to the web to get information about companies and products. Not one person said anything contrary to mark his or herself as anything other than computer-dependent. Not a single dissenting voice. That is statistically powerful.
So why have I not done the right web thing yet with my own company? Our current web page is badly out of date. Well, the reason is that it costs money and takes time, and I know I won’t feel the benefit immediately. That looks pretty bad in writing but it's the truth.
Since Virginia joined our staff, she has been pushing for a web site overhaul (to match our new company name, logo design, and more). Right after getting from OFA, I told Virginia about this panel and how it was time to do something. Virginia said she was glad because she had just signed an expensive contract for a complete web makeover. Okay, okay, boss me around. After all, she is right, as confirmed by all eight panelists at the Short Course.
We all talk about getting the next generation interested in our products or our stores, and they're telling us what the starting point is. We must communicate the way our customers want be communicated to or they won't bother.
The other main message from the panel was about sustainability. They all said they would pay 20% more for stuff that was organic or earth friendly or sustainable. Again, no dissent. We're the original green industry, but even British Petroleum has redesigned their logo to look like a flower.
Read the last line again. What are we doing individually to promote the earth benefits of our products? Ball Horticultural is out in front on this issue. You may be of a generation that really doesn't like the constant stream of eco-babble, but it's here to stay. It gets under my skin that oil companies are promoting themselves as green while we stand around with our hands in our pockets wondering why there isn't enough demand for our flowers.
There have been a number of collective efforts in years past to promote the health benefits of plants. They've failed over time due to lack of support from the grower community. If we don't come together, then we must individually carry the message to the consumer that we are THE green guys. And, of course, we need to be green. This is fundamental to the future success of our industry.
One other session at Ohio got my attention. There was a town hall meeting with a group of growers talking about current topics. The rules of the meeting stated that none of the participants could be directly quoted. So instead, I asked the participant where he got the information he shared, and that's what I'll write up: Kip Creel of the Standpoint Group (www.standpointgroup.com) did a study of affluent Gen-X consumer attitudes about gardening. One interview summed up the groups attitude. A female corporate attorney driving a BMW was asked what gardening meant to her. The response was, “Going to Calloway's and buying a finished arranged container garden, taking it home, putting it on the deck and inviting friends over for cocktails on the deck." She was interested in the outcome or product, not the process of gardening. This is great news for our industry if we take advantage of the new generation of buyers and their attitudes. I learned a lot in Ohio. Did you go?