Promoting gardening on National TV has always been a challenge due to the excessive cost of TV commercials and whether the return on the investment has been justifiable. As a result the majority of horticultural based businesses have found that this has been a media that although it reaches a large number of people it has been neglected by the industry apart from gardening programmes that have created consumer interest.
 
In recent years we have had a series of garden make over programmes around the world that have caught the public’s imagination, but in the majority of case the consumer has moved on and cooking programme have replaced gardening programmes as the must watch evening TV entertainment. The Garden hero has been replaced by the Cooking hero in the consumers mind.
 
For some this has meant garden based promotion using the TV as a vehicle has become too difficult, for others it has become an opportunity. Todays must watch TV is based on real life TV linked in with competitions. Hence programmes such as America’s Pop Idol, Australia’s Masterchef and the UK’s Dragons Den have become the must watch TV programmes.

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When small local businesses talk to each other great things happen.

As many of you will be aware I am a great fan of networking in retailing. Let me give you two great ideas from the south west of Australia.

Let’s start with the Margaret River tourist board who are working with retailers on “The Cash Cow”. This is focused on the town of Cowaramup. The tourist board has developed a quiz based around the cow and a cow map. 85 life size cows designed by 100 artists have been scattered around the south west.

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Gloria Jean’s is an Australian Coffee company and I like the way they tell a story.

Marketing is changing and Gloria Jeans have managed to communicate their story very effectively in their adverts.

Take a look at the promotion advert:

1. It has a “grabbing” headline
2. Promote their sustainability message
3. Sell their expertise
4. Promote the bean to cup journey
5. Tell you they are global

And they do this in 50 words!

What a great advert that we can all learn from.

How does the consumer get their information on gardening? Historically they would have tuned their “wireless” in as the garden experts told their tales and offered advice on how to get the best out of your garden. Then TV arrived and the programmers discovered a potential new audience and gardening programmes evolved from serious technical programmes to” make overs”. TV stations became a media where the gardener presenters gained celebrity status. Books followed and many of these garden celebrities moved onto be general TV stars.

2010 arrived and the next phase in garden media exposure arrived. Gardeners started to rush to their mobile phones to watch the latest trends in gardening. (more…)