Tag-team marketing

Not long ago, a plant’s care information was hastily scribbled on a wooden post inside the pot or flat with barely a second thought. Then, as consumers demanded more details, posts were replaced by white tags with basic, generic instructions.

But, handle care information so nonchalantly now and consumers will walk away. What’s printed on tags and labels matters in today’s competitive horticulture industry, forcing growers -- as well as label and tag manufacturers that sell to them -- to find new ways to differentiate their products in stores and satisfy consumers’ quest for more growing tips.
 
“The labels and tags need to have specific, correct information and be printed with very high-quality materials because they add value to the plant,” said Mark Hoffmann, owner of Garden Marketing Group. “It’s marketing. If Company A doesn’t have a nice label on its packaging and Company B does, the customer’s perception is the nicer, better label is obviously of more value and the customer is willing to pay for it.”

Consumers speak
MasterTag introduced new tags in direct response to consumer demands. MasterTag’s recent market research revealed consumers want more clarification and information about watering included on tags, which resulted in the firm’s XL Standard and XL Premium Folding products. And MasterTag’s SnapTag detaches into two separate tags because the company’s research found 62 percent of consumers want to keep their tags for future reference. A high percentage of consumers also want to put their tags next to the plants, said Joe Fox, MasterTag’s marketing director.

Multiple photos on nursery tags also are important.
 
“So customers can get a sense of what plants will really look like, we try to show the image of the mature plant in a landscape,” Fox said. “We also include inset photos, and if the flower is the neatest feature of the particular plant, we offer an inset close-up photo of the bloom; if it has fruit, a flower and a particularly nice fall color, we put in multiple insets to help the consumers.”

A green theme
A call to go “green” is being heard throughout the industry. 
 
Greensboro, N.C.-based HIP Labels recently introduced verdeTAG, one of its most environmentally friendly plant tags, as a sustainable alternative to traditional plant tags. It’s manufactured using 100 percent renewable resources such as recycled paper, 10 percent post-consumer waste and responsibly sourced wood products.
 
The verdeTAG is derived from 100 percent sustainable energy sources such as hydroelectric and wind power, said Bob Lovejoy, HIP president and CEO. The verdeTAG was tested for durability, water resistance and curling.
 
When launching into a green initiative, growers should determine just how environmentally friendly they want their businesses, Lovejoy said.
 
“Look at all your options and educate yourself about what’s in the marketplace,” Lovejoy said. “If you simply want a ‘green’ drop-in replacement for what you are offering now, there’s an answer; if you want something classier, there are options available, too. Take a poll of your retailers and find out what they say is important to the consumers.”
 
The John Henry Co. recently introduced EcoBreeze, a degradable hang tag for hanging baskets or nursery products. Its prices also are comparable to standard nursery material, said Brenda Vaughn, marketing manager at John Henry.
 
John Henry plans to conduct more consumer research this spring to assess the industry’s green movement and how consumers respond to tags, Vaughn said.

Must-have elements
In the current market, women make most gardening purchases. Labels must be bright and cheerful and feature outstanding photography, Hoffmann said.
 
The back of each tag needs colorful icons, clearly showing how to care for and maintain the plant. The Knockout Rose program from The Conard-Pyle Co. is an example of icons well used, Hoffmann said.
 
Growers also need to account for geographical differences when choosing their tags.
 
“A hosta in New Jersey could grow in the summer sun without much trouble at all, but that same hosta in Texas or Arizona sun would not work well in the sun,” Hoffmann said.
 
To accommodate more information, tags are getting bigger and interesting shapes are available. 
 
“Growers who want to stand out from the crowd, really do so by not just purchasing off-the-shelf, generic tags to get by,” Hoffmann said. “Those looking to stand out from the crowd understand that they need to pick a label that can be part of a comprehensive marketing package at retail that also includes the directional signs, bench signs, bench tape and other bits and pieces that make the entire plant display look like more than just another plant.”
 
Manufacturers also are answering grower and retailer requests for more customized tags with Spanish-only and French-only tags or bilingual tags. 
 
“A customer friendly tag has information specific to the area in which it’s going to be sold,” Hoffmann said. “When we write copy, it is for a given area or region of the country. The copy is written for the demographic of our customer. Particular attention is given to the subtly of French or Spanish when those translations are required.”
 
In the end, marketing, whether customized or off-the-shelf, needs to pay for itself.
 
“We tell everyone that we deal with not to spend a penny with us unless they know how they’re going to make money with what we produce,” Hoffmann said. “Don’t just put a label on something for the sake of putting a label on it. Instead, make sure that what you are putting on it truly adds value.” 
 
For more: Garden Marketing Group, www.growertags.com; MasterTag, www.mastertag.com; HIP, www.hiplabels.com; The John Henry Co., www.jhc.com.

Stephanie Patrick is a freelance writer in Pilot Point, Texas.