Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Hi,
"We take care of your green's welfare"
I would do an open door day and lots of PR'ing.
Then I would go and target local businesses that are having plants in their offices/facilities.
Then I would use local news papers and TV for simple adds stating where you are and what the typical features are of your services, maybe you do pick up and delivery, replacement while in care that sort of things.
Then personal sales to the larger candidates like hospitals, schools and homes for the elderly.
Regards,
W

You could have fun with this.

How about "Roots Rock Paper Scissors"-- a weekend of gardening and scrapbooking activities--offer plant specials, along with gardening journals, botanical books, digital photo booking making for documenting your garden, easy and clever ways to archive and organize your seeds, etc.

Or something for the kids to excite them about gardening--a Sprouts program. Mom and dad come to buy plants and landscaping materials, kids get to plant seeds in take-away pots and get some age-appropriate instruction from resident horticulturalist, tour the gardens, learn to identify plants and trees.

One more: heritage gardening--team with a bookstore to showcase some great Southern cookbooks, Frank Stitt's Southern Table, Edna Lewis' cookbooks, Paula Deen & Sons etc. Do a demonstration salsa garden at the nursery, or hold some heirloom tomato seminars or a local home-grown tomato contest--the best blt sandwich in Arkansas for example, winners would get a big garden package.

rpenovich

Maybe a donation to a children's hospital, local park or some other public place that could use soothing and beautifying. Get the news media involved, have a dedication ceremony and have that begin your season kick off.
If you do a kids themed thing have a watermelon eating contest ;)

Sponsor/showcase a different artist/musician every day or have a Concert Market Event every evening or weekend.

Deep Roots Society, we have all the best dirt!

If your primary goal is to get people in the door so they can experience everything you have to offer, I'd try to provide an incentive, and make sure your message matches up to their current needs.

You probably want to make sure you are speaking the right language. Are your customers mostly gardening enthusiasts, who probably already have a good working knowledge of what's what? Or are they mostly people with lawns trying to keep ahead of the weeds? This will help you target your promotions. If you are trying to capture both, I think you can, just need to use the right language.

If your customers are anything like me, they have let their yards go all winter long and are now doing the spring cleanup to get ready for summer. So offer them something to help - for example, first 25 people in the door get free garden gloves, or 5 winners will receive a free garden analysis from one of your horticulturists. If you don't have the resources to do that - maybe you could use a 'Want to get rid of that chickweed once and for all? Bring in a sample of your most resilient lawn eater, and we'll help you find a solution". I can't tell you how many times I've taken in a leaf or branch of a problem tree to the garden center for advice in how to spray the pests, or get rid of the fungus, or whatever the case may be.

Depending on your budget, you might be able to produce a quick 15-second spot for your radio stations - especially if you take the suggestion above and integrate a local charity, you can get media involved without even trying. If you can't afford that, local papers are probably the cheapest place to be. You may even be able to post flyers or other announcements at other non-competing local businesses, such as grocery stores, libraries, and recreation centers.

Don't know how many other nurseries there are where you live - or if you have any of the big guns like Home Depot or Lowe's or even WalMart. But it might be a good idea to package the individualized attention your nursery can supply, ' you can't get that at the big stores', etc.

Good luck!