Would that fly?

Q: Will a national marketing campaign for landscape plants work in 2011?

A: In my experience, many people talk about the need for national marketing, but very few “step up” to the plate to do something about it. There has been at least some form of national marketing tried in the industry 10 times in the last 50 years.  All have failed to get off the ground. Who should pay becomes a problem, (I feel everyone should) and how will the money be collected, are just a few of the hurdles to be overcome. Proponents of marketing refer to the “got milk campaign” and the National Cotton Council as being generic successes. While this is true, we buy milk every week and woody plants only a few times in our lives. The ANLA and others are working on monetizing the value of landscapes. This approach may well work the best if anything will work at all.

Bob Lyons, Sunleaf Nursery,
Madison, Ohio

Monthly Poll
For your company, what will grow most in 2011?