Driving Demand

You grow beautiful flowers, all with their own unique characteristics. But can a plant really sell itself? What is it that makes certain varieties stand out? It’s not just what you sell — it’s how you sell it. Good marketing can mean the difference between an ordinary pelargonium and a must-have geranium. 

Driving Sales

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Dümmen has created several new programs to help growers generate interest their product. Instead of relying solely on retailers to promote the benefits of particular varieties, growers can take matters into their own hands with POP packaging and signage provided by Dümmen. It’s called Colour Festival, Dümmen’s new umbrella of marketing concepts.

According to Rebecca Lusk, regional sales manager at Dümmen USA Inc., the concepts for each of the new programs — Pure Glamour, Potunia Round And Round!, Flowering Expressions, Party In Pink and Magic Stars — all were created with the grower and today’s consumer in mind. The glory of the programs is that they allow the grower to go out to the greenhouse and choose and assemble the best looking material to benefit themselves and the end consumer, notes Lusk.

“We came up with these concepts so the grower can sell to the retailer and the retailers have something nice and fashionable sitting out on their tables that has a nice, clean look to it that’s attractive to the consumer,” she says. “I think consumers are looking for that. We see that in Europe. The packaging really is what rules and drives plant sales.” 

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The Concepts

The Pure Glamour line showcases geraniums for the end retailer and consumer. Using eye catching plums and pinks in John Henry Potcha pots, the line is elegant and ready for the homeowner to transplant. Lusk notes that the grower can either grow the plants in the pots or drop them in later. 

To showcase its Potunias, Dümmen has created the Round and Round concept, a name alluding to Potunia’s ability to grow round and not bald in the center when planted in containers.

The Flowering Expressions concept was created to appeal to horticulture newcomers, says Lusk. “The pot shows a flowering combination and directions on how to prepare the container, plant, water and fertilize — basically directions for caring for their purchase and combo creation,” she says.

Both growers and consumers benefit from Party In Pink, a line created to give consumers an easy gift or favor to take to a party.

“Perfect for other holidays, such as Mother’s Day, what makes it so easy to use for the growers is that they can grow in 4-inch pots and then assemble their own combinations of Dümmen material,” Lusk says.

For the Christmas holidays, Dümmen has created Magic Stars, a three-pack of premium poinsettias that comes in white, pink and red designs.

Under these new marketing concepts, plants are presented on a cart adorned with descriptive banners on both ends, logo-printed tape around the shelves and descriptive pots and tags.

“The reason for creating these lines is to position proven performers, such as geraniums, petunias, etc. and package these plants to fit today’s lifestyle,” says Lusk. “The concepts benefit growers because of ease of assembly with their best looking product.”

The concepts will be at retail this spring, and as of late February, Dümmen had sold the concepts to approximately 10 growers.

“Our feedback is positive, and we anticipate continuing in our development of new and exciting concepts for today’s growers, retailers and consumers,” says Lusk. “New for next spring, expect a concept for our Heimalis begonias.”

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