With consumers stuck close to home over the past year, more and more Americans have taken up gardening — so, what is the opportunity for marketing to gardeners? How do you know what their preferences are? And whether they look like gardeners of the past?
We dug (no pun intended) into the holistic, fresh data within the Resonate Ignite Platform™ to look at consumers who plan on making garden and outdoor purchases within the next 12 months. We can reveal the values, purchasing drivers, motivations, behaviors, and habits of these gardeners and help guide marketers as they look outside the greenhouse box to connect, engage, and convert.
Who’s gardening this year?
There are currently 55.2 million Americans who plan on making garden or outdoor purchases in the next 12 months and, not surprisingly, their top value is nature. This group is predominantly older, female, married, and has a high household income. They have an optimistic outlook, they eat with their family at least four times a week, and home improvement is one of their top hobbies. They’re driven by creativity, which they may be expressing in the garden.
Source: Resonate Ignite Platform™, April 2021
Where can you connect with gardeners?
Spoiler alert: their top-watched TV network is HGTV, which they’re 73% more likely than the average American to watch. 35% spend 20-40 hours a week online and their top social network is Pinterest. You’ll find them reading Southern Living and Better Homes & Gardens, while checking their weather app on their phone (need to make sure there’s rain in the forecast to usher in those May flowers!).
Nearly a quarter of this group reports heavy social media usage and they’re 17% more likely to respond or post on a friend’s account, so launching a social media campaign that encourages posting, sharing, and commenting could sow the seeds of engagement with gardeners.
Where do home gardeners shop?
Source: Resonate Ignite Platform™, April 2021
You’ll fine home gardeners at the usual suspects: Home Depot and Lowe’s. But, don’t underestimate their commitment to a deal (nearly 80% will chose a retailer based on the best price/sales!). They’re also looking to Walmart and Amazon for their garden and outdoor purchases.
And, what are their retail preferences?
When shopping, this group is 16% more likely than the average consumer to look for products that are cost-effective, 15% more likely to look for products that are time-saving, and 13% more likely to buy items that are easy-to-use and dependable. In choosing a retailer, gardeners keep in mind the following values: safety, caring, dependability.
They are 17% more likely to cite curbside pick-up as an important shopping factor which aligns with their commitment to safety as a top value and the fact 34% are avoiding physical stores to a large extent.
Want to make them feel comfortable when it is safe to come back in-store? You’ll want to communicate the precautions you’re taking, including nightly disinfecting, reduce occupancy, contactless payments, and more.
Three takeaways for marketing to gardeners
As you’re working on your spring and summer advertising campaigns for this group, here are three key takeaways to keep in mind when marketing to gardeners:
- Don’t forget there’s been a pandemic: While you don’t need to bring it up directly, keep in mind that these consumers are cautiously re-entering society. They value safety, they want to know you’re taking precautions in your retail stores, and, when possible, they’ll spring for curbside pick-up to make life easier.
- Emphasize promotions and deals: There’s no better way to get these customers to buy than to offer them a sale! They look for the best prices and make purchasing decisions based on sales.
- Consider ease-of-use in product development: These garden-savvy customers are looking to both save time and invest in easy-to-use products. These are the items you should focus on both in your advertising and the messaging that should be front and center.
Want more insights on these green thumbed consumers? Or looking for deep, fresh data on your own customers and prospects? Request a demo today to dive in to the Resonate Ignite Platform™.
