The Hows & Whys of Plant Tags: Part 2

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I’M always rounding up or down on my tag order. Why can’t I buy the exact quantity of tags I need? Most tags, at least from your major vendors, are printed in what is called offset lithography. These are typically high-volume printers that run either a sheet or roll of substrate (plastic, paper, etc.) through a printing press. The substrate has a finite dimension. Depending on the size, a given amount of tags can be printed onto each sheet or roll. The smaller the tag, the more you can print; the larger the tag, the fewer you can print. But the substrate remains a con- stant size. Think of it this way: In a 1020 flat, you might get 32, 48 or 72 plants in a flat. If order- ing a 48 count, you have to order in the flat increments. You can’t order 49 or 50. You would have to order either 48 or 96. The need to round up or down is obvious. It’s a similar situation with tags. WHAT is the most significant thing I can do to improve my plant care tags? In the broadest sense, put yourself in the shoes of the aver- age gardener. This is sometimes difficult to do for those who have spent years, decades or their entire life marinating in horticulture. So, you have to play a little trick on your mind. Actually, you need to be reflec- tive of your own experiences, good and bad, with information communicated to you on con- sumer products outside your industry. Have you ever been frustrat- ed with instructions provided with a product you bought? What was that like? Did you curse the so-and-sos on why they couldn’t make this a little easier? Well, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of a gar- dener looking at your product with the same frustration. Printed information delivered to you at the point of decision needs to be clear and informa- tive. It should help you make a good decision. Consider the package with font that is too small to read or the menu with fancy font that you can’t see either. How about the last time you bought an electronic gadget that seemed so complex you wanted to throw it back in the box. Probably written by techno geeks who think everyone knows what they know. So, don’t be a “techno plant geek” either! OKAY—So, let’s say I agree to put more information, images and icons that gar- deners are asking for. How do I do that given the size of a plant tag? This is a good question. There is only so much real estate on a tag. Of course, tags come in all sizes. Let’s look at the options. The Hows & Whys of Plant Tags: Part 2 This six-part series from MasterTag will give you info for all of your frequently unanswered questions (FUQs) about POP and other marketing materials. Here’s the second installment of Gerry’s answers to your plant tag queries. Figure 1: A large tag can significantly increase your opportunity to communicate more information gardeners need. 80 GROWERTALKS | MARCH 13

Transcript of The Hows & Whys of Plant Tags: Part 2

Page 1: The Hows & Whys of Plant Tags: Part 2

I’M always roundingup or down on mytag order. Why can’tI buy the exactquantity of tags Ineed?

Most tags, at least from yourmajor vendors, are printed inwhat is called offset lithography.These are typically high-volumeprinters that run either a sheetor roll of substrate (plastic,paper, etc.) through a printingpress. The substrate has a finite

dimension. Depending on thesize, a given amount of tags canbe printed onto each sheet orroll. The smaller the tag, themore you can print; the largerthe tag, the fewer you can print.But the substrate remains a con-stant size.

Think of it this way: In a1020 flat, you might get 32, 48or 72 plants in a flat. If order-ing a 48 count, you have toorder in the flat increments.You can’t order 49 or 50. Youwould have to order either 48

or 96. The need to round up ordown is obvious. It’s a similarsituation with tags.

WHAT is the mostsignificant thing Ican do to improvemy plant care tags?

In the broadest sense, putyourself in the shoes of the aver-age gardener. This is sometimesdifficult to do for those whohave spent years, decades ortheir entire life marinating inhorticulture. So, you have toplay a little trick on your mind.Actually, you need to be reflec-tive of your own experiences,good and bad, with informationcommunicated to you on con-sumer products outside yourindustry.

Have you ever been frustrat-ed with instructions providedwith a product you bought?What was that like? Did youcurse the so-and-sos on whythey couldn’t make this a littleeasier? Well, you don’t want tobe on the receiving end of a gar-dener looking at your productwith the same frustration.Printed information delivered toyou at the point of decisionneeds to be clear and informa-tive. It should help you make agood decision. Consider thepackage with font that is toosmall to read or the menu withfancy font that you can’t seeeither. How about the last timeyou bought an electronic gadgetthat seemed so complex youwanted to throw it back in thebox. Probably written by technogeeks who think everyoneknows what they know. So,don’t be a “techno plant geek”either!

OKAY—So, let’s say Iagree to put moreinformation, imagesand icons that gar-deners are askingfor. How do I do thatgiven the size of aplant tag?

This is a good question.There is only so much realestate on a tag. Of course, tagscome in all sizes. Let’s look atthe options.

The Hows & Whysof Plant Tags: Part 2

This six-part series from MasterTag will give you info for all of your frequentlyunanswered questions (FUQs) about POP and other marketing materials.Here’s the second installment of Gerry’s answers to your plant tag queries.

Figure 1: A large tag can significantly increase your opportunityto communicate more information gardeners need.

80 GROWERTALKS | MARCH 13

Page 2: The Hows & Whys of Plant Tags: Part 2

MARCH 13 | GROWERTALKS 81

Move to a larger tag. (Figure1) This may seem obvious, butthe best solution here is a largertag with a more prudent appli-cation to what is actually beingput on it. I understand that costis a factor. And I know whatyou’re thinking, “Sure, a largertag is exactly what the ‘tag guy’wants me to buy!” I understandhow you feel and I don’t dismissor take lightly the input costs ofgrowers and retailers. I just askthat you trust me on this fromlooking at thousands of differ-ent styles of tags. It’s a simplematter of what you need tocommunicate with the gardenshopper. The test is to compareyour plant product to otherconsumer product labeling.How does your product standup?

Add a printed pot to go alongwith the tag. (Figure 2) Here’san opportunity to expand yourinformation beyond the tag.Printed pots can hold graphicsand text. Print minimums canbe high per unique pot, so thisis likely an option for largegrowers, but one that’s under-utilized. Does it add cost? Yes,but we’re talking about addingtrue value to your finishedproduct as well.

Add a pressure-sensitive stickerto the pot. Again, not in place ofthe tag, but as an opportunity toinclude more information thatgardeners are requesting.Consider the tag to carry thepoint of sale information and

the pot as what will be accessedat home when planting.

Buy yourself more room onannual tags. What I mean hereis that annuals are sold in color,right? And herbs have no colorand are sold for their foliage.These are two conditions inwhich you can try eliminatingthe photo, as the plants presentthemselves. A photo is redun-dant. This could free up from30% to 50% of the tag realestate for additional informa-tion. I know this bucks tradi-tion—I’m just sayin’ thinkabout it!

WHY is there somuch discrepancybetween the caretext on a tag andthe actual perfor-mance of the plant?

Typically, plant care text issourced from a universal andrecognized publication of infor-mation defining the averagerange of garden performance fora given plant. For example, theAmerican Horticultural SocietyEncyclopedia of Plants and

Flowers would be such a refer-ence, as well as the USDAHardiness Zone Map. Both ofthese publications are usedwhen creating care text for aplant tag. The differences comein the variables of regional ormicroclimate area where plantperformance may vary signifi-cantly. Local and regional refer-ence material is available forthese areas as well.

SO, if tag companiesknow there’s adifference in region-al or microclimateplant performanceand there arereferences that canbe used, why stickto just one point ofreference? Why notmake tags that areappropriate for aspecific region?

Yes, this does seem like anobvious solution, doesn’t it?Especially true in an era of mas-sive amounts of information.The challenge would be when

providing stock tags to a nation-al or even international market-place, the balance of print pro-duction efficiencies and therisks of excess inventory mustbe considered. However, region-al or microclimate informationcan be printed on a horticultur-al plant care tag when request-ing a custom tag. This is reallythe best solution if very specificand local garden performanceinformation must be communi-cated to your customers.

Next month, I’ll take a stabat answering questions abouttags, signs and their place in aneffectively merchandised display.We’ll explore the benefits anddetractors of setting a retailstore and offer solutions to pro-voke some thought around thistopic. GT

Gerry Giorgio is an artist, urbangardener and the MarketingManager at MasterTag—a horticultural printing company.

Figure 2: Expanding information ontoa printed pot, pot wrap or pressure-sensitive sticker will increase thevalue of your products.

By GERRy GIORGIO