Put the G back into HGTV

“Who took the ‘G’,” queried Robert Hendrickson of the Garden Group, “out of HGTV?” Reality is it is time for all to get real – collectively, Industry or consumer, accept responsible for the declining focus on greening America’s landscape.

While the Green Industry as a whole is recognized to fail as effective marketers, the lack of advertising, marketing and/or public relations is most certainly not the only culprit in this situation. So, as Hendrickson emphasizes, a recovery strategy is to identify and implement ‘hooks’ that attract American public interest.

As an eco-advocate, communications specialist and person committed to ‘digging in the dirt’ annually I evaluate home and garden media trends. As a result of research, let me share a few observations. First, the ‘G’ has not disappeared from all regional HGTV. A highlight of my annual Nags Head North Carolina vacation is during the blistering heat of mid-afternoon, I curl up with an ice tea and watch the regional horticulture and garden programming which is sponsored by North Carolina’s state universities. On the other hand, although my home state of Virginia boasts two such schools, my area’s HGTV does not offer similar programming. So, a question is what enables successful HGTV in some versus other regions?

 

From a print media perspective, as part of my 2016 ‘dig in the dirt’ promotional planning, I reviewed the content of well-known consumer home and garden magazines; and as a matter of fact, discover a blaringly lack of garden products and services advertisement. I also identified many of these publications contain little or no feature articles on the topic of landscape gardens. On the other hand, I identified while American consumer focus magazines lacked the ‘G’ in home and garden, it remains relevant and healthy in Canada, British and other shared countries markets. So, the next question is because media solicits input from reader audience topics of interest, why is there a downturn of gardening interest in the USA?

And a third equally important question is there appears to be a disappearing ‘G’ in home and garden show participation. In fact, I noticed a significant absence of Industry presence in one of central Virginia’s main spring events, the MAC Home & Garden Show. Yet, again on the other hand, a focus on gardening appears to not only survive but thrive in the Philadelphia Flower Show. So, another question is what makes this style show work for some regions and not for others?

To answer these questions, for 2016, I’ve issued a challenge to all - Industry, communities, homeowners and consumers alike - to get real – become people who CARE, have a perspective of eco conservation, accountability, recovery and efficiency. In fact, through columns, blogs and/or media releases during the months of November and December challenged all to focus on the concept of eco-thankfulness and gift-giving, enabling the green of America’s landscape. During January and February, I shared landscape gardening tips and strategies which appear to work-well; and, in March as ‘women in history’ month, issued a challenge to all to identify and celebrate the impact of their community eco-women. Why?

As Industry personality Tony Avent owner of Plant Delights Nursery located in Raleigh, North Carolina, says, “the most misunderstood and overlooked component of business success is communication, a form of communication that establishes a brand of product” – in this case the ‘G’ of home and garden. So, as Robert Hendrickson of the Garden Group emphasizes, let’s identify what ‘hooks’ the American public. Whether the focus is ‘growing green – planet or profit’, in the long-run everyone benefits from eco healthy communities. For the year of 2016, let’s work together; and, perhaps, through extended effort to ‘get real’, a result will be communications which provides useful eco theories, strategies, public relations and advertisement that works-well for all, puts the ‘G’ back into home and garden! For additional tips and strategies, visit web site www.The Wright Scoop.com.