GCPS e-ZONE

	June 3, 2008 Riddle me this... What ship has no captain, but has two mates? (Scroll down for the answer.) Trends: Communicating with the customer Three Ws and a dot... I don't mind admitting it: I blog. Unlike many (I dare say, most) internet essayists, however, my virtual voice is not rooted so much in a muse as in a must. Indeed, almost two years ago the boss said, "We are about to start a corporate blog, and you MUST participate." I will confess that I had my reservations. I had frequented some blogs at the time of my summons, so I wasn't totally unfamiliar with the territory. One common trait among the paths I took was the notion that blogging seemed to be more a labor of love than a labor of labor. I wasn't sure a corporate blog would fly, especially if it buzzed the folks who were too busy selling plants and decoratives to pay any mind to internet interludes. That fear notwithstanding, I began my first communiqué with the words: "For those keeping score at home, I was the very first customer to eat at the Asia Garden Super Buffet restaurant that recently opened a few miles from my home." Several hundred words later, I got to the point of the blog: "We at Branch-Smith Inc. are now at the forefront again (translation: we're first!). With this missive, we are introducing a new retail blog, The Open Register, which will highlight trends, news and helpful hints that will be of benefit to retail garden center operators." OK, Shakespeare, it wasn't. It probably wasn't even Mickey Spillane. But it was a reasonably nifty start to what would become a significantly nifty series of garden center-related notions — many of which even earned responses from members of our targeted audience (translation: I was wrong about there not being interest in what we had to say). So, why did our blog catch on, and why do some blogs not? According to a recent e-mail from one of my favorite electronic sources, Marketingprofs.com's Get to the Point e-letter, we followed "the formula." Citing The Valleywag blog, Get to the Point says there are four key principles to effective blogging: Keep it short, stick to the facts, use lots of links, and use a casual, conversation style to communicate. It also probably wouldn't hurt to ignore the guy who says this blogging thing will never go over. Thanks for your business. Now don’t come back Check our BLOG Puzzling pictures Piece, brother!... One of the images shown here is a puzzle. The other two know the puzzle, have been said to run with the puzzle, even aspire to be like the puzzle. Alas, they aren't the puzzle. If you select the one that is the puzzle (and not a puzzle wannabe), and then put the product together again, you might someday be a puzzle, too. Unless, of course, you're married, in which case you’re more of a puzzle to your spouse than you know. Thanks for your business. Now don’t come back Check our BLOG Pick 'n Click Simple ad-ition... The following links put you in touch with suppliers who advertise in GCP&S and who will help you obtain information about garden and gift products that appear in the magazine. Point and click to reference a specific product or lines of goods and services offered by the respective companies. Achla Designs: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16048 Allsop, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16020 Anamese Garden & Home: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16052 A-V International: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16032 Bowling Enterprises: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16030 Carson Industries: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16031 Chas. C. Hart Company: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16016 Clean Air Gardening: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16025 Clean Air Gardening: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16036 Custom Decor: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16006 Danove Corporation: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16046 Deer Run Greenery: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16063 DeWitt Co., Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16002 Discount Pond Supplies, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16038 Dorothy Biddle Service: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16061 DP Foods, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16018 Echo Valley: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16053 Everlast Mulch: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16012 Fabriscape: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16019 Featherock, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16047 Firestone Specialty Products: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16042 Gardenware: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16013 Georgetown Pottery: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16023 Giftcraft, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16008 Gifts That Bloom: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16009 Gifts That Bloom: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16003 Holmes Farm: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16041 Jackite: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16033 Kalalou: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16051 Landscape Ontario: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16034 Michael Gordon, Ltd.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16037 Novelty Manufacturing Co.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16064 Olds Garden Seed: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16001 P&M Creations: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16027 Par A Sol: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16050 Pentair Aquatics: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16039 Poly-Tex, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16011 QuickBooks: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16007 Red Carpet Studios: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16049 Ridgefield Products: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16055 Riverside Enterprises: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16017 Rubber Resources, Ltd.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16012 SATO Labeling Solutions: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16004 Shatley Farms: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16014 Sherman Nursery Company: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16060 Silcast, Inc.: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16044 SprinkLites by Gary Hartz: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16026 Stoney Creek: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16045 Structural Plastics: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16005 Structural Plastics: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16065 Sweetwater Irons: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16024 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16010 Thayer Birding Software: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16015 Vitamin Institute: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16028 Walter E. Clark & Son: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16021 White Cedar Gazebos: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16029 Wingscapes: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16035 Winston Company: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16043 Xiamen Amplesolar Technologies: Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 16040 Thanks for your business. Now don’t come back Check our BLOG Oh, yeah, the riddle answer... A courtship. To SUBSCRIBE: http://www.greenbeampro.com/signup To UNSUBSCRIBE: Reply to this e-mail here. TO CONTACT EDITOR YALE YOUNGBLOOD: yyoungblood@branchsmith.com To reach the desktops of thousands of garden center professionals twice a month through the e-ZONE, contact Tiffany O'Kelley, tokelley@branchsmith.com, Ed Tavender, etavender@branchsmith.com or Jennifer Humphrey, jhumphrey@branchsmith.com. (c) 2008 Branch-Smith Publishing. Before publishing or redistributing this information, visit the copyright information page.