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Marketing types may wonder where their advertising dollars are most effective. It isn't wise to allocate funds to newspaper, radio or any advertising campaign without some measure of its effectiveness.

You can measure advertising effectiveness fairly easily by asking people to mention the advertisement and they will get a free flower or other gift. Flowers or seeds are great freebies for gardeners.

Advertising objectives

All advertising should have an objective. These might include:

1. Increasing the percent of people who are aware of a new product or location.

2. Selling a specific number of units of a particular item.

3. Introducing new customers to your products or services.

The more you know about your customers, the more effective your advertising can be.

Some public and many business libraries subscribe to the Simmons Study of Media and Markets. Michigan State University's business library subscribes to the media market study, which includes information on gardeners and gardening. The Simmons panel investigates the media people watch, read and listen to. The study helps businesses understand where their advertising dollars may be better spent. This way, businesses can more efficiently identify media that gardeners might be likely to use. They are more likely, then, to see the message a business attempts to convey.

Who is the gardening consumer?

The 1996 Simmon's Study of Media and Markets estimated that nearly 70 million people in the United States had participated in outdoor gardening in the previous 12 months. This finding is consistent with what the National Gardening Association publishes as gardening participation.

The Simmons study found that flower gardeners are most likely Caucasian females. Among gardeners, females outnumber males 2 to 1. Gardeners were more likely than the general population to be 45 years or older. Again, these findings are consistent with other published information.

Gardeners were 21 percent more likely to be married than the average population, and also more likely to have completed college. Even more likely is the fact that gardeners have attempted or completed graduate studies.

Gardeners are also more wealthy than the average American. Starting at an annual income of $75,000, gardeners have about a 24 percent higher income than most Americans. Simmons estimates that there are nearly 14 million gardeners (approximately 20 percent) with incomes above $75,000. Gardeners are more likely to own their home and a second vacation home.

Targeting female gardeners

Because female gardeners outnumber male gardeners nearly 2 to 1, and because many male gardeners are the spouses of female gardeners, it is important to target the female gardener as the most important segment of all customer groups. Understanding other activities the female gardener is involved in may help advertisers more efficiently reach this target customer group.

The Simmons study gives some insight on activities female gardeners like. Socially, female gardeners are more likely to be involved in sports, activities and organizations that are reflective of their relative wealth. They are at least 22 percent more likely to engage in sailing, power boating, skin diving and golf. They are 23 percent more likely to belong to an art association and 40 percent more likely to belong to a country club.

Garden-related activities

Female gardeners' activities also reflect their interest in gardening and the outdoors. They engage in hiking and camping and belong to environmental organizations and regional development committees more often than the general public.

Female gardeners take special interest in the appearance of both themselves and their homes. They diet and exercise at a higher rate than the average female population. They tend to gather ideas and recipes from magazines. To female gardeners, the kitchen may be the most important room in the home.

Family is important to gardeners. Yet, female gardeners state that they feel as if they neglect their families because of other work.

Female gardeners are more likely than the general public to purchase products from advertisements in magazines, newspapers, catalogs, and direct mail pieces. They buy books, computer software, fruit and nuts, toys and other items at a 19 percent higher rate than the average consumer.

The Simmons Study also shows that gardeners buy garden equipment, seeds, bulbs, trees, plants and workshop tools over the telephone, Internet and mail at rates at least 47 percent higher than the general population. They buy their lawn and garden supplies at independent garden centers, home improvement and hardware stores and mass merchandisers (in that order). They spent at least 30 percent more on all lawn & garden products than the general population.

Gardeners read many magazines listed in the Simmons study at a rate higher than that of the general population. They tend to be very loyal to several magazine categories, including home and garden, travel, cooking and consumer-focused financial publications. They didn't read newspapers at a rate higher than the typical American, but most gardeners read the newspaper.

For all types of broadcast media, gardeners tend to listen to the radio more frequently and most often early in the morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. The radio formats popular with gardeners were adult contemporary, all news, country, easy listening and golden oldies. Gardeners listen to National Public Radio at least 20 percent more than the average American.

Gardeners watched cable channels more often than the typical American. They watched most often between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the shows most often viewed were on Arts and Entertainment (A&E), CNN, CNBC, Discovery Channel, Faith and Value Channel, The Learning Channel and the Travel Channel. Home and Garden Television was not specifically assessed, but gardeners view other cable channels at a rate 30 percent higher than the average.

When allocating your advertising dollars, consider all the activities gardeners might be engaged in. Certainly advertising in publications gardeners read is important.

If many gardeners also play golf or enjoy boating, why not advertise near articles that feature these sports? An understanding of the radio formats gardeners listen to will help you narrow your search for compatible stations. Hopefully, you can use the information from the Simmons study to make your advertising dollars reach their target and bring more gardeners into buy your products.

© 2000 Branch-Smith Publishing