Greenhouse bays are becoming more colorful. And that’s before anything flowers. Thanks to new printing technologies and a better understanding of marketing concepts, growers and retailers have more to offer their customers than the same-old black, green and terra-cotta plastic pots.
Decorative grower pots serve two main purposes: to grab consumers’ attention and to provide information about the product. To do this, pots can be enhanced with simple yet colorful labels, printed with spot and four-color processing or have a full-color poly film heat-sealed to the pot in the molding process.
No limits
According to Lisa Oliver, senior account manager for John Henry Co., the sky’s the limit regarding what goes on pots. “It depends on the retailer or grower and who the end consumers are,” Oliver said. “The pots that generally work the best are the ones that attract the consumer’s attention and are used in conjunction with good information. The more attractive and compelling the package, the better it will help the retailer and grower with sell-through.”
She said that since plants essentially start to decline after being removed from an optimal greenhouse environment, anything that can be done to enhance the plant at retail helps.
“It has to do with the desire to differentiate your product from everybody else,” said Terry Robinson, senior account manager of distribution for Dillen Products. “Sometimes the grower wants to differentiate his product from everybody else’s in the marketplace. And it does add some value because on most of these printed pots there are care instructions, coupons, bar codes, and so forth.”
The whole package
Gerry Giorgio, creative director at MasterTag, says decorative grower pots work best as part of a larger merchandising or branding program. MasterTag is sometimes asked to design graphics for a pot that complement the labels, bench tape, cards and signage for a program. The company will produce the labels and point-of-purchase materials, and a pot manufacturer will produce the pots with MasterTag’s graphics to create a package that works together.
“One of the compromises when you start printing on pots is that it doesn’t allow for a lot of specific plant information, so most printed pots are somewhat generic,” Giorgio said.
The reason for the generic information is that the printing process is volume driven. The more of the same pots produced, the lower the cost. Fifty thousand brand-specific herb pots, for example, printed with a generic recipe have a lower per pot cost than 1,000 branded cilantro pots with specific information.
Brand identity
The purpose pots serve, Giorgio said, is more of a vehicle for brand identity, rather than specific information for the consumer. Labels can carry much more specific variety information and can be produced cheaply, making them a more affordable way to communicate with consumers. The tag or label in conjunction with a decorative pot and other POP materials work together to increase attention, speak about the brand and help consumers succeed with the plants.
Oliver said that a printed pot is part of the package. It should not replace the tag, but rather enhance the package.
“The better growers understand that they aren’t just a grower. They are a manufacturer and they need to position their product so that it best appeals to the consumer and answers the consumers’ need on what to do with the product,” she said.
Information-starved consumers
Jennifer Kurtz, manager of Kurtz Farms in
“People are looking for information and we were not providing enough to them,” Kurtz said. “They have a lack of time and lack of knowledge, so we decided to put together a program that offered solutions to both.”
The Urban Gardener program offers two product lines: Herb & Vegetables in 4-color picture pots manufactured by Dillen Products and Easy as 1-2-3 premium annuals in thermoformed pots printed by dry off-set printing by East Jordan Plastics.
Each Urban Gardener pot has generic information about herbs, vegetables or combining annuals, but also has a label with more specific information about the variety contained with it.
“Every tag that MasterTag designed for us has a unique ID number on it by variety so the consumer can go to our Web site, put in that ID number, and learn how to care for that plant, herb or vegetable,” Kurtz said. “In addition, every herb or vegetable has a recipe on the tag for that plant and also on the Web site.”
Team effort
The secret to decorative pots is bringing together the grower, the pot manufacturer and the label/POP to work as a team. The process usually starts with a grower’s concepts, said Robinson.
“It’s better for the company doing the labeling and signage to design the pot and provide the file to the pot manufacturer,” Giorgio said. “That way the files and colors are coordinated from the start, rather than having one try to duplicate artwork.”
Graham agrees. “When you begin with both the tag and container companies there are fewer problems with matching colors or fonts or exceeding the abilities of one of the supply chain partners without knowing it,” he said.
Robinson said Dillen recognizes some of the printing technologies such as picture pots are volume driven and can be out of the price range for smaller growers. To make it more affordable, the company has created a set of generic picture pots for Choice Herbs, Choice Veggies, Choice Annuals and Choice Perennials available in several sizes.
Pot tech terms
Labels: These include 1-by-1-inch plastic labels with barcode information up to 3-by-4-inch multicolor labels. They are applied after pots have been molded. Example: Ride the Wave labels.
Offset printing: After pots are molded, they are placed on offset printers where up to six colors are applied in straight-line fashion. Different shades of those six colors can be applied but they cannot be blended. Examples: Viva! and Gardening for Dummies.
Picture pots: A flat sheet of polypropylene is run through a CMYK four-color process printer that allows color blending. The sheet is then run through a varnish to seal the picture, then die cut into an arc-shaped side wall. An assembly machine welds on the pot bottom and the lip is rolled. Examples: Bolero pansy and Viva!.
In-mold printing: A label is printed on polyester-type material (typically produced at a label company). A robotic arm lays the label into the cavity of an injection mold. The plastic is injected and the label becomes part of the pot itself. This process allows for a very durable label with the flexibility to be applied around corners. Example: John Henry Potcha pots.
Growers chooses hot colors for pots
Jennifer Kurtz, manager of Kurtz Farms in
“I felt these unique containers would set Urban Gardener apart in the marketplace” Kurtz said. “I went the extra mile because I believe in the brand and giving the customer what they want. I know customers are getting tired of passé pots and are willing to pay for new and exciting programs. Our numbers prove it. Our sell-through at the Home Depot was 95 percent and they retailed for $14.99.”
For more: Kurtz Farms, (203) 272-2996; www.kurtz-farms.com.
Pot wraps offer alternatives
If you want to skip a decorative pot, consider a pot wrap such as the Cactus Cowpokes designed by MasterTag.
Pot wraps and covers can be printed with four-color processing and allow growers to use any container or to print specific information. In the case of the Cactus Cowpokes, they can even be collectible characters attractive to children.
For more: John Henry Co., (800) 748-0517; www.jhc.com. Dillen Products, (800) 225-7712; www.dillen.com. MasterTag, (800) 253-0439; www.mastertag.com. Kurtz Farms, (203) 272-2996; www.kurtz-farms.com. East Jordan Plastics, (800) 353-1190; www.eastjordanplastics.com.
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- Ellen C. Wells
Ellen C. Wells is a freelance horticultural writer in Boston and is marketing and communications manager for Pen & Petal Inc; ellen@flowerink.com.