I recently had the pleasure of co-presenting with Sam Kirkland of Epicor and Jennifer Hatalski of Calloway's about Customer Loyalty. What is it? How do you get it? And what the trends today are (my section... obviously.) 

We learned that with so many competitors, it is tough for small garden brands to get ahead of the curve. Small brands often double up efforts to get recognized against more established brands. Why?

• 82% stopped dealing with businesses with poor customer service.
• It costs 5% more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied and happy.
• Loyal repetitive customers spend 33% more than new ones.
• 50% of millennials and Gen Zers believe earning rewards is more hassle than it’s worth.

Sam, Jennifer and I described how “Earn and burn,” or pure discount-based programs, are no longer enough. Consumers are looking for something more.

When it comes to loyalty rewards, it’s no longer just about the transaction at point of purchase; it’s about additional experiences and services that create new touchpoints. 

Read more to learn the 5 Trends in Customer Loyalty sure to keep customers coming back.

Professionals striving for relevance in the world of public relations constantly need to stay up to date with all industry trends as well as current events – it’s practically in the job description.

The news cycle is now moving faster than ever before, mostly thanks to various digital platforms. Aside from regular news stories, a great way for public relations professionals to keep up with the happenings around them is to listen to podcasts that are relevant to the job. 

Gardening is a growing hobby, touted as #5 most popular on many lists.

Below are some recent public relations trends we’ve seen that can impact how brands engage with consumers and stay competitive in the green space.

Those familiar with HBO know that there are no commercials during their shows.

It’s also less than likely a modern product will show up in an episode, especially in Game of Thrones. But this past Sunday, somebody left a coffee cup in a major scene. And it did NOT go unnoticed.

If this was a normal product placement deal, Starbucks would pay for the ad and then pay more to promote the ad.

But since HBO does not pay for product placement or ads during their show, this is now considered earned media. Lucky for them.

Read more to learn what the value of this accidental mention is to Starbucks in terms of PR.

If you run or manage a garden business, you want to be continuously thinking of new ideas and staying competitive. So, we believe it is imperative to stay on top of trends most relevant to you.

It’s ideal to find trends in their beginning stages before they reach the mainstream news and the general public. As soon as the mainstream public starts calling something a trend, it may be too late.

The key to effectively jumping on trend is preparation. You might not know exactly what is going to happen, but you need to have the tools in place so that you can recognize opportunity when it arises. 

The perfect, enduring example of this is Oreo’s dunk in the dark moment.

When you capitalize early on emerging trends, you put yourself at the front of the line to receive the monetary benefits from the burgeoning market that a new trend could bring. 

Read more to learn how to be prepared to capitalize on trends.

As the end of the year approaches, many brands have already begun preparing their social media strategies for the new year. 

Social media continues to evolve and if your brand doesn't follow the trends and changes, your efforts may fall flat. 

Thankfully, there are a few social media trends coming to light that brands should consider as they prepare for the new year. 

Read on to learn about 7 social media trends that can help boost engagement. 

While they didn't take our color advice from our 2019 Garden Trend Report this year, the Pantone Color Institute has announced that 2019 will be all about Living Coral.

The color represents “playful expression,” and our “innate need for optimism.” (After this year, we can use all the innate optimism we can get.)

Living Coral is technically a “coral hue with a golden undertone”—a few shades louder than pink, but softer than red.

Read more to learn about how to apply Living Coral to your garden this year.

When I first started working in public relations, I had no idea that relationships were going to be such an important part of my career. After the first year of handling PR for a high-tech company, I quickly learned that earning media coverage requires strong working relationships with journalists.

Even after more than twenty years, I still keep in touch with many of the journalists I met early on in my career.

Now with even more platforms to cultivate media relationships, making these connections has become easier than ever.

Continue reading to learn how you can build strong relationships with journalists.

Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner and at Garden Media we’re finalizing our travel plans, getting excited to visit family or friends, or simply looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone.

Project Time Off, a movement powered by the US Travel Association, encourages people to take a vacation. Research shows that year after year, fewer Americans are using all of their allotted vacation hours. While many think skipping out on vacation and working extra hours is beneficial for their careers, it may actually have the opposite effect.

Read more to learn how going on vacation can improve your business.

Move over Miller Lite, craft beer is here to stay.

Craft breweries are becoming a big player in the beer industry. With over 4,000 breweries nationwide and an increasing share of the beer market, there’s definitely something to learn from the booming success of craft beer over the last five years.

Besides selling tasty cold beer, what factors contribute to this success? With craft breweries popping up left and right, plus having national and international beer distributors as tough competition, it can be hard to stay afloat.

Craft breweries are staying relevant by personalizing their brands, offering a wide variety and using a lot of creativity.

Continue reading to see what your garden brand can learn from the craft beer industry.