This 'n' Data

The Poll Position
 

Will 2012 be ‘the year of the tablet’?

A quiet revolution has been taking place in the world of technology, as tablet computers have slowly crept into the spotlight for both consumers and businesses. eMarketer (www.emarketer.com) estimates 33.7 million Americans were using some kind of tablet computer by the end of 2011— up almost 160 percent from the previous year — and predicts that the number might rise to as many as 90 million users by 2014.

Chris Heiler, a green industry social media consultant and principal of Landscape Leadership (www.landscapeleadership.com), says garden-retail businesses and others in the green industry can put their own tablets to good use this year. Here’s how :

• Processing on-site payments and contract/change order signing
• On-site presentations by landscape designers or salespeople in garden centers
• Plant and other product inventory
• Maps and up-to-the-minute weather
• Sketching and designing
• Quick, simple communication: e-mail, Facebook/Twitter updating
• Basic video shooting, editing and publishing
• Tradeshow product and service demos
• Rich retail point-of-purchase displays, such as how-to videos and inspiring ideas

With a number of styles, features and price points — from $199 to $699 — it’s becoming more and more feasible for even the smallest businesses to incorporate tablets into their daily operations.

“Savvy companies will begin empowering their employees with tablets and smartphones,” Heiler said. “The resources salespeople, designers and crew leaders need will suddenly be at their fingertips, giving them more mobility and freedom to work faster and more efficiently.”
 

About Chris Heiler: Heiler develops social media strategy and training programs for clients ranging from landscape design/build firms and lawn care companies to garden centers, growers and specialty manufacturers. He is also a green industry social media speaker, presenting at numerous landscape industry events across the country each year. Heiler lives in Austin, Texas.
 

Cha-Ching!

How do you treat your “Very Important Gardeners”? At Briggs Garden & Home in North Attleboro, Mass. (www.briggsgarden.com), they definitely get the V.I.G. treatment, including a new rewards program that makes returning to the store both fun and beneficial.

As a V.I.G. member these garden center “regulars” have the opportunity to enjoy special savings and earn Briggs’ Bucks to use toward future purchases at the store. It’s free to sign up, and customers have two options for doing so: They may enter their information on the company website, or they can stop by Briggs and complete a form.

A lot of garden centers have customer reward or store “club” programs, but by putting the marketing onus on “Very Important Gardeners,” Briggs has told its customers that they’re special and that they’re welcome.

And that’s a great formula for “Cha-ching!,” for sure.