Horticultural Marketing

In any industry including horticulture, competition is fierce and success depends upon the way you market your product. A sound knowledge of marketing processes will ensure that a business stays ahead of the competition.

This is a comprehensive well-rounded course that offers the horticultural marketing manager or small business owner what they need to be successful in this essential component of business management.

This subject covers the theoretical and practical importance of marketing in the horticultural industry, including topics such as: marketing processes, methods, strategies and research. Practical components cover topics such as: advertising, promotions, signs, customer relations, pricing strategy, labelling, transport, product presentation, developing customer service policy and customer satisfaction questionnaires.

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are seven lessons in this course, as follows:

1.  Introduction to Horticultural Marketing

2.  Horticultural Marketing Processes

3.  Horticultural Marketing Methods        

4.  Customer Service

5.  Horticultural Marketing Research

6.  Developing An Advertising Program

7.  Developing An Horticultural Marketing Strategy

SUMMARY OF COMPETENCIES DEVELOPED

On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:

• Explain general economic concepts relevant to the horticultural industry.
• Explain different components of the marketing process which may be used in the horticultural industry.
• Explain different marketing methods for horticultural products and services.
• Explain the role of customer service in horticultural marketing.
• Conduct market research into a product or service in the horticultural industry.
• Develop an advertising program for an horticultural enterprise.
• Develop an appropriate marketing strategy for a given horticultural situation.

What the course covers:

Here are just some of the things you may be doing:

• Explain the concept of supply and demand, in a specified horticultural context.
• Explain specified economic theories in relation to two different horticultural commodities.
• Define terms relevant to horticultural marketing.
• Distinguish between marketing and selling in a horticultural enterprise.
• Compare different packaging strategies for various horticultural products.
• Analyse the labelling of different horticultural products, to determine possible improvements.
• Analyse options for transportation to market of different horticultural products.
• Analyse storage options during marketing, for different horticultural products.
• Determine criteria which are critical to the marketing success of different horticultural products.
• Prepare a marketing plan for a horticultural enterprise, that summarises:  *handling  *storage  *packaging  *transportation  *promotion  *selling.
• Describe specific examples of three different marketing strategies, used in the horticultural industry.
• Analyse the marketing of a specific, successful product or service, in the horticultural industry.
• Determine target markets for different selected horticultural products.
• Compare the marketing of a specified horticultural product using different marketing methods.
• Evaluate the success of marketing methods being used by different specified horticultural enterprises, to market their products or services.
• Evaluate positive features of customer service, in a specific horticultural enterprise.
• Evaluate negative features of customer service, in a specific horticultural enterprise.
• Explain the importance of consistent product availability, in a specified horticultural enterprise.
• Explain the importance of well-trained customer service providers, in a specified horticultural enterprise.
• Develop guidelines for maintaining good public relations, in a specific horticultural enterprise.
• Prepare a customer service policy for a selected horticultural enterprise.
• Design a questionnaire to determine demand for a new specified horticultural enterprise, in your locality.
• Design a questionnaire to determine customer attitudes towards a specified horticultural product or service.
• Determine the socio-economic attributes of clients of a specified horticultural enterprise, investigated by you.
• Determine the behavioural characteristics of clients of a specified horticultural enterprise, investigated by you.
• Conduct market research into a specific product or service, by questioning a representative sample of different customers, of a horticultural enterprise.
• Collate statistics from conducted market research that you conducted.
• Analyse statistics relating to market research undertaken by you.
• Explain appropriate applications for different advertising avenues, in the horticultural industry.
• Develop guidelines for writing advertisements for a specified horticultural service or product.
• Write appropriate advertisements for different specified horticultural services or products.
• Prepare an appropriate brochure, to the stage of finished art work, for a specific horticultural product or service.
• Evaluate the response from specific horticultural advertisements.
• Evaluate different advertising methods used in a horticultural enterprise investigated by you, in terms of costs versus benefits.
• Determine the significance of packaging, presentation and labelling to marketing of a specified horticultural product.
• Estimate the relative benefits different techniques which may be used to promote a specific horticultural enterprise.
• Produce design for a specific nursery, farm, or other horticultural enterprise, to enhance marketing in that enterprise.
• Develop a promotional campaign for a specified horticultural product or service.
• Explain different methods of determining a price for a specified horticultural product