Is your garden center among the Certified?
Proven Winners announces the successful debut of their
“Certified Retailer” incentive and education program for
independent retailers of Proven Winners products.
This national certification program was developed to help
independent garden center retailers better understand their role in the selling
process and enhance their understanding of Proven Winners plants. This
initiative is provided at no cost to participating retailers and will continue
as long as the retailer remains active in the certification process.
Testing for certification will begin in spring 2002, but
starting in October 2001, retailers were able to sign up for participation
online at www.pwcertified.com [1]. Retailers will be able to request Proven Winners
certification through the site and will then receive online training materials
to educate employees and managers about Proven Winners. Upon review of the
materials and completion of an online test, retailers will receive
certification and customized, exclusive, point-of-purchase materials as well as
other rewards — including a chance to win a trip to London.
“We needed to create and implement a program that
would be recognized as the strongest retail support seen in the
industry,” said Marshall Dirks, director of marketing and public relations
for Proven Winners. “We had specific criteria that included improving
relationships and communication with our garden center customers, enhancing the
Proven Winners brand and educating our buyers about our superior product. The
‘Certified Retailer’ program will definitely help us achieve those
objectives and is currently receiving membership enrollment results sooner than
expected.” Nearly 1,000 garden center employees signed up in the first 30
days.
How to get prepared
Proven Winners offers three ways for independent garden
centers to get prepared for the spring 2002 season.
1. Retailer Support Kit.
Make Proven Winners products a destination. Consumers will
be looking for it, and most garden centers will be too busy to help everyone
during the spring fever. Use our new bench wrap and 5-foot coroplast signs to
make a striking presentation that clearly establishes where your Proven Winners
products are located. Call to place your order today — only $100 with
supplies limited.
2. Weather Channel. Make sure gardeners know that your
garden center is the place to purchase PW products. This program is exclusive
to independent garden centers.
3. Certified Retailer.
Make sure your employees are prepared and have the right
tools to answer your customers’ questions. Register to become a PW
Certified Retailer today at www.pwcertified.com [1] — it’s FREE.
Proven Winners Announces 2002 Spring Consumer Campaign
*Television:
Home
& Garden TV
Turner
South March 4–March 25
The
Weather Channel
Home
& Garden TV Canada
Magazines:
Fine
Gardening Feb.
28–April 15 Gardens
West Jan. 1–March 18
Garden
Design Feb.
1–April 15 Manitoba
Gardener Feb. 28–April 15
Gardening
How-To Jan. 1–April 15
Feb. 28–May
6
Canada
Blooms Feb.
28–March 25 Gardening
Life Jan.
1–May 13
Canadian
Gardening Feb.
1–May 13
Garden
Wise Jan. 2002 & Feb. 28–March 18
*All TV commitments are tentative and subject to change
without notice.
Helping Gardeners Succeed
Proven Winners will also be sponsoring Fine
Gardening’s first garden conference, “Cultivating the American
Garden,” scheduled for Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, 2002.
Fine Gardening has been providing gardeners with hands-on advice from
America’s best gardeners since 1988. With this conference, they will
offer a live presentation of the gardening education and inspiration that we
have been presenting in their magazine for over a decade.
Josh Schneider of EuroAmerican Propagators will be representing
Proven Winners during the conference and featuring “Proven Recipes”
for container gardening.
This section is sponsored by Proven Winners — A Better
Garden Starts With A Better Plant. For a glimpse of the new fresh faces for
fall, visit Proven Winners online at www.provenwinners.com.
1117 North 14th Street • Dekalb, IL 60115 •
(815) 748-0805 • E-mail: marshall@provenwinners.com [2]
Is your garden center among the Certified?