Horticultural Marketing

  HORTICULTURAL MARKETING ONLINE COURSE

Horticulture Tutors

Diana Cole B.A. (Hons), Higher Dip. (Garden Design), RHS Advanced Cert. Horticulture, Cert Admin.Mgt., Dip. Inst. Personnel Management

In addition to her RHS horticulture, garden design, City & Guild construction, NPTC pesticide/legislation and business/management qualifications, Diana has a variety of skills drawn from setting up Arbella Gardens, a landscape gardening business. She also has administrative, management and training delivery experience drawn from her employment in other organisations such as the NHS and other educational institutions such as schools & universities. She has augmented her training expertise having gained the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector qualification. She also has experience gained through working as a volunteer in a number of different roles including amenity style gardening in parks and practical conservation work.

.Maggi Brown Cert.Ed.(Environment)
Maggi is regarded as an expert in Organic Growing throughout the UK, having worked for two decades as Education Officer at the world renowned Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic). She has been active in education, environmental management and horticulture across the UK for more them three decades.

Yvonne Sharpe RHS Cert.Hort, Dip.Hort, M.Hort, Cert.Ed., Dip.Mgt.
Over 30 years of experience in horticulture, education and management, Yvonne hastravelled widely within and beyond Europe, and has worked in many areas of horticulture from garden centres to horticultural therapy. She has served on industry committees and been actively involved with amateur garden clubs for decades.

Thady Barrett M.Hort (RHS) Thady is a consultant to the horticulture industry in the UK, with particular interest in the ornamental plant sector. Previously a senior lecturer at Writtle College for 20 years which included being course tutor for RHS qualifications. Wide ranging practical horticultural experience but with specific interest in propagation techniques and plant production technologies. Member of the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS) and awarded the Rose Bowl Award in 2009 in recognition of his contribution to the society

Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

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

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• 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 You Will Do

• 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 you investigate.
• Determine the behavioural characteristics of clients of a specified horticultural enterprise, you investigate.
• 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 conduct.
• 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.

Click here to visit the bookstore and view outlines of general marketing titles

Click here to view outlines of general horticulture books