Complete Package - Branding Concerns FAQs

We use Proven Winners containers for our perennials and shrubs. Isn’t this requirement for annuals
pushing it too far?

My guess is those product lines have been successful for their business or else they wouldn't be carrying them. Plus, the brand has evolved to the point where now we create more than 10 billion consumer impressions each year. So moving to the complete package for Proven Winners Annuals will really create a cohesive brand experience across all Proven Winners product lines and make it easy for gardeners to find the plant brand that they trust.

Won’t this hurt my own brand and the buy-local movement?

As a garden center, your brand is the most important part of your business. Proven Winners in our branded container is designed to complement your store brand by making sure that gardeners know you have Proven Winners plants that have been trialed and tested for consumer performance. The service you provide, the quality of plants that you grow and sell, the depth of selection of Proven Winners plants, and the recipes you offer, and your in-store signage and customer support are all part of your brand experience. And if you want customers to know that you personally grow the Proven Winners plants on your display bench, we have that option. We have customizable POP solutions that many garden centers currently use that will say this was grown locally.

What if my customers want to know the plants were grown by me?

I know a lot of growers and retailers like having their name attached to the product. So, if they wish to do this, their company name and address can be listed in the grown by field next to the barcode on the branded container. Now, set up charges and volume minimums do apply. We also have many garden centers using customized POP that can include their company logo. This lets the shopper know the plants were grown right there in their store.

What if we use our own branded containers and don’t want to change?

We fully understand that this is a change and it might not be for everybody, but we know that growers and retailers will be more successful and better able to capitalize on our consumer marketing programs by selling Proven Winners in the branded container. Now, this proved true when we introduced Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs and Proven Winners Perennials many years ago. Both lines are only sold in branded containers and sales for both have grown at double digit levels every year.

What if we don’t like the look of your branded container?

While everybody obviously has their own opinion about what looks good to them or not, the iconic white color and styling of the container was originally selected to be highly visible on the bench. In the sea of confusion that a garden center can sometimes be with lots of different pots and plants, our goal is to make it easier for the consumer to find Proven Winners plants, and also be easier for the retailer to tap into the 10.5 billion consumer advertising impressions that we're generating via our consumer marketing campaigns.

I’ve been successful selling Proven Winners plants in generic pots for years.  How do you know I’ll do better?

While we understand you’ve been very successful selling in your container, our research shows consumers not only look for Proven Winners branded containers, but that our plants in our container consistently outsell our plants in a generic pot by more than 2:1.