Comments on: How New Media is Impacting the Future of Gardening http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/ Hardy plants for hardy souls Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:24:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nan Ondra http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30786 Nan Ondra Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:50:40 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30786 Thanks ever so much, Kathy, for your detailed report about this session, as well as about other aspects of the GWA meeting you attended. They've been very interesting to read, and you've shared a great deal of valuable information that I doubt would come across in a straight transcript. Thanks ever so much, Kathy, for your detailed report about this session, as well as about other aspects of the GWA meeting you attended. They’ve been very interesting to read, and you’ve shared a great deal of valuable information that I doubt would come across in a straight transcript.

]]> By: wiseacre http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30701 wiseacre Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:38:14 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30701 Can marketers make gardeners out of non-gardeners? They do put ideas in people's heads. But then a real gardener has to come along and help them out. The internet has made it easy to find information and make connections. I'm (gut feeling) sure it's helped many on their gardening quest. But what really makes a gardener is the personal connections with others in real life. Sharing knowledge and favorite plants, showing off the garden and the pleasant conversations on a sunny day are part of being a gardener. Another trait most of us suffer from is our urge to convert non-gardeners. I can't decide if I'm a missionary or a pusher. Am I converting non-believers or dragging other's into the depths of addiction? I'll give media and marketing credit for inspiring people. That alone is enough to make a gardener. But no gardener stands alone. Behind every gardener is another and another and another. Can marketers make gardeners out of non-gardeners?

They do put ideas in people’s heads. But then a real gardener has to come along and help them out.

The internet has made it easy to find information and make connections. I’m (gut feeling) sure it’s helped many on their gardening quest. But what really makes a gardener is the personal connections with others in real life. Sharing knowledge and favorite plants, showing off the garden and the pleasant conversations on a sunny day are part of being a gardener. Another trait most of us suffer from is our urge to convert non-gardeners. I can’t decide if I’m a missionary or a pusher. Am I converting non-believers or dragging other’s into the depths of addiction?

I’ll give media and marketing credit for inspiring people. That alone is enough to make a gardener. But no gardener stands alone. Behind every gardener is another and another and another.

]]> By: Curtis http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30695 Curtis Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:15:11 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30695 It helps to have someone to talk to like gardening neighbor's for instruction and advice. And going online to research gardening methods is a good to avoid mistakes other gardeners have made. It helps to have someone to talk to like gardening neighbor’s for instruction and advice. And going online to research gardening methods is a good to avoid mistakes other gardeners have made.

]]> By: Ellis Hollow http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30563 Ellis Hollow Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:25:27 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30563 I kind of like survey research. Maybe it's because we did a lot of that back in my print publishing days. My hope is that when it comes time for the marketing folks to really study the online gardening community, they'll come to you, Kathy, to make sure that the right questions are asked. That said, I'm going to go with something from my gut. (And according to a political show I'm streaming right now, whenever a pundit says that, they mean that they have absolutely no evidence to back up what they are about to say.) By wanting someone to garden with, would-be gardeners really mean that they want someone to help them avoid making mistakes. No one likes to kill plants. No one likes to waste money. And with gardening, your mistakes are right out there for everyone to see. To have a local mentor who is right there to help you make decisions and help you channel your limited time and resources is the ideal way to boost confidence in would-be gardeners -- someone 'wise' to tell you that you are going to kill a few plants and that you aren't crazy to experiment. I think the promise of the Internet is in the 'elevating and contextualizing hyperlocal knowledge'. I just wish Gomes had said it in plain English: Connecting neighbors to help them share gardening skills and knowledge, or something to that effect. But then that kind of knowledge doesn't earn you the big consulting bucks. ;-7 These connections used to happen in physical neighborhoods. More and more, we're going to build these communities in cyberspace. I kind of like survey research. Maybe it’s because we did a lot of that back in my print publishing days. My hope is that when it comes time for the marketing folks to really study the online gardening community, they’ll come to you, Kathy, to make sure that the right questions are asked.

That said, I’m going to go with something from my gut. (And according to a political show I’m streaming right now, whenever a pundit says that, they mean that they have absolutely no evidence to back up what they are about to say.) By wanting someone to garden with, would-be gardeners really mean that they want someone to help them avoid making mistakes.

No one likes to kill plants. No one likes to waste money. And with gardening, your mistakes are right out there for everyone to see.

To have a local mentor who is right there to help you make decisions and help you channel your limited time and resources is the ideal way to boost confidence in would-be gardeners — someone ‘wise’ to tell you that you are going to kill a few plants and that you aren’t crazy to experiment.

I think the promise of the Internet is in the ‘elevating and contextualizing hyperlocal knowledge’. I just wish Gomes had said it in plain English: Connecting neighbors to help them share gardening skills and knowledge, or something to that effect.

But then that kind of knowledge doesn’t earn you the big consulting bucks. ;-7

These connections used to happen in physical neighborhoods. More and more, we’re going to build these communities in cyberspace.

]]> By: Kathy Purdy http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30555 Kathy Purdy Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:09:25 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30555 Robin, I would be the first to admit I have no knowledge of marketing techniques, professional or otherwise. I just know how frustrated I usually feel on the receiving end of a survey. My answer is usually not among the predetermined choices. For that matter, the questions I'd like to answer are not among the questions. No one ever wants to know my heart's desire, they just want to know if my experience was satisfactory or highly satisfactory. Robin, I would be the first to admit I have no knowledge of marketing techniques, professional or otherwise. I just know how frustrated I usually feel on the receiving end of a survey. My answer is usually not among the predetermined choices. For that matter, the questions I’d like to answer are not among the questions. No one ever wants to know my heart’s desire, they just want to know if my experience was satisfactory or highly satisfactory.

]]> By: Robin (Bumblebee) http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/comment-page-1/#comment-30554 Robin (Bumblebee) Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:53:18 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/01/03/how-new-media-is-impacting-the-future-of-gardening/#comment-30554 Being a marketing researcher by profession I have to take exception to your comment about not trusting surveys. A well designed survey with a properly drawn sample and sample size provides highly reliable information that is lightyears ahead of the anecdotes and opinions that some marketers use. Certainly there is quite a lot of poor research out there. But good research is what makes for better, market-driven products and the ability to reach markets efficietly and effectively. Without good research we wouldn't have many of the "aha" products that we have today and companies wouldn't be able to so carefully reach their carefully defined niche. --Robin (Bmblebee) Being a marketing researcher by profession I have to take exception to your comment about not trusting surveys. A well designed survey with a properly drawn sample and sample size provides highly reliable information that is lightyears ahead of the anecdotes and opinions that some marketers use. Certainly there is quite a lot of poor research out there. But good research is what makes for better, market-driven products and the ability to reach markets efficietly and effectively. Without good research we wouldn’t have many of the “aha” products that we have today and companies wouldn’t be able to so carefully reach their carefully defined niche.

–Robin (Bmblebee)

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