2009 Census of Horticultural Specialties - Marketing Plan

2009
Census of Horticultural
Specialties
Marketing Plan

As of September 9, 2009

BACKGROUND
The 2009 Census of Horticultural Specialties is one of the special studies programs conducted by
the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS). The Census of Horticultural Specialties gathers information from all horticultural
operations and provides national and state-level data on the number of establishments, value of
sales of horticultural products, types of horticultural products, and kinds of horticultural
businesses. The Census of Horticultural Specialties is conducted once every 10 years.
The Census of Horticultural Specialties is a special census that needs a tailored marketing effort.
The marketing campaign outlined in this plan will address several goals including the following:
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Increase the level of responses from U.S. floriculture, nursery, and greenhouse operations
to the Census of Horticultural Specialties through encouragement of timely and thorough
responses.
Demonstrate to growers that their participation directly benefits their own operation, their
community and their industry as a whole.
Increase general awareness and support of NASS and its work among agricultural and
rural audiences, helping to identify the differences and value of its various surveys.

SITUATION ANALYSIS
The Census of Horticultural Specialties will encounter some of the same opportunities and
challenges as the general Census and other follow-on surveys. Past research has identified some
of those challenges, which are internal as well as external.
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Internal
– NASS employees will need additional background information.
– NASS employees work on hundreds of surveys, which makes focusing on
marketing a specific census such as the Horticultural Census difficult.
– The results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture were released in February 2009 and
the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey in November 2009. Employees are already
expected to continue marketing these results and an additional marketing
campaign may not receive as much attention when the Census of Horticultural
Specialties is mailed to growers in December 2009.
External
– We need to ensure target audiences are aware of the Horticulture Census and its
purpose and benefits.
– Respondent burden is a concern as growers have already responded to the 2007
Census of Agriculture and perhaps the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey. The
Horticulture Census is another program that requires a grower’s limited time and
attention.
– Growers are asked to submit a lot of information to the government each year and
they don’t understand where this information goes and why it benefits them.
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Confidentiality is a previously noted concern of respondents; this is a more
specific census with a smaller pool of participants then the general census,
however, confidentially concerns persist.

The marketing efforts to promote the Census of Agriculture have helped pave the way in
addressing some of these challenges. We will incorporate the “Your Voice. Your Future. Your
Responsibility.” tagline from the Census to ensure its penetration into this specific audience.

AUDIENCES
The Census of Horticultural Specialties report forms will be mailed out to more than 30,000
growers. Following are the audiences that will be targeted for the launch of the Horticulture
Census. To make the most effective use of resources, we recommend (where possible) focusing
on “driver” audiences, so that they can in essence be trained to become our messengers. For
example, internally, we will focus on engaging NASS management (including State Directors).
By giving them the proper tools and key messages, they will help educate the rest of NASS and
USDA. For external “drivers,” we will focus on coordinating with national leadership of key
influencer groups and associations, so they in turn can deliver messages to their member
audiences. Driver audiences are identified in bold in the table below.

Internal
NASS employees:
• Headquarters
• State Directors/staff
• Field enumerators

External
Key influencer groups such as:
• Agriculture and industry media
• Elected officials

USDA officials
• Secretary/staff
• Deputy Secretary
• Under Secretaries

Specialized audiences:
• Horticultural Growers
• Horticultural Trade Association
• Nursery/Landscape Associations
• Greenhouse Manufacturers

OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES
Internal Objectives –
• Ensure all NASS employees receive and understand key messages and goals for the
marketing of the Census of Horticultural Specialties.
• Establish the Horticulture Census among all NASS employees as an important, distinct
addition to the already many valuable NASS surveys.
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Internal Strategies –
• Engage and motivate NASS employees by providing them with useful tools to help them
market the Horticulture Census and convey consistent messages.
External Objectives –
• Secure 250,000 audience impressions beginning with the mailout of the Census of
Horticultural Specialties and continuing throughout the release of the data.
• Initiate and engage partnerships with external stakeholder groups to assist with promotion
of the Horticulture Census.
External Strategies –
• Develop partnerships with key organizations to effectively deliver messages to audience
segments
o Horticultural growers
o Horticultural Trade Association
o Nursery and Landscape Associations
• Educate and engage key agricultural and rural-based companies or organizations on the
value of the Horticulture Census results to encourage third-party support.
• Develop a focused media relations campaign to help distribute messages and convey the
importance of participating in the Horticulture Census.

MESSAGING
Internal
• Your work is needed and appreciated in driving response rates for the Census of
Horticultural Specialties.
• The Horticulture Census provides valuable aggregate, community-based information that
is used by all USDA.
• Your assistance is vital as NASS works to obtain responses to the Horticulture Census in
a timely, organized and relevant manner.
External
• As with the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the Census of Horticultural Specialties is your
voice, your future, and your responsibility.
• The Horticulture Census is conducted once every 10 years and offers relevant
information that all levels of government use to develop programs that impact your life
and your community.
• NASS helps show the nation the value of U.S. agriculture by providing a snapshot of
production as a whole and as it relates to specific areas such as floriculture, nursery, and
greenhouse operations.
• By participating in the Horticulture Census, you will be providing valuable information
that will help you improve production methods, marketing tactics and plans for the future
of the horticultural industry.
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The Horticulture Census is your opportunity to help ensure the growth and stability of
commercial horticulture in the United States.
Respondents are guaranteed by law (Title 7, U.S. Code) that their individual information
will be kept confidential. NASS uses the information only for statistical purposes and
publishes data only in tabulated totals.

IMPLEMENTATION

Respondent Package: NASS will design and develop a series of materials to be used in
conjunction with the mailout of the Census of Horticultural Specialties report form and
throughout the data collection period. These materials will be delivered directly to those in the
sample population and include:
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Cover letter
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Second mailout cover letter
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Reminder/thank you postcard
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Reminder auto-dial message

Publicity Package: NASS will design and develop a tool kit to facilitate the understanding and
promotion of the Horticulture Census. The tool kit can be distributed both electronically and in
hard copy. This tool kit will contain valuable information in a turn-key fashion including:
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Key messages and background information
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Statement stuffer
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Drop-in ads
•
Poster (exhibit booth)
•
Web site buttons

2007 Census of Agriculture Fact Sheet: NASS will create and distribute a 4-page color fact
sheet highlighting data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture on horticulture, nursery, and
greenhouse operations and operators. The fact sheet can be used to provide background
information and highlight current industry trends when talking about the importance of the
Horticulture Census and the need for more detailed data.
Stakeholder Outreach: NASS will identify key organizations to assist in the publicity efforts for
the Horticulture Census. We will help facilitate contact and provide the organizations with
specific materials to promote the Horticulture Census to their memberships. These outreach
efforts are a great way to target Web sites because most of these organizations distribute news
and information via the web.

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Following are some of the tactics NASS will use:
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Provide FAQs and national news release to stakeholder organizations for inclusion in
their publications and posting to their Web sites.
Provide drop-in ads and Web site buttons for inclusion in the organizations’ publications
and Web sites.

Below is a list of potential partners:
Society of American Florists (SAF)
Mr. Ira Silvergleit (Advisory Committee member)
Director of Research/Information, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 838-5228 e-mail: isilverg@safnow.org
Affiliated w/: Greater Washington Society of Association Executives
American Society of Association Executives
Member of Floriculture Crops Survey Advisory Committee
Society of American Florists
Lin Schmale
American Orchid Society
Carlos Fighetti, President
www.aos.org
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
David Dowling, President
www.ascfg.org
Connecticut Florists Association
John Tornatore, President
www.flowersplantsinct.com
International Cut Flower Growers Association
www.rosesinc.org
Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association
www.coloradonga.org
Perennial Plant Association
Caroline Kiang, President
www.perennialplant.org
National Christmas Tree Association
Rick Dungey, Public Relations Manager
dungey@realchristmastrees.org
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OFA – an Association of Floriculture Professionals
Jim Broderick, Interim CEO
www.ofa.org
Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association
Monty Knox, President
www.fngla.org
American Nursery & Landscaping Association
Robert Dolibois, Executive Vice President, Marc Teffeau
www.anla.org
Ball Horticultural Company
Marvin Miller, Market Research Manager
www.ballhort.com
Purdue University
Jennifer Dennis

Tradeshows— We will target key industry and media tradeshows to promote participation in the
Horticulture Census. Below is a list of upcoming tradeshow opportunities:
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National Christmas Tree Association, August 12-15, 2009, Chattanooga, Tennessee ATTENDED (Provided statement stuffer cards)

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International Irrigation Show, December 2-4, 2009, Texas (booth)

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Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Association, January 6-8, 2010, Baltimore, Maryland (booth)

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Mid America Hort Trade Show, January 20-22, 2010, Chicago, Illinois

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Gulf State Hort Expo, January, 29-30, 2010, Mobile, Alabama

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American Nursery & Landscape Association, January 30, Louisville, Kentucky

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SE Greenhouse Conference & Trade Show, June 17-19, 2010, Greenville, SC (booth)

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International Floriculture Expo, June 23-25, 2010, Miami, Florida

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Ohio International Floriculture Short Course, July 11-13, Columbus, Ohio

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Soil & Water Conservation Society Annual Conference, July 2010

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Media Relations (proactive, opportunistic): Media relations is a great tool to deliver key
messages in an effective and efficient manner. NASS will focus on proactive and opportunistic
media relations efforts. Proactive opportunities are carefully scheduled announcements, typically
in the form of news releases, (print and radio) that are distributed and pitched at a particular time
frame for maximum value. Opportunistic media relations is more spontaneous, consisting of
quick turnaround announcements that tap into a hot issue or trend (i.e. milestone
announcements).
Following are some of the earned media tactics NASS will use:
Print News Releases: Develop print news releases based on the key messages and talking points
for the specific audiences identified for the Horticulture Census to increase awareness and
participation. NASS will develop a series of three news releases to be issued prior to and
throughout the collection period.
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News Release No. 1 – National news release at the department level announcing the start
of the Horticulture Census.
News Release No. 2 – State news release template NASS field offices can use
announcing the start of the Horticulture Census.
News Release No. 3 – State news release template NASS field offices can use towards
the end of data collection to remind growers to respond.

USDA Radio News: NASS will work with the USDA’s Broadcast Media and Technology
Center to pitch story ideas about the Census of Horticultural Specialties for feature on the USDA
radio newsline. NASS will work to coordinate two stories to be broadcast prior to and throughout
the collection period.
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Radio No. 1 - USDA radio newsline story describing the benefits of the Horticulture
Census and announcing report forms are being mailed.
Radio No. 2 – A follow-up USDA radio newsline piece when the deadline is near to
respond growers to respond.

New Media Tactics: NASS will take advantage of new media tactics for distributing quick
information and reminders to the public and media about the Census of Horticultural Specialties.
The primary new media tactic used will be Twitter. NASS will tweet about the Horticulture
Census prior to mailout and throughout the data collection period to help spread our key
messages and encourage participation.

Web site updates: The Census of Agriculture Web site (www.agcensus.usda.gov) will feature
information on the Census of Horticultural Specialties. NASS will post background information
and frequently asked questions as well as Web site buttons and drop-in advertisements for
partners to easily download.
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MARKETING TIMELINE: CENSUS OF HORICULTURAL SPECIALITIES
TASK

DUE DATE

Ag Census Web site Updates
Stakeholder Outreach
Tradeshow Participation
Draft Census of Horticultural Specialties Marketing Plan
Publicity Package (Statement stuffer, Web site buttons)**
Finalized Census of Horticultural Specialties Marketing Plan*
Publicity Package (Key Messages, FAQs, drop-in ads, poster)**
News Release No. 2 (State template)*
Respondent Package (Cover letter, second mailout letter, postcard)*
News Release No. 1 (National USDA release)
Begin Tweeting about Horticulture Census
2007 Census Fact Sheet – Horticulture Focus**
Radio No. 1 (USDA Radio News line)
Respondent Package (Auto-dialer message)
News Release No. 3 (State template)*
Radio No. 2 (USDA Radio Newsline)

Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
August 28, 2009
September 7, 2009
September 9, 2009
October 19, 2009
October 19, 2009
November 9, 2009
December 7, 2009
December 7, 2009
December 14, 2009
December 14, 2009
January 2010
January 2010
January 2010

Due Date
Release Date

February 5, 2010
December 2010

*Post to PRIME Center
**Post to PRIME Center and www.agcensus.usda.gov

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