Connecting - with Heart

by Danny Summers

If you have been in The Group Experience for some time now, you know how much we have talked about the dynamic shift needed in the way our Centers connect to your audience. While there were some changes identified and discussed pre-COVID, beginning in the spring of 2020, the need for shifting seemed to get kicked into overdrive.

Let's back up a minute here... Our founder, Robert Hendrickson, was way ahead of the curve, as far back as the beginning of The Group itself. Everyone remembers how much Robert pushed you to "tell your story." He pushed to shift from a promotional message (plants or products with a price) to a connection to an experience. The was the first push The Group had to make an emotional connection.

Fast forward to The Fall Event 2022, when Hallmark's Darren Abbott shared "The Power of Emotional Marketing." Darren's message gave even more emphasis to the needed shift underway. By the way, Darren's presentation is still available in The Group's WebSystem, located under the Clients-Only menu.

Our Centers have the opportunity to create an emotional connection throughout the year, not just during the holiday season like many traditional businesses do. The connections to the activity of gardening, individual plants, and flowers can be strong reminders of grandparents, parents, and others that are important in our lives, as well as health and wellness connections.

This time of year, we see other business types sharing examples of emotional connections in the Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. Our favorite grocery store here in the Southeast is Publix and they have certainly recognized the power that Hallmark is known for... the emotional connection!

Last week, I saw this Publix Thanksgiving messages. The scene is of a Father and Son preparing for a family Thanksgiving Dinner. The young Son was expressing his desire to "sit with the grown-ups" this year. The text that accompanied this video message is:

“Whether your place is at the kid’s table, the adult’s table, or somewhere in between, there’s enough love—and turkey—for everyone. Pull up a chair this Thanksgiving and sit with those who fill your heart with gratitude.”

Here's Publix' standard "who we are" message:

"Publix is the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States, and we just keep growing. As part of our mission to be the premier quality food retailer in the world, we always aim to provide exceptional service to our customers.
   Publix... where shopping is a pleasure."

I want you to click on the image above to see the Publix ad. There are several things you will see...

• They are creating an emotional connection.
• There are no product brands shown.
• There are no prices shown.
  

I thought I had finished this message at this point, but as I was searching for an appropriate Quote of the Week to use below in GROUPtalk,  I found some quotes from Oscar Hammerstein, II that seemed perfect for this week.  I then realized how he was a great example for this message too. Many of you probably don't recognize his name. But for my generation, it was difficult to go to movies when we were kids without hearing some of his work.

Oscar Hammerstein was a prolific writer but in a different way. He was a lyricist. That's crafting words to music. And much of his success came by partnering with composer Richard Rodgers, as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein. Together, they co-wrote over 850 songs, and they created some of the era's very best musicals, including Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and even The Sound of Music!

I found this wonderful video with Oscar Hammerstein sharing his approach to his writing. I invite you to take 3 minutes to listen to his words. I believe it has a great message for us today. Simply click on the image here.

Your work may not be crafting words to music like Oscar Hammerstein, but the messages you create can be just as important to the people you connect with.

Your words can do so much more than simply show and encourage interaction with plants, products, and the activities around gardening. They can warm the heart and create an emotional connection that lasts far beyond just minutes of seeing or reading it!

Oscar Hammerstein tried to reach and inspire people just like you are doing today. In the video message I mentioned above, he talks about his work making a lasting impression for generations.

Your work to connect and inspire people to flowers, plants and gardening today can make a lasting impression on not only them but their children, grandchildren and friends. We often hear how a particular flower or plant and activity reminds someone of their grandmother or another relative or friend — some one or something somehow made a last impression on them through an emotional connection.

And that's Connecting with Heart!

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, Sid Raisch, John Kennedy, Jean Seawright, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!