Gimme that! 

I was listening to the Planet Money podcast the other day while working on filing and admin. It ensures I don’t get bored and compulsively check Instagram. This episode was on shrinkflation.

What caught me was a deep dive into tiny Coke cans. They were some of the original “same product new packaging” initiatives, introduced in 2007. I was less interested in price per ounce, “shrinkflation,” etc. than in the “same product new package.”

WHY DO THAT?

It seems ridiculously simple, but – different packaging so that different people will buy the product.

People who want to drink soda, but less. People having parties. People that want a can not a bottle, but not a big can. And on and on. 

(Side note: my beloved Liquid Death has started selling 19.something oz tallboys instead of 16 oz and that is TOO BIG. GO BACK.)

PACKAGING MATTERS

What SURROUNDS the product is just as important as the product.

The form of the product is just as important.

The name is important. 

This is something I don’t ALWAYS think about. It’s kind of related to the placebo effect. You can read more about that here.

On a personal note, I kinda hate it that the packaging matters because the physical “package” of Katie is not really ideal. I’m not skinny, fashionable, and I don’t wear makeup. Say what you want, but thin privilege is a thing. Pretty privilege is a thing.  

Let’s put that aside, though, and look at the bright side! 

IF PACKAGING MATTERS YOU CAN EFFECT CHANGE BY CHANGING THE PACKAGE

This is where the tins come in.

I’ll buy just about anything in a tin. Here are some of mine:

The giraffe came with homemade watercolors. The organge box is full of chocolates that I could take or leave. I just wanted the tin. The vintage paint tin was $70 less than one listed on ebay. Wilhelmina mints are great, but the tin is better. And then the Louis Sherry tin: it had chocolates in it, but that is NOT why you buy those tins. YOU BUY THE TINS. I don’t even know if I ate the chocolates. Now it holds my soft pastels. 

I would have bought NONE of those products if not for the tin. I have plenty of watercolor paint. I didn’t need or want chocolates. I wanted the tins.

I’ve been obsessed with tins since I was a kid. Do you remember that Burt’s Bees lip balm originally came in a tin? It hasn’t for years. It’s still the only lip balm I use. Even thought it’s now in a plastic tube.

Change the Package

As we ride the down ramp from a busy spring season, we’ll have some time to think about what worked and what didn’t.  

I’d like to encourage you to think about what did well before — maybe you used to sell tons of hanging baskets and this year you didn’t. Maybe your workshop attendance was. .  . not the best.

Now I’d like to encourage you to think about how you can repackage those things.

Maybe you need a display that shows hanging baskets handing and as drop ins?

Maybe instead of class, call it a “social.”

Maybe let your staff re-merchandise some areas.  Summer is lower stakes. A good time to play!

Look around you at what other successful small businesses are doing. Especially those that cater to 20-30 year olds. They have renamed and rebranded just about every single thing and it’s going pretty well! I am enjoying watching what this business does.

If for nothing else, it’s a way to introduce novelty! And we’re wired to love novelty.

It’s very possible, in fact likely, that there are people who want what you’re selling, they just won’t notice it until it’s in a different package. 

Then, once they notice what you offer and love what you offer, they’ll stick around even if you change the packaging. 

Just like me. Me and my 25 tubes of Burt’s Bees.

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Have you caught the podcast? If you like it, I’d love you to tell me what you like! 

If you don’t, don’t worry about it. Scurry along! 

You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more!
There is a fair amount of swearing, so not a good “kids in the car” listen. You’ve been warned!

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Cultivate Ahoy!

The marketing team shown above has been working our tail off to create a kick-a$$ workshop for you at Cultivate! If you’ve been to any of the other merchandising workshops with us over the years, you’ll LOVE this one. We’ll start with some quick tips on video shooting and editing, photo shot lists, content planning, etc. and then head to Groovy Plants Ranch and a gorgeous local designer’s garden to create content. We’ll come back and edit our creations so you can share and post!

Go HERE for more details:

Creating the BEST Branded Digital Content of Your Life – A Traveling Workshop
Saturday, July 13 • 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

But WAIT, there’s more! Here are the rest of my sessions:

Marketing for Growers
Sunday, July 14 • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Live Inventory for Growers: A Panel Discussion
Sunday, July 14 • 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM 

Planning & Managing Tech Jumps
Monday, July 15 • 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM 

Plant Marketplaces: Should Your Business Join One?
Monday, July 15 • 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM 

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Handy Links

Each newsletter always has a mix of fun and functional links.  Here they are! Have a link to share? Send it to me!

“Feedback”
I laughed so hard I cried watching this video.

LinkTree & Social commerce
This article came to me via Ellen Wells. Thank you!

AI and Google Search: An update
Tami forwarded me this one. It’s got good updates.

Books!
Re-reads: Remarkably Bright Creatures, Nothing to See Here, Now is Not the Type to Panic
New Reads:
The Women (by Kristin Hannah),
The North Line (by Matt Riordan),
Soil (by Camille T. Dungy) [READ SOIL IT IS AMAZING]

Have you read any great books? I’d love some new recs! 

Finally: shout out to the AMAZING Garden of Words team. They kept everything running smoothly while I was off seeing the world. I am so, so, so lucky to work with them and so grateful for their care. 

I’ll see you soon at Cultivate!

Art P.S. 
Here are some sketches from my amazing trip! These were all done on location, the center one on a boat!