For years, the pot carnation market has revolved around compact plants with large, double flowers. At HilverdaFlorist, we like to introduce varieties that do things a little differently, or varieties we have high expectations of. But strong genetics alone isn’t always enough to stand out. That’s why we also develop a complete concept around each variety: pots, labels, photography and promotional materials. This helps the product stand out even more and increases its chances of success.

But how do the growers in our network who use these services experience them? To find out, we spoke to Arjan Rolff, co-owner of Kwekerij Rodon. Among other things, he explains why he chose our branding services and what they have delivered.

Rodon: forty years of growing summer-flowering plants, including carnations

Kwekerij Rodon grows pot carnations and other summer-flowering plants on 30,000 m². The business has been in the Rolff family for forty years: it was founded by Arjan’s father and has been run by Arjan and his brother Ferry for the past 25 years. Arjan handles sales, purchasing and administration, while Ferry runs the cultivation. Rodon has worked with HilverdaFlorist since the late 1980s, a partnership marked by the courage to try new varieties. “At Rodon, we’re always looking for special colours, new flower forms and varieties that bring something unique in many different ways.”

An example – and the reason Rodon turned to branding

Rodon opted for something new in the pot carnation market: Picture Perfect®. It has smaller, bicoloured flowers, far more buds and a considerably longer flowering period than usual. This sets the variety clearly apart from the large-flowered, double varieties that dominate the market.

It’s precisely this difference that gives a variety like this so much potential, but it also makes it a gamble. A product that stands out can go one of two ways: it gets chosen because it’s different, or it gets overlooked because nobody is introduced to it in the right way. “If you don’t build awareness of the product, it simply gets lost,” says Arjan. For him, that was the deciding factor in using HilverdaFlorist’s branding services this time. “After all, we want to give it the best possible chance of success.”

Branding at HilverdaFlorist: how the process works

At HilverdaFlorist, every branding project starts with a few questions: who is the product for, what makes it distinctive, and what look and feel suits it? Marketing manager Denise van Kampen is seeing that last question come up more and more among growers. “Especially in pot and garden plants, there’s a growing need for a recognisable identity and a strong story for retailers and consumers. We develop the concept and design the materials, such as labels, pot designs, POS materials and photography. We do this with our own marketing team, which includes a graphic designer and a DTP specialist. The grower then takes care of production and printing.”

For Rodon, the result was printed pots. Arjan made that choice quickly, for a simple reason: “A pot offers more surface area than a stick-in label, so the product stands out much more.” Is Arjan considering other forms of branding? “Yes. Now that awareness has grown thanks to the printed pots, I’m also keen to start using the labels. It’s great to have that flexibility. It means the branding can grow along with the variety’s profile among our customers.”

Picture Perfect in a branded pot with label

What it delivered for Rodon

So how is it going down? Arjan: “It really makes a difference on the shop floor. Customers who sell the product on were quick to give us that positive feedback. Thanks to the printed pots, the variety has become a recognisable product that stands out in a generic range. Customers who don’t know it yet no longer overlook it among the popular pot carnations. And customers who have sold it successfully before are finding that this recognition leads to repeat purchases.”

The demand for branding and developments at HilverdaFlorist

What became clear at Rodon is something we’re seeing more widely at HilverdaFlorist: growers are increasingly opting for a cohesive concept. That’s because retailers are asking for it more and more. They want to show consumers at a glance what makes a product distinctive, and the right photography, promotional materials, pots and labels help enormously with that.

Curious about the latest branding developments and the varieties involved? Marketing manager Denise gives an update: “We’re currently finalising branding concepts for Pot Gerbera Melodiva® and Pot Carnation HelloDarling®. After that, we’ll continue working on new branding for our existing series Echinacea MOOODZ® and Alstroemeria Summer Paradise®.” Do you buy one of these or any of our other series from us? Then you can count on attractive promotional materials to make your product stand out.

Standing out with the right branding

For Arjan, the result is now clear: customers find the product more quickly and awareness of the variety keeps growing. The printed pots have gone down well, and it’s reassuring to know there’s always room to switch to another form of branding.

Whether you’re interested in labels, printed pots or promotional materials, there’s a lot we can do for growers at HilverdaFlorist – always tailored to the variety you grow, as well as to your customers and their end consumers. Curious about what we can do for you? Get in touch with our marketing team. Denise and her colleagues will be happy to help you find the branding that best suits your crop!