To complement the promotional efforts of Optimara retailers, distributors and growers, Optimara offers an integrated program of marketing support. In addition to high-visibility displays and other merchandising materials, Optimara offers advertising support that includes 4-color sales sheets, line art and co-op advertising. All merchandising and advertising materials are designed to integrate with Optimara's own ongoing advertising campaign featured in trade publications and other media.
In-Store Merchandising Support
Recognizing the special opportunities offered by merchandising African Violets at the retail level, Optimara designs all in-store promotional materials to meet four objectives:
With these objectives in mind, Optimara makes a considerable investment in display and packaging design, an investment that pays off not only in increased sales, but in lower costs, such as those associated with shipping, shelf space and staff time.
PDQ Shelf Display
The Optimara PDQ Shelf Display features 21 Afrcian Violets specially packed in a MX Sleeve. The MX Sleeve features the exclusive Evaporative Moisture Barrier for NO CARE handling at the store level. This Display is designed for the standard Gondola style end-cap shelf 14" x 30". A very easy set up. The Plants will last in No Care on the shelf for 2 to 3 weeks. A Yellow Wooden Stick is included with each plant referencing the easyGrowing...easyCare program. The stick also is printed with the web site link for variety identification and plant care information. The violets ship with 5 open blooms and plenty of buds. A wonderful presentation with not only a wide assortment of African Violet varieties and colors, but several options are are available in sleeve designs and patterns.
Counter Displays
All Optimara miniatures and super miniatures are available in a high-visibility counter display. Each display holds 12, 15 or 24 units. The trays are designed to protect the plants during shipping (including express shipping) and to make set-up quick and easy. When truck shipped, both the self-watering MiniWell (for 1-inch super miniature plants) and the WaterShip (for 2-inch miniature plants) can be pre-packed with enough water for up to two weeks. This means that set-up involves little more than pulling the display tray from the box and attaching the header. And with water already in the wells, plants continue to remain fresh with very little in-store maintenance.
Display headers are available for both the 1-inch super miniatures and 2-inch miniatures. Special headers are available for the holidays. Depending on order commitments, headers can also be custom printed.
WaterShip Instant Merchandising
WaterShip Instant Merchandising is a trademark concept which, in practice, provides retailers with an easy, low-cost and effective way to merchandise Optimara Violets. Optimara Self-Watering Miniatures are the first of the Optimara product line to be developed from this concept. From the very beginning, Optimara Self-Watering Miniatures were designed with the retailer in mind. The WaterShip container itself is not only self-watering, but spill-proof. This allows Optimara Miniature Violets and Poinsettias to be express shipped with water already in the well. Once the wells are filled and loaded into the display tray, a specially-designed insert is placed into the box to hold the wells in place and protect the plants during shipping. Upon arriving at the store, set-up is as easy as opening the box, removing the insert and pulling out the display tray. In all, it should take no more than 30 seconds to do the job. And because each plant is pre-packed with enough water for up to two weeks, in-store maintenance is all but eliminated.
TLC Self-Watering and Lighting Display
The Optimara TLC Display was conceived to give retailers a low-maintenance,
high-visibility display that offers customers everything they need to grow
beautiful, full-blooming Optimara Violets. Because the TLC provides self-watering
and lighting, it keeps plants looking fresh without requiring a lot of time
or even knowledge from store 
personnel.
All plants shipped to TLC retailers arrive with special wicks already inserted
into the bottom of the pots. Store personnel simply transfer the plants
from the shipping box to the TLC's self-watering display trays. In addition
to providing water, these durable, vacuum-molded trays are designed to give
customers the optimum view of the Violets' blooms. By projecting the inherent
selling points of Optimara Violets, the TLC creates an atmosphere primed
for impulse buyers. In fact, TLC retailers have increased sales of Optimara
Violets by as much as 300 percent.
While keeping Optimara Violets looking fresh and beautiful, the TLC Display also provides customers with a complete African Violet resource center. In addition to providing water and light for 4-inch standard Violets, the TLC can accommodate miniatures, super miniatures and the compact Little Dancer series of African Violets, as well as the complete line of Optimara plant care products, including Optimara Violet Food, Potting Soil and Watermaid.
Value-Added Products
In addition to in-store promotional materials, Optimara offers a number of value-added products. These products give your customers significant extra benefits without adding a lot of cost. Optimara Self-Watering Ceramics, for instance, were specifically conceived as a value-added product that would give retailers a way of offering customers a complete growing package for African Violets. While Optimara Self-Watering Ceramics have a decorative quality that makes them suitable for a variety of uses and occasions, the self-watering feature itself provides customers with the assurance that Optimara Violets are easy to grow. It's the kind of value-added benefit that gives reason to the impulse to buy.
Advertising Support
Optimara retailers and distributors are eligible for all the advertising support that Optimara offers. The Optimara co-op advertising program subsidizes retailer advertising in a number of media. In addition, Optimara can provide line art, 4-color sales sheets and other promotional materials. Camera-ready line art is available for all Optimara products. Each sheet includes logos, logotype, product visuals and text, as well as complete black and white ads in two SAUs (standard advertising units).
All advertising and promotional materials are designed to integrate with Optimara's own advertising campaign. Aside from advertising in trade publications and other media, Optimara maintains an extensive, consumer-oriented web site. With over 3500 pages, the site provides visitors with information on every conceivable topic relating to African Violets, including history, care instructions and "field guide" for identifying nearly 300 varieties of African Violets. Also included are the 44-page African Violet glossary and "Doctor Optimara," a one-of-a-kind, symptom-based guide for diagnosing and treating the pests, disease and cultural problems that sometimes affect African Violets.
The World's Most Recognized African Violet Trademark
Aside from benefiting from the wealth of marketing support that Optimara provides, the best support that Optimara retailers and distributors can get is the name itself. Optimara is unquestionably the world's most recognized African Violet trademark. It is a name known not merely from high-visibility promotional efforts, but for its reputation as a name synonymous with Violets that are as easy to grow as they are beautiful. To preserve this pre-eminence in the African Violet market, Optimara continues to maintain strict control over all aspects of production and development. Only in this way can Optimara insure that recognition of its quality is equal to the recognition of its name.
For More Information . . .
For more information about marketing support for Optimara retailers, distributors and growers, contact your Optimara representative or send e-mail to sales@optimara.com.
Copyright 1999-2002 Optimara/Holtkamp Greenhouses, Inc. Nashville, Tennessee. WaterShip, WaterShip Instant Merchandising, Violets-Do-Windows and Self-Watering Ceramics are trademarks of Holtkamp Greenhouses, Inc., USA. Optimara, the Optimara logo, MiniWell, MaxiWell, WaterShip and Watermaid are trademarks of International Plant Breeding, A.G., Switzerland.