Week 5A - Defining Your Target Market

To run a successful business and market effectively, it is crucial to clearly understand your target market. As Kerpen describes in “Likeable Social Media”, pinpointing small and well-defined target audiences is the only way to winning market share. The two websites I analyzed were https://www.armstronggarden.com/ and https://discovermyrtlecreek.com/. Both companies look like they sell quality gardening materials and provide help for their clients with classes and events. But there is a great difference in how they define their target audience, how they communicate with them, and how they present themselves on their website.

Armstrong Garden Centers is a chain with many locations in California. Based on their website, they are targeting every gardening lover from young adults to retirees. Anybody who would like to plant some new plants or would like to redesign their garden is targeted. To me, they seem like the equivalent of Michaels (an Arts and Crafts chain) in the gardening business – their target market is too generic. In contrast, Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery targets its customer much better. Just by reading their slogan you can get a glimpse of their goals: “Wonderful things, full service nursery for gardeners, homes and good friends”. I would describe their target market as middle class educated people living within about 30 miles from Fallbrook. People who have a nostalgic feeling about the past, love historical sites, and are looking for the feeling of a small-town community. Their clients are concerned about the environment and do their share to protect it by doing things such as creating a butterfly friendly garden. Myrtle Creek also targets families with kids with their special Curious Gardens events.

While Armstrong Garden Center’s main goal with their website is to sell, Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery tries to showcase a lifestyle and educate first, and they only want to sell when you visit them personally in Fallbrook. Armstrong Garden Center has “shop” and “our stores” in the most prime locations, the first two links on their site. They also have classes and events, but those feel like they are targeting more generic audiences. In contrast, Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery doesn’t have any price related information on the products they offer. Myrtle Creek would like to be your friend, or someone like your grandma whom you can ask about the old gardening secrets. The friendly neighbor whose produce you love buying because you know it is fresh and grown with care. And you know that when you buy those plants you are supporting your own community. I think sometimes their customers could cross over, but it is more likely that once a person shops at Myrtle Creek, he or she will not go back to Armstrong Garden Centers. And a person who is more concerned about price will shop at Armstrong Garden Centers, because I would guess Myrtle Creek has somewhat higher prices.

Overall, I think both websites are probably selling good products and they both help their customers with tips and tricks, classes, and events. But Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery is doing a better job of communicating with its targeted audience than Armstrong Garden Centers. I have to tell you that Myrtle Creek found the right audience in me and I am already planning to visit them in Fallbrook.