One Man Band

Maybe I just haven’t noticed, but I don’t remember the pointsettias at Home Depot or Albertsons being blue.

According to an article in today’s deadtree edition of the Wall Street Journal, the latest fad is painting pointsettias, and not just solid colors: stripes, polka dots, even glitter are in the mix:

Ball Horticultural Co., a major plant-industry supplier, is promoting the idea of having growers spray-paint potted plants for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and the Fourth of July, says Michael Schoen, who manages Ball’s plant-coloring line, called Ball Bling. Home Depot, for one, finds the idea intriguing. Says Dan Stuppiello, who oversees plant sales at 240 Home Depots in New England and New York, “It could open up a whole new avenue for different holidays.”

This reminds me of painting pumpkins instead of carving them, or — even more — the way candy manufacturers are producing specialty candies and/or wrappers for holidays. Think of Hershey’s Kisses — how many different decorating schemes can you wrap around a drop of chocolate?

But —

Can you generalize this idea and apply it to your own One-Man Band? Does “seasonal” go further than skin-deep? Can you offer your customers something more useful than a seasonally re-dressed marketing scheme?

(You are invited to explore my entire website — kick off your shoes, sample a cookie, flip through the photo album, stroll through the shops and check seasonal promotions and specials, read up on national and local news, sneak a peek at the latest inside information — stay as long as you like.)