ARS Memorial Lectureship Series
Episode 4: Horticultural Marketing – How to Catch the Eye of Consumers

The Agricultural Research Service's Memorial Lectureships recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture.

When you walk into a nursery, do you ever wonder why plants are displayed in certain areas, why signage describing the plants have carry descriptors, and why the price of a plant is advertised a certain way? It’s all marketing, the product placement, signage, location, etc. And this deliberate process is carried out in order to enhance the buying experience. But did you know that other factors play into the buying experience, such as what other customers have in their carts?

Take a journey through the plant buying experience with Dr. Bridget Behe, the Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Marketing at Michigan State University. Dr. Behe taught courses on horticulture marketing and management and conducted over 500 consumer and market research projects on horticultural products, both edible and ornamental. Her insights into horticultural marketing, as well as her "eye catching" studies, are fascinating.

In 2024, Dr. Behe was awarded the B.Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, which recognizes scientists who have made outstanding contributions to ornamental horticulture and other environmental sciences, to encourage the wide application of these sciences, and to stress the urgency of preserving and enhancing natural beauty.

The B.Y. Morrison Lecture was established in 1968 by the Agricultural Research Service to honor the memory of Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891-1966), who was the first director of USDA's National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. A scientist, plant breeder, landscape architect, plant explorer, author, and lecturer, Morrison advanced the science of botany and horticulture in the United States. His legacy to the American public includes dozens of new ornamental plants, including the Glenn Dale azaleas.