Jillian Novosad – MasterTag

Growers don’t need to order 100,000 plant tags to use custom designed tags.

“With the proper vision and a plan in place, any grower can move to custom tags,” says Jillian Novosad, sales director for MasterTag. “I don’t believe there’s an obstacle that holds any of our customers back from trying it out.”

While some growers opt for custom plant tags out the gate, many work their way up to it. It all comes down to what their goals are and the message they want their tag to communicate.

But before making the move to custom, it’s helpful for growers to know what their options are. Understanding these options starts with knowing what custom looks like in practice.

What Does ‘Custom’ Mean?

In the plant tag space, “custom” means growers design tags specifically for their brand instead of using generic stock tags. Growers who decide to go this route often include the following on their plant tags:

Their logo
Their brand colors
A QR code that links back to their website (if available)

Instead of leaving a garden center with a generic red geranium, for instance, customers will leave with a geranium that’s branded by a grower or breeder. This gives the impression that they aren’t buying just any geranium off the shelf.

Simply by having their name on a plant tag, growers can strengthen their brand and retail positioning as well as return purchasers.

The Custom Plant Tag Process

At MasterTag, the process of creating custom plant tags is simple and collaborative.

It involves the sales and marketing departments connecting with the customer during a design consult. It’s helpful for all three parties to be aligned on what style the tags and labels will carry as well as the care information printed on them.

“At the beginning of the project, our team focuses on listening during the consult. Growers should be doing 80% of the talking while we absorb their vision,” Novosad says.

While growers have packed schedules, this conversation is essential for the design team to create the grower’s vision. It reduces the amount of revisions needed and allows MasterTag to get plant tags and labels into the hands of growers much faster.

Once the design is finished, it typically takes around four to six weeks for growers to receive their tags and insert them in their plants.

The custom tag design process can be easy to complete, but growers tend to have concerns about cost and volume before committing.

Common Apprehensions

MasterTag encourages growers to get custom tags when it makes sense for their business, and that typically depends on the kind of plant they need tags for.

“Where we see a lot of constraints is on the nursery (trees and shrubs) side of the industry. Where the plant volume is significantly less,” she explains. “But when it comes to high-volume crops like annuals, they’re probably growing 1,000 or more of each variety, so custom tags make more sense.”

The minimum order for custom plant tags is usually 1,000. However, MasterTag can accommodate customers if they need fewer.

And while many assume custom exceeds their price range, MasterTag works with growers to find a tag or label solution that is priced to fit their operation and budget.

The Benefits of Custom Tags & Labels

Taking the custom approach is typically worthwhile for growers from a branding and sales perspective.

“Not understanding how the custom process works sometimes deters growers,” Novosad explains. “But we’ll work with our customers to make it as simple as possible and create a tag that stands out in the market.”

If growers would like to change the design on their current plant tag or label design down the road, they can. However, most keep it for a few years before trying something new.

Many times, growers find that using custom tags and labels is worth it to effectively tell their brand’s story and sell more plants. This is especially important in an industry that relies heavily on the seasons — growers need to reach customers in the spring, when their desire for flowers is at its peak.

“The spring season is limited, but it’s also the top time to drive sales,” she says. “The best way to show a plant in its prime is through the tag and the images included on the tag. Our plant library provides us with a plethora of options depending on what growers would like to appear on their tags.”

When to Go Custom or Stick with Stock

There are benefits to both custom and stock tags—it just depends on a grower’s priorities. Sometimes they need a tag ASAP, and other times they have more time to tell their brand’s story in more detail.

“I think there’s a time and a place for when stock is the solution,” Novosad says. “It can come down to the weather, running a smaller operation, or needing a plant tag as quickly as possible.”

Moving to custom doesn’t have to be a lengthy process as long as the grower has an idea and a plan in mind. In fact, Novosad has seen an increase in growers ordering custom tags for their plants.

“Growers want to establish their own direct brand instead of falling under a house brand or stock look,” she says. “Custom tags help establish a larger presence to build trust and confidence with the garden shopper.”

While the process may seem daunting at first, using custom plant tags is within reach for every grower. Whether it makes sense or not depends on their goals, the plants they’re growing, and how high the demand is for their product.

And with MasterTag, growers don’t have to purchase 100,000+ tags at a time. They can start small with 1,000 tags per variety and add to their order over time if they find it worthwhile for their business.

Aside from the plant itself, the first thing garden center shoppers look for is the tag in front of it. This is your silent salesman. Plant tags are the most effective way for growers to build brand credibility and trust—when used the right way.

“With a tag, you can tell a story, capture your customer, make a sale, and establish recognition for your brand,” says Jillian Novosad, director of sales for MasterTag. “The branding is critical for instilling confidence and building trust in your customers.”

During the busy growing season, a tag can feel like another box to check. But it’s actually one of your most powerful marketing tools. And for growers willing to get a little creative, it’s one of the easiest ways to make a lasting impression.

Capitalizing on Creativity

While they’re small in size, plant tags can make a major impact. Think about it: After you’ve planted a flower in your backyard, how often do you take a look at the care instructions on the back? According to MasterTag’s consumer research, 70% of customers reference the tag in store and 98% hang onto their tags so they can refer back to them at least once a season.

“When growers are focused on getting a product to market, it’s easy for the customer, post purchase, to slip to the back of their mind,” Novosad says. “That’s where some extra thought about the customer’s perspective can make a big difference.”

Plant tags should be at the top of growers’ minds. Tags provide an opportunity to establish credibility, educate customers, set themselves apart from the competition, as well as ensure gardening success . As Novosad says, growers aren’t required to fit into a specific mold for their plant tags unless of course with a retail program. In fact, they’re encouraged to break it.

“It’s important to maximize the small space on the tag and the content you’re sharing,” she explains. “Whether it’s through a QR code linking back to your website or an icon that tells your brand’s story, every inch of the tag is a chance to connect with your customer.”

Growers can lean on MasterTag to design a tag that effectively captures the message they want to send.

Designing Tags Customers Will Actually Use

If growers aren’t sure how to make the most of their tags, Novosad encourages them to work with tag companies that understand the consumer and lean on market research. By attending industry events and tradeshows throughout the year, companies like MasterTag know what customers are looking for from their plants and the tags that come with them.

One of these events is The Home Garden Panel Focus Group, which has tracked consumer behavior since 2010. MasterTag has participated in this research for nearly seven years, gaining insight into what home gardeners want and need from their plant tags.

“Because of these experiences, we know what information is a priority to our customers,” Novosad says. “Growers can rely on MasterTag as an expert because we use multiple resources to produce quality tags that have valuable information on the back.”

For instance, MasterTag understands that drought tolerance, attracting pollinators, and deer resistance are important plant attributes for garden center shoppers to know. As a result, the MasterTag creative team incorporates this information and strategically places it on plant tags so customers can find it easily.

The Cost of Not Prioritizing Tags

Novosad encourages small growers to lean into trying custom tags to effectively communicate their product; stock tags are not their only option. She has seen this approach becoming increasingly popular in European countries, but not as much in the U.S.

“The European market uses plant tags to tell a story and showcase future maturity of plants even in dormancy. We don’t really see that here,” she says. “I always encourage our grower customer to be ambitious and try something new. Marketing itself is an experiment.”

Standing out is a critical issue that growers face. This problem is especially prominent in horticulture, where it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate between old products and new products.

“I’ll go to an annual meeting where they’re unveiling new varieties, like new genetics for a geranium that’s a more vibrant red than the others,” Novosad explains. “It might mean something to me or to growers because we’ve been in the industry, but it doesn’t mean anything to the average consumer as it’s sometimes hard to see with the naked eye.”

Plant tags give growers the ability to make that differentiation clear. By getting in front of new products and making their “newness” clear on a plant tag, growers can strengthen their credibility even further and excite consumers.

Communicating this information effectively comes down to recognizing what works in your marketing, what doesn’t, and when it’s time to switch things up.

“Whether you’re a small or large operation, investing in your brand is how you get in front of the next generation of customers,” Novosad explains. “Marketing in today’s environment is even more important, especially at a time when everyone relies on the search results Google or AI kicks back to them in seconds.”

Your plant tag is one of the smallest investments you can make, and one of the biggest opportunities. In a crowded garden center, the growers who invest in their tags are the ones that will keep customers coming back long after the first sale.