Summary: Our guest for the tenth episode of STEM is Scott Rusch, the Product Development Director at PanAmerican Seed. Our topic is Wave – a fascinating history lesson, current grower, retailer and consumer solutions and what to expect in the near future from what I consider the top annual product brand in our industry. I keep wanting to say Wave Petunias but as you’ll hear in this episode, recent expansion into the pansy class with Cool Wave is a strategic move that’s opened up new markets for growers and retailers. I love the story of how Wave petunias came to market and was excited to learn even more about the power of global collaboration from Scott and our grower listeners will appreciate not only the deep dive we take into the different Wave petunia family members but also some new cultural and technical tips from Scott. We discuss the current breeding direction and some of the products resulting from extensive global trials, as well as looking at the new releases on track for 2020, which marks the brand’s 25th anniversary. You can’t talk about Wave without touching on the massive consumer marketing campaign that creates hundreds of millions of impressions each year and Scott is kind enough to share some of the latest marketing plans, including Pandora radio. As I mentioned before, Wave extends beyond petunias and we spend plenty of time talking about Cool Wave pansies and how everyone in the industry can capitalize on the easy spreading color this genetic breakthrough brings to the table. With new additions for Spring and Fall color palettes, the assortment continues to evolve and sales continue to improve. Wave Links Referenced in Episode: • Wave site for Growers & Retailers: https://www.panamseed.com/wave.aspx • Wave Culture (Spreading Petunia and Spreading Pansy): https://www.panamseed.com/culture.aspx?type=Ann • Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.panamseed.com/cool-wave-pansies.aspx • Cool Wave video with Scott! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6UTe795Gbg&feature=youtu.be&list=UUJqOZnMz1Z7YjiCGao8_0EQ • Wave Brand Support & POP: https://www.panamseed.com/wave-pop.aspx • Cool Wave Overwinter Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IlRvYYBsyk FORBES ARTICLE: Five Things Millennial Employees Want More Than a Fat Paycheck https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/26/five-things-millennial-workers-want-more-than-a-fat-paycheck/#74f205a15a7d Contact Links: Email Guest Scott Rusch: srusch@panamseed.com Email Host Bill Calkins: bcalkins@ballhort.com Tweet Host Bill Calkins: @billcalkins Connect with Ball Seed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ball-seed-co/ Follow The Gardens at Ball on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardensAtBall/ See Ball Seed Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BallSeedVideo
