Florists have a chance to better connect with their customers who are either happy with their bouquet or upset about wilted flowers, with a new business service recently launched by Yelp.com.
Keeping flowers and local florists on the forefront of consumers' minds this Mother's Day sums up the result of Teleflora's "America's Favorite Mom" months-long promotion, says Teleflora Chairman Tom Butler, AAF. The contest for moms captured numerous headlines in newspapers and magazines, not to mention five back-to-back spots on the Today show, and a primetime TV special on NBC.
Mother's Day is a prime time to score coverage in the local media. E-Brief editors sought out a few samples of floral businesses making headlines and followed up to find out how they got them.
With consumers so choosy with discretionary spending, it is vital for florists to focus marketing efforts on promotions reminding customers about shop services and the benefits of giving a floral gift. To help drive orders to your shop, turn to a new sales tool from SAF. SAF's 2008 Local Marketing Kit, packaged in a skinny, white, rectangular box, was mailed to members late last week. If you are serious about increasing sales, open the box and put the materials and advice to work.
When Forbes.com turned its attention to flower imports from Ecuador just before Mother's Day, the story highlighted the industry's efforts to be proactive and environmentally friendly.
While the wholesale value of floriculture crops grew modestly in 2007, bucking a previous downward trend, the total number of floriculture producers declined from 2006 to 2007. Those were just two of the trends the Floriculture Crops 2007 Summary identified in a USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) report published in April.
John DeRemer Shanklin, 91, formerly of Pinellas Gladiolus, Inc. in Fort Myers, Fla., and president of SAF from 1957-1959, passed away on Sunday, May 4 at Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs, Fla. Known to his family and friends as Jack, Shanklin's career centered on the expansion and diversification of Pinellas Gladiolus, Inc. to include potted plants and chrysanthemums. He went on to introduce and implement a variety of transportation and logistics concepts to the industry.
Legendary journalist Helen Thomas, known throughout her 50-plus-year career for her incendiary questions in the White House Press Briefing Room, recently sparked a floral movement.
Men are making a hefty increase in spending on their wives for Mother's Day this year — from $90.70, last year, to $108 this year, according to a Discover® card survey.
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