Starting with a nearly 10-minute interview live on the local ABC News affiliate, Nic Faitos of Starbright Floral Design in New York City allowed viewers to have extended “behind the scenes” access.
During one of your busiest periods, would you let a news station set up a live feed, directly to its website, and broadcast the comings and goings of your design room for the whole world to see, for several hours?
For Nic Faitos, senior partner at Starbright Floral Design in New York City, the answer to that question is an emphatic “absolutely.”
On May 5, ABCNews.com presented viewers with “behind the scenes” access at the busy store. The editorial package included a 10-minute live interview and then a four-hour “live stream” at the store, available through the news site. The effort was part of a pilot effort at ABC News to offer more live and streaming news.
“Anyone who logged into the ABC News website could peek live into our store,” said Faitos, adding that he was not intimidated by the idea of a camera in the shop for several hours. “I just think it is tremendous exposure. There is nothing to hide in the back of the shop.”
During the interview, Faitos walked reporter Charli James through the bustling store, pointing out holiday designs and chatting amiably about his holiday prep timeline, flower sourcing, care and handling and the fact that the business expands from 70 to 200 people to accommodate the rush, with staff members working round the clock to prepare for the big day. The shop was simultaneously working on 200 small arrangements for America’s Cup, the yacht race held last weekend in New York.
“It is just beautiful here and it smells amazing,” said a clearly delighted James.
(That mention of scent? Could be PR gold. According to SAF’s new Generations of Flowers Study, scent it a motivating factor for flower purchases across three generations of consumers.)
James was so enamored of the shop, she even attempted to take viewers into one of Starbright’s walk-in coolers; Faitos had shown her the space before the feed started and she admitted to being bowled over by all the flowers. (Unfortunately the video dropped temporarily while she and Faitos were in the cooler — James blamed the low temps.)
“I’ve never been in a flower cooler before,” she said, clearly impressed.
The interview, and Faitos’ savvy skills in front of the camera, illustrate many of the key points made in the Society of American Florists’ PR Bootcamp. (Available free to SAF members.)
Among them:
Stay positive. It’s easy to talk about the downsides of a busy season — aching feet, last-minute orders, the hassle of finding extra, reliable help. Instead, Faitos came across as a seasoned pro who was excited (and grateful) for the rush of business.
Be prepared. During the interview, James peppered Faitos with a number of questions about flower origin and trends in gift-giving. Faitos, in reply, noted how popular “bold designs in hot colors” were for the store this year and added that lilacs were in large supply, due to the cool winter. “We don’t usually have those for Mother’s Day,” he said.
Own your message. Without breaking the flow of the conversation, Faitos managed to work in the fact that customers were scheduling deliveries ahead of Mother’s Day itself (hint, hint, hint to all the viewers) and to show off current designs in lots of price ranges, all aimed at appealing to potential customers watching at home.
Recognize the PR benefits. “This is truly a win for us,” said Faitos, noting that the shop now has that ABC News clip to add to its credibility—and it’s one of the first thing potential customers will see in search results when they Google the shop. Plus, other reporters (who rely on those same searches) will see the story and consider the shop for future coverage.
