At press time, florists in 46 states and 170 cities had committed to holding a local Petal It Forward campaign on Oct. 19. To reach representation in all 50 states, SAF needs florists in only four states — Delaware, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Utah — to sign up. safnow.org/pifform
Florists around the country are gearing up to help consumers feel and share some serious flower love. At press time, florists in 46 states and 170 cities had committed to holding a local Petal It Forward campaign on Oct. 19.
“Our goal is to have Petal It Forward events on October 19 in all 50 states,” said the Society of American Florists’ Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Sparks. To reach that goal, SAF needs florists in only four states — Delaware, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Utah — to sign up.
Petal It Forward is SAF’s “random acts of kindness” flower giveaway, where consumers on the street receive two flower bouquets (or flowers), one to keep and one to share, to demonstrate the Rutgers University research that shows flowers make people happy. SAF will hold its Petal It Forward event on October 19 in New York City, and urges SAF members to conduct their own events in their local communities to make it a nationwide event.
SAF has many — many — resources available online to help member florists run a successful campaign, including planning timelines, tips on where and when to stage a giveaway, talking points, T-shirt templates and much more.
With just two weeks to go before the big event, now is the time to plan your event’s social media strategy, Sparks said. She suggests identifying one person who will be dedicated to taking pictures and posting them to your social media channels before, during and after your Petal It Forward event.
“We encourage all social media content be tagged #PetalItForward, because it helps to spread the positive flower message,” Sparks said, “and helps us measure the success of the campaign.”
Sparks also urges members to follow and share SAF’s #PetalItForward posts on Instagram @About_Flowers, on Twitter @FlowerFactor, and on Facebook @AboutFlowers, for additional ideas.
For Petal It Forward information and resources, visit safnow.org/petalitforward.
SAF is compiling a list of local Petal It Forward events. See where events are happening atsafnow.tempurl.host/pifevents. Get your event listed by completing the Petal It Forward Participation Form at safnow.org/PIFform.
