Fans of the “The Today Show” recently got a flower-friendly reminder in their inboxes. In an email titled “The secret to waking up in a good mood,” producers of the popular news and morning talk show suggested “a simple bouquet can help kickstart your day” and pointed to research from the Society of American Florists as proof.
“The Society of American Florists, in conjunction with Nancy Etcoff, an assistant clinical professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School, conducted a six-month study into how keeping flowers in the home can affect your mood,” reads the email. “According to their findings, within a week, ‘feelings of compassion for others’ skyrocketed. Plus, their research indicated that keeping flowers around the house can be a serious mood-booster for the rest of your day, even to the point of mitigating workday malaise.”
The email referred to SAF’s Home Ecology of Flowers Study. Conducted in 2006, the study found that, in addition to having more compassion toward others, people have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh cut flowers are present in the home.
At press time, a spokesperson from “The Today Show” could not confirm how many people received the email; however the show has an estimated 4.1 million same-day viewers, according to Nielsen, and is the No. 1 morning show among viewers age 25 to 54.
The high-profile spotlight from “The Today Show” team underscores the importance and long-lasting effects of a sustained public relations program, said Jennifer Sparks, the Society of American Florists’ vice president of marketing.
That’s not the only recent PR win to come from SAF’s research studies. The July/August issue of House Beautiful magazine prominently features a quote from Kelli Ellis, of HGTV, Modernism Week and Maison et Objet, on the importance of flowers and plants in the home.
“My motto is, ‘Create Balance,’” Ellis said. “Every time you buy a new gadget, buy a plant or some flowers, too. Any kind of nature in your space creates a sense of calm throughout the day.”
Ellis is a spokesperson for SAF’s “The Architectural Design of Flowers,” a promotional program developed in partnership with Asocolflores to inform design influencers of the scientifically proven benefits of flowers and to educate them about more effective and innovative ways to integrate blooms into their work, creating more meaningful, welcoming and productive spaces for their clients.
The pick-up by House Beautiful is a direct result of desktop briefings SAF conducted last November with Ellis, to spread the word about the program to the media, Sparks said.
SAF members can capitalize on the program to promote their shops and educate their customers about how flowers inspire emotions and enhance interior spaces through the Two-Minute Trends Resource Center accessible at safnow.org/twominutetrends. Among the resources for members: suggested social media posts, suggested outreach emails to send interior designers, architects and business clients, and professional floral photography.
The Architectural Design of Flowers program and Two-Minute Trends video series are made possible thanks to funding by longtime SAF PR Fund supporter Asocolflores. All of SAF’s consumer marketing programs are a result of the SAF Fund for Nationwide Public Relations. For more information on who is supporting the fund visit, safnow.org/prfund.
Curious to know more about SAF’s research on the benefits of flowers and plants? Catch up on all of the organization’s research studies.
