Are you ready for some football?!
The countdown is on for the biggest sporting event of the year, with the AFC and NFC conference games scheduled for this coming Sunday. Eager to secure early orders to enjoy a smoother and more profitable Valentine’s Day? (Obviously!) These games present a great marketing opportunity — and the Society of American Florists is here to help.
For years, Rick Rivers, former owner of A Floral Boutique in Ormond Beach, Florida, spent January weekends at local sports bars, mingling with football fans gathered to watch the NFL playoffs. “The reality is that the vast majority of Valentine’s customers are men, and a lot of them love football,” Rivers said.
Rivers would slap on a nametag that reads “Dr. Love,” grab a stack of coupons (offering free delivery or a 20 percent discount for early orders) and then make the rounds at the city’s local watering holes.
The men got a kick out of Rivers’ goofy nametag and appreciated the reminder (and discount, naturally). In return, Rivers gained new customers every year and received a steady stream of orders well in advance of Valentine’s Day, helping him accurately forecast how much product to buy and people to staff.
Want more clever Valentine’s Day tips like this? Click here to access the Society of American Florists’ Valentine’s Day Notebook, a repository of successful retailers’ greatest tips, including partnerships that pay off, ideas to score publicity (read: free advertising), incentives that generate early orders (and deliveries), alluring add-ons and more.
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing editor of the Society of American Florists.
