On the front page of the Feb. 11 USA Today, the “Snapshot” featured a floral-focused graphic.
Three days before Valentine’s Day, millions of Americans were on the receiving end of a not-so-subtle reminder that flowers are a popular, beloved holiday tradition.
On the front page of the USA Today on Feb. 11, “Snapshot” featured a floral-focused graphic, showing the percentage of American men (41 percent) and women (15 percent) who give Valentine’s Day flowers. This coverage generated 2.6 million consumer impressions for just the print readership alone.
The information in the graphic came from the Society of American Florists and is part of a year-round, strategic effort to keep flowers front and center with U.S. consumers, said Jennifer Sparks, SAF’s vice president of marketing.
As the national trade association, SAF is the voice of the floral industry and during the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, answers questions from a steady stream of media inquiries. SAF provided Valentine’s Day statistics to USA Today’s Snapshot Editor Mike Smith in 2018, and the editor contacted SAF again this year.
“This is a great example of the importance of SAF’s relationship building measures with the press, in establishing SAF as a media resource. It pays off,” Sparks said. “What a wonderful reminder to consumers at the start of Valentine’s week.”
Sparks said this pay off can happen with local florists too, who make the effort to do local PR.
Look for more coverage of Valentine’s Day news stories in next week’s issue.
Mary Westbrook is editor in chief of Floral Management.
