George Clements, founder and president of George’s Flowers in Roanoke, Virginia, talks about Petal It Forward with Lindsay Ward, host of the Daytime Blue Ridge television program. Clements gave away 4,000 bouquets with help from his wholesaler and a community partner.
For one Virginia florist, Petal it Forward was a success in every way. Not only did George’s Flowers in Roanoke, Virginia, give away 4,000 bouquets during the Society of American Florists’ annual event last week, but in doing so the business gained a splash of media attention, countless social media posts, new business connections, and it positioned itself as a local business that cares about community.
George’s Flowers was one of 478 business in 45 states and three countries to participate in the Oct. 20th goodwill initiative in which florists hand out two bouquets, one for the recipient to keep and one for them give away.
To create a buzz, George Clements, founder and president of George’s Flowers, reached out to SAF for marketing and public relations help and tapped into local business relationships, his well-established standing in the community, and his know-how for working with the media. His recipe for success is something others can replicate for 2022 Petal it Forward — even if on a smaller scale — with planning and a few basic steps.
Use Your Business Network
After 40 years in business Clements knows the value of keeping a marketing expert, Lisa Soltis, on retainer for marketing and public relations work. His ask this time: Find a partner to help sponsor the event.
Clements handed out 2,000 bouquets in 2019, the first year he participated in Petal It Forward. He wanted to double the impact this year because he didn’t participate in 2020. But, he needed help.
Soltis recommended a local real estate brokerage, which was seeking a way for its 215 independent agents to get involved in the community. The brokerage agreed to split the cost with George’s Flowers, covering half the cost of the flowers and promotional materials, which included Petal It Forward cards and t-shirts for volunteers. They also provided manpower. On the day of the event, agents spread out to multiple locations throughout Roanoke and its neighboring communities to distribute flowers.
“The days following our event I had our agents approaching me absolutely thanking me for putting on this event,” says Meg Dorsey, director of innovation and development at MKB, Realtors. “They were so moved by the entire event.”
Work with Your Wholesaler
Clements also reached out to his local wholesaler. TFS Roanoke was a silent partner during the 2019 event, agreeing to cover the freight and labor for the event and sell the flowers at cost, says Kelly Dooley, general manager at TFS Roanoke, which is part of Tennessee Floral Supply. This year, Clements insisted on advertising TFS Roanoke’s participation as a named sponsor.
TFS Roanoke covered the costs of the freight and the cost for its five-person team to bring in 286 boxes of pre-made bouquets.
Notify the Press
Clements’ PR firm used its knowledge of Southwest Virginia’s media market and SAF’s press release template to spread the word about Petal It Forward.
After sending a press release out on Oct. 4, they followed up on Oct. 18 with a media alert to spark attention and personally emailed a few media personalities and reporters to explain the value in the story.
It worked. Reporters flocked to the story. One news station interviewed Clements in-studio ahead of the event, and also had flowers handed out on-air the day of the event. Another television station and a radio station notified their audiences the day before to be on the lookout for the giveaway. The local newspaper published a series of photos about the event
Be Available
Being prepared to respond quickly to all requests is as equally important as sending out a press release, Clements says.
“You have to make yourself available,” he says. “Twenty years ago, I would have someone call and say, ‘We want to film you at this time,’ and I’d have so many orders and say, ‘Oh can we do it tomorrow?’. Now I know you have to go with it, if at all possible, to make yourself available to the media on their schedule.”
Last week Clements happily did back-to-back interviews, making sure to emphasize certain talking points: How the event worked; that flowers are proven to promote happiness; and that he wanted to spread joy to areas in the community that are underserved.
The media exposure also helped him get a lead on another opportunity for publicity. One of the television stations that covered the Petal It Forward event asked if they could come back during the beginning of Small Business Week to do a “shop local” story, Clements says.
Understand the Indirect Publicity
George’s Flowers was busy the weekend after Petal It Forward, but Clements can’t say whether that is in response to the event. Regardless, he knows Petal It Forward was a success.
“We were promoting our commitment to our communities and also telling people we’ve been in these communities for a long time,” he says. “We provide goods and services and that we also want to give back.”
Similarly, MKB’s Dorsey says the event may not equate to a new home sale, but the outreach to the community helped establish themselves as a resource for housing needs.
For Clements’ wholesaler, the event was equally worthwhile.
“I think anyone who can do anything for community and put themselves out there should do it,” she says. “Let’s face it, right now there are not a lot of smiles in the world, and the timing of this was just good.”
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
