Stephen Faitos (left) and Nic Faitos (middle) of Starbright Floral Design in New York City take questions from the Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie. The floral shop was featured on the popular morning show to promote shopping local.
Surrounded by cameras and dozens of flower arrangements outside the NBC studios in New York City, the Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie asked Starbright Floral Design’s Nic Faitos what a small business can deliver that others cannot.
“Personalized service,” Faitos told Guthrie during the live segment on the popular morning news show. “Knowing who you are talking to. Being able to communicate from the owner to the consumer — it creates a much, much more personalized experience and one that we are happy to give to our customers.”
Starbright Floral was one of several florists featured in the news to talk about the benefits of shopping local this holiday season. In Washington D.C., Lee’s Flower and Card Shop hosted the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, who used the shop to stage Zoom interviews with journalists.
The Today Show’s segment with Starbright Floral highlighted the benefits of shopping locally and the expertise a florist brings to holiday designs.
Faitos and his son, Stephen, appeared on set at the TODAY Plaza, with a faux storefront behind them and surrounded by flower arrangements. (“I wish everyone could smell how good it smells right here,” Guthrie commented.)
Guthrie asked why consumers should visit their local florists, rather than purchase a poinsettia from a grocery store.
“Customization is a big thing,” Stephen Faitos said. “And, making sure you have a little bit of uniqueness inside your home.”
“And it’s not just poinsettias, right?” Guthrie asked.
“Amaryllis is actually one of my favorites,” Stephen Faitos replied.
With that, Nic Faitos reached for a red amaryllis and handed it to Guthrie while his son talked about why the flower is a great option for holiday designs.
“They are a fantastic flower,” Stephen Faitos said. “One of my favorite flowers. It’s big. It’s open. It takes up a lot space in the house. It’s dramatic.”
Fielding media calls at the holidays? Here’s how to make the most of the opportunity:
- Get ready in advance. When a reporter calls to ask you for an interview, ask what it’s about.
- Keep it short. Before the interview, prepare a few soundbites — short memorable sentences of 10 seconds or less. Don’t feel compelled to fill up silences in the conversation. If you’ve answered a question fully, stop and wait for another.
- Use bridges. Be sure to answer any question asked as best you can. But if you feel the question is off the mark or doesn’t ask for the information you’d really like to give, then use your answer to “bridge” to other points you want to make.
- Ask your own questions. Before the reporter wraps up the interview, get his or her name and phone number. Ask for his or her best guess of when the story will appear.
- Never assume anything is “off the record.” From the moment you start speaking with a reporter to the moment he or she leaves or hangs up, you are being interviewed. If you don’t want to see something in the news, don’t say it.
- Choose a good site. If you are being interviewed on TV, it’s especially important to choose a good background for your interview. Flowers give the story visual appeal and you’ll have examples of what you’re discussing right at hand.
- Stay available. Take advantage of whatever media opportunities arise and establish yourself as an articulate and available source.
Looking for more help? SAF has tips on getting local publicity and interviewing do’s and don’ts, and best practices from florists who have had positive experiences with the media.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF Now.
