George’s Flowers in Roanoke, Va., wants to capture a new line of business that positions buying flowers as an act of self-care.
“We’re trying to tell people it only takes one flower to start that self-care, to bring happiness,” owner and president George Clements says. “Yes, we make great arrangements, but you don’t have to have an arrangement to find happiness from flowers. You can come in, and walk into our cooler and buy a single flower.”
To promote this new business segment, Clements has sought help and inspiration from the campaign that won SAF’s 2023 Marketer of the Year award: That Flower Feeling. Launched by CalFlowers (the California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers), That Flower Feeling is a national campaign with the basic message, “Flowers. Self care made easy.”
With a goal of helping growers, wholesalers and retailers tap into the self-care market, That Flower Feeling has made its assets – including videos, audio files, store signs, truck wraps and more available —for free to anyone in the industry. Clements first saw the images at SAF Phoenix 2023, the Society of American Florist’s 138th annual convention.
“As soon as I saw the images, I said, ‘We have to make this happen,’” he recalls.
An immediate impact
Early in June, George’s Flowers unveiled its delivery trucks freshly wrapped in the hard-to-miss floral images of That Flower Feeling’s campaign. Clements also had the images cover the store’s cargo trailer and his personal T2023 model x Tesla. Along with George’s Flowers logo, the campaign’s slogans are emblazoned on the vehicles including, “just think of this as a moving zen garden” and “cheat on your acupuncturist with your florist.” It was an instant hit, Clements says, with customers immediately commenting on the visible and unique look.
While George’s Flowers is the first florist to wrap its vehicles with That Flower Feeling artwork, wholesalers Jet Fresh Flowers and DV Flora have also used the campaign’s images on their vehicles, says Vanessa Leite, the community engagement and development specialist for That Flower Feeling.
“These truck wraps serve as mobile billboards, reaching diverse demographics and communities, enhancing brand recognition and boosting consumer interest in flowers,” Leite explains. “This approach is a key component of our national marketing campaign, crucial for sustaining and growing the floral industry.”
Beyond the trucks
Other campaign assets include point-of-sales signs and pre-made social media posts, Leite says. Many of these poke fun at self-care failures with humor and wit, which is something Clements says he also plans to use throughout his Southwest Virginia marketplace. In addition to the truck wraps, George’s Flowers will show one of the videos when it sponsors a night at the local minor league baseball game, and will seek to translate some of the successful social media posts of the campaign by working with area influencers.
The campaign’s social media reach is significant and growing: 78.8 million impressions in 2023, up from 60 million the year prior. Already, through April, the campaign has reached 21.8 million impressions via Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Sirius XM Radio, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Stitcher, Leite says.
Seeking growth
That Flower Feeling formed a new advisory board in December with members from almost every segment of the floral industry. In addition to steering paid marketing campaigns, the board has organized the campaign’s first fundraiser, the One United Floral Mixer, which will take place in September, Leite notes.
Meanwhile, Clements hopes other florists use the campaign assets to help spread the message to customers of local retail stores.
“I feel it is very important that we get as many retailers participating,” Clements says. “We can have a real impact on the messaging our community gets about flowers and what they can do. As retailers we need to be able to sell more flowers, and this message of self care and buying yourself flowers is an important factor in doing that.”
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
