A marketing campaign rooted in community connections, with a focus on the best digital strategy practices, is the winner of the Society of American Florists’ 2024 Marketer of the Year award.
Tiger Lily Florist’s grassroots marketing campaign won over a panel of six judges, clinching the industry’s top marketing award and a $5,000 prize sponsored by Design Master, a division of Smithers Oasis.
“We entered the contest because we wanted to share our strategies so that it would be easy for any retailer to pick up one or two ideas and find their own success,” says Lisa Hays Holmes, owner of the Charleston, South Carolina shop. “Winning has been further proof that taking our marketing beyond advertising in print and digital media — and using our business to forge community connections — is a winning strategy.”
Hays Holmes got the idea to focus her marketing on community after participating in SAF’s Petal It Forward goodwill initiative, which asks floral professionals to give away two stems or bouquets — one to keep, one to give. Tiger Lily’s Petal It Forward opened her eyes to the impact her business could have on the community.
That idea turned into a multi-faceted campaign which include local TV appearances, partnerships with community organizations and local publications, a fresh approach to social media, and an overhaul of its digital marketing.
The campaign “has transformed our business and is the single biggest contributing factor to our success,” Hays Holmes says.
Since deploying the initiative in 2018, Tiger Lily’s sales have grown by 67%. Customer satisfaction has increased, as evidenced by an uptick in positive reviews. And from 2022 to 2023 online sales increased 11%, average order value increased by 4%, and total site orders increased by 7%. Tiger Lily’s social media accounts also saw positive results. From December 2023 to May the shop saw a 207% increase in link clicks on Facebook, and a 42% increase in reach on Instagram.
The judges lauded it for tapping into consumers desires to support companies that give back to their community, and for doing so in such an authentic way. They also loved the simplicity of the campaign. In a world of AI and automation, this campaign eschewed “mainstream” and expensive, advanced marketing tactics.
“The consumer really cares about authenticity, and also organizations that are giving back to their community,” said Melanie Spilbeler of FreshPath Marketing, one of six judges who reviewed contest entries. “That’s what Tiger Lily capitalized on.”
Read more about the campaign in the September/October issue of Floral Management, coming out later this month.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
