Plant and pot company Easy Plant shouldn’t be bashing flowers this year in its Mother’s Day advertising thanks to outreach by the Society of American Florists last year after the company shared a video of bouquets being trashed. 

Easy Plant, in its response to SAF, wrote that they “didn’t mean to offend or insult the floral industry and intended for our message to be a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but looking at the ads now, we can definitely appreciate how we missed the mark.” 

The company was among dozens — including media — that SAF has contacted in the past in response to marketing or news coverage that smear flowers ahead of Mother’s Day.

As the watchdog of the floral industry, SAF asks those companies to reconsider their marketing or coverage without disparaging flowers and is counting on its members to help it stay informed of other similar offenses. 

“Ads that disparage flowers and articles that misrepresent the floral industry are harmful and unfounded,” says SAF Director of Marketing and Communications Elizabeth Daly. (Negative ads or news stories can be emailed to Daly at edaly@safnow.org.)

Daly says members of the floral community can complement SAF’s efforts by also reaching out directly to publications or businesses and communicating the impact this type of advertising can have on their businesses. 

“In your response, be objective, diplomatic and reasonable,” she advises. “Describe why you find the article or advertisement offensive or unfair. Urge the media outlet or advertiser to refrain from disparaging flowers and urge them to promote products based on their own merits.”

She cautions against making unreasonable demands, such as requesting an article be retracted. Instead, be specific about factual errors or misrepresentations and provide correct information.

Visit SAF’s Counteracting Negative Publicity resource center for more information. 

Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.