The national flower marketing brand “That Flower Feeling” is going independent.
Launched in 2021 by CalFlowers (the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers), the brand promotes flower sales through nationwide marketing campaigns that encourage consumers to purchase fresh-cut flowers as a form of self-care. CalFlowers provided the initial financial investment and has been That Flower Feeling’s largest contributor since its inception — in addition to paying TFF’s administrative costs and staff salaries.
Effective Sept. 1, That Flower Feeling will be a fully independent entity, funded exclusively by donations.
“From day one, we believed That Flower Feeling could become something much bigger than any one organization,” said Jeanne Taggart Boes, president of the CalFlowers Board of Directors, and executive director of the San Francisco Flower Market. “Our goal was to launch a campaign with staying power — to prove the concept, build the brand and set it free with everything it needs to thrive.”
Since 2023, That Flower Feeling’s campaign has generated about 165 million impressions across various social and digital channels, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Sirius XM Radio, and Spotify. Post-campaign analytics indicated 8% of consumers surveyed had a positive shift in their intent to purchase flowers, and 9% of consumers viewed flowers as “an alternative to more complex self-care options.” In addition, 4% of consumers said they planned to “purchase flowers for self-care.”
That Flower Feeling also made marketing assets available for industry use, such as social media graphics and videos, store signs and vehicle wraps.
This year, the campaign is targeting individuals aged 25-40 on digital, social media and audio platforms. It may expand to include billboard advertising. It’s also conducting research to develop its next marketing campaign.
Lane DeVries, AAF, executive director of CalFlowers, likens CalFlowers’ role in That Flower Feeling’s development to that of an incubator. In addition to supporting the brand, CalFlowers also encouraged other industry stakeholders to pledge their financial support to build a sustainable, independent foundation.
“(That Flower Feeling is) in solid financial shape, but it is important that the industry continues to support, and actually increases their support for, That Flower Feeling to have a sustainable model,” DeVries says. “This is going to require an industry-wide effort.”
That Flower Feeling’s long-term goal is to reach $2.5 million in annual funding within the next few years, says Vanessa Leite, managing director of That Flower Feeling. This year the goal is $1.4 million.
To support its ongoing mission, That Flower Feeling launched a new fundraising campaign, “Growing Together,” which encourages industry professionals along the supply chain to contribute at least $25.
Although CalFlowers will no longer oversee That Flower Feeling, it will continue to support it as a donor and has allocated $1 million, which will be distributed over a three-year period: $500,000 in 2025; $300,000 in 2026; and $200,000 in 2027.
That Flower Feeling launches partner programs
One of That Flower Feeling’s current initiatives involved working with hard goods manufacturers to create That Flower Feeling-branded supplies including bouquet sleeves, card picks, transportation boxes and flower food sachets. A portion of product proceeds will help support That Flower Feeling.
The products were tested during a soft launch at several large supermarket chains earlier this year. Leite visited stores and interacted with customers, some of whom said they recognized the logo from That Flower Feeling’s marketing campaign (the campaign won the Society of American Florists’ Marketer of the Year contest in 2023). Leite says retailers also provided positive feedback on the products.
That Flower Feeling-branded products are available to mass market stores under the foundation’s unit sales program. Last week, Kroger announced it would begin using the products in all stores nationwide, Leite says. Other mass retailers that are carrying That Flower Feeling-branded products include Albertsons, Vallarta Supermarkets, Price Cutter and Price Chopper.
That Flower Feeling-branded products will be made available to retail florists through wholesalers that contribute at least $500 annually to That Flower Feeling under the Bloom Together Partner Program. That Flower Feeling is currently talking with interested wholesalers and hopes to eventually provide the products to flower shops nationwide, Leite says.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
