New Campaign Is "Alive With Possibilities!"

April 7, 2000 -- The Flower Promotion Organization's (FPO) industry campaign to boost consumer purchases of fresh cut flowers is a bold departure from traditional floral industry advertising efforts. The new campaign, "Flowers. Alive With Possibilities."^TM, positions flowers as a natural, convenient way for consumers to enhance their living and work areas. Unique display ideas and usage suggestions are provided through a multi-faceted media campaign including national and local advertising, promotions, public relations and partnerships. The unique positioning coupled with the non-traditional media approach work together to encourage consumers to buy flowers more often.

The campaign strategy was based on a thorough review of the existing research, new consumer research and an assessment of the industry spending and trends. The new positioning leverages the strong emotional connection consumers have towards flowers. "Thanks in part to industry marketing efforts, consumers know many emotional reasons to buy flowers. Our campaign gives consumers new ways to use them more often," said FPO co-President Phil Nowers, Director of the Colombia Flower Council. "We also know that one of the barriers to self purchase is indulgence. This campaign overcomes this barrier, because consumers will not be buying flowers so much for themselves as for their home. Flowers become almost a home improvement rather than a self-indulgence," he continued. While the objective of the campaign is to increase the number of transactions among current buyers, it is expected to have the most immediate and profound impact on self-purchasers. However, the messages are so universally appealing that gift purchasers are also expected to respond favorably.

The FPO campaign combines the breakthrough positioning with a unique media approach to effectively reach consumers. Nationally, consumers coast-to-coast will be exposed to the campaign via page-stopping print ads, national promotions and ongoing publicity efforts targeted to national magazines and newspapers. Additionally, FPO plans to build on this foundation with a targeted television campaign and a high-impact informational publicity campaign in up to five local markets (being determined based primarily on consumer demographics and media costs). The anticipated television campaign features inspiring 30-second commercials that show how easy it is to use flowers in new and unusual ways to enhance the look and feel of your surroundings. The publicity efforts involve innovative partnerships designed to provide consumers information at the point of purchase. FPO plans to identify at least one partner in each market.

In some areas FPO will partner with retailers to provide advanced point of purchase reference tools providing consumers with general flower information, usage suggestions, display ideas and care and handling recommendations. Area wholesalers may be tapped to extend the reach of this program. In other markets partnership programs are being explored with specialty home stores to conduct on-site floral design clinics using a relevant spokesperson to promote the use of flowers in a variety of non-traditional ways. FPO hopes to work with traditional floral retailers to stimulate additional flower purchases. Both programs are intended to generate high consumer interest and boost incremental sales.

The Board is committed to an independent evaluation of the campaign to demonstrate the results to the industry, and has initiated the development of a comprehensive evaluation plan. "It is critical that we conduct a thorough evaluation of the program to identify the changes in consumer behavior that can be attributed to the campaign," said FPO co-President Will Carlson, Executive Director of the Floral Trade Council. Consumer purchase behavior data collected through the American Floral Endowment will be used to track the changes in the number of consumer transactions, and a consumer tracking study is being developed to better understand why the changes occur. The sophisticated research plan will allow program evaluation nationally and on a market-by-market basis.

The Flower Promotion Organization was created to expand the US market for all cut flower growers. The FPO is committed to increasing short term and long term consumer demand for fresh cut flowers.