FPO Shoot, Scores Big for Floral Industry

May 30, 2000 -- Excitement is building for the summer launch of the Flower Promotion Organization's (FPO's) "Flowers. Alive With Possibilities."^TM campaign. Two new television commercials and three new print ads have just been produced that will revolutionize the way consumers think about fresh cut flowers. The commercials, coupled with the non-traditional marketing approach, are designed to boost cut flower purchases in five US markets coast-to-coast.

Each of the ads features unique, home decorating display ideas for using flowers throughout consumers' living areas. The images, combined with clever, two-word text "handles," show consumers how easily flowers can be used as useful decorating tools to enhance various rooms throughout the home and office. Picture mini carnations uniquely displayed in the bathroom as an Air Freshener, for example. Or an array of roses and alstromeria lined across a window ledge to illustrate a Window Treatment. Similarly, consider using a few stems of Gerbera Daisies or Spider Mums in a pilsner glass in the office as a Desk Light or Paper Weight. These are some of the vignettes that will be featured in the upcoming ads.

Clearly, the possibilities for using flowers are endless. "Our goal is to get consumers, particularly those that currently buy flowers, to think about using flowers in new ways throughout the house. If they have more places and ways to use them, they will buy them more often," said Patrick Busch, FPO Board Member from Len Busch Roses.

The advertising campaign launches late summer in Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago, Detroit and San Diego. The print ads will start appearing in August in popular consumer magazines including People, Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle. The three ads will be rotated within and among the magazines, providing consumers with a variety of usage ideas each month. The two television commercials will begin running in September primarily during news programs but also during the 2000 Olympics. The print and television combined will reach 97% of the target consumers in each market more than 17 times. Nearly two-thirds of consumers will see the ads three or more times, compounding the impact of the campaign.

The advertising program will lay a strong foundation upon which FPO will build a variety of direct-to-consumer programs. These include in-store design demonstrations, informational resources, point-of-purchase materials and promotions, all designed to boost impulse sales. "Consumers have said they need reminders when they are at the point of sale," said FPO Board Member Pepe de la Torre, of Florex S.A. "This campaign gives consumers the additional help they need to make the purchase." FPO is also developing tools to help retailers direct consumers to their store to buy flowers.

The unique new positioning, the market-oriented focus and the direct-to-consumer marketing programs set "Flowers. Alive With Possibilities."^TM apart from traditional floral industry marketing efforts. According to Lee Murphy, FPO Board Secretary from the California Cut Flower Commission, "We made a concerted effort to try a new approach to selling flowers with this campaign. We think our integrated, non-traditional marketing design will help sell more flowers for the industry, and we'll know for sure when we evaluate the program." FPO has developed a comprehensive plan to assess the impact of the campaign.

The Flower Promotion Organization, an alliance between Colombian and American flower growers, 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.

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