Graduation flowers are a growing opportunity for the
floral industry. Not simply because there are more people graduating
but also because there are more graduations per person. Gone are the
days when a ceremony after Grade 12 was the only hurrah.
 Currently, formal ceremonies are held after Grade 8, Grade 12 and after college or university. There are a lot of kids in high school right now. In fact, 26 per cent of the Canadian population falls into the “Echo Boomer” cohort born between 1982 and 1995. More and more Canadians are going to college or university. For the first time in history, Canadian enrolment in universities surpassed the one-million-students mark (Statistics Canada, November 2006) and colleges are reporting double-digit growth. This is a very good time to target the graduation sector but how does it differ from proms?
“Graduations tend to be more traditional than proms,” confirms Nancy Devries of Cole’s Florist Inc. in Grimsby Ont. “We do see parents and grandparents sending flowers to the graduate to congratulate them. They also will often pick up a small hand-tied cluster of a few flowers just before the event to present to the graduate right after the ceremony.” The advent of the Grade 8 graduation is a fairly recent phenomenon. Previous generations simply moved on to high school without any fanfare. Today’s youth are plugged into celebrity culture and don’t want to wait until they’re 18 to experience the pageantry. Schools are trying to tone it down though. One Richmond Hill elementary school website urges parents to please refrain from renting a limo for the event. “This is not the Oscars,” it states. Flowers for the hair a wrist corsage or boutonniere are common. “The types of flowers depend on whether the school has a summer or fall ceremony,” confirms Nancy Devries. A fall ceremony tends to be more sedate and traditional. Summer ceremonies really take advantage of the season and flowers are a more integral part of the festivities. Florists can also participate in decorating the hall. “Our floral arch is often rented by the graduation committee for the ceremony,” confirms Nancy Devries. Depending on the school spirit of the institution you’re catering to, incorporating the school colours would be an option.
To advertise your graduation services, the smaller local papers may be your best bet. Most people read their local papers closely for news about their neighbourhood and school events. You will get more bang for your advertising buck and target your audience more effectively. As baby boomers retire en masse, many of them are going back to school to get that degree they always yearned for. The “seasoned graduate” may be another growing segment.
With a large number of Canadians poised to celebrate several graduations over the next few years, it’s a good time to create an innovative floral offering to target this sector. With a little thoughtful targeting, florists will definitely “make the grade.”
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