Each flower had a special meaning: pink roses meant secret love, yellow rose represented friendship, Forget-me-nots symbolized true love and a mauve lilac questioned, “Do you still love me?” When a lady received a flower she would respond to the floral message by wearing the flower a certain way. If his love was mutual, she would wear the flower over her heart, or reject him by wearing it upside down. It matters not whether all of this is true or simply a piece of romantic fiction passed down through generations. What’s important to remember is that how we leverage these stories can make a world of difference to the success of our businesses.
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Everyone loves a good story so let your customers know where the flowers in your shop came from or the meaning behind each stem. It will leave them with a memorable experience and a story of their own to share.
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The story behind a product can influence how a product is perceived and make it memorable in the eyes of the consumer. The wine industry uses the term “terroir” to refer to the alchemy of soil, weather, grapes and wine making know-how, which contributes to the specific personality and taste of the wine. As consumers have come to understand that a region’s conditions inform the final product, the story behind the wine’s origin has become more important. We’re also seeing this trend in fresh flowers as consumers become more interested in buying local, supporting fair trade initiatives and leaving a smaller carbon footprint. One excellent example of such a trend can be found with the Ontario Flower Growers Co-operative Ltd. (OFG). The OFG website, www.ontarioflowers.com, does an excellent job of showcasing native flowers. The monthly newsletter highlights native flowers in season and the robust search engine allows consumers to find retailers carrying Ontario grown flowers. Point-of-sale materials include cello wrappers featuring “the floral story.” This story includes where they were grown, features and benefits, maintenance tips and a reminder that Ontario flowers are in season all year long. Think of ways you can use your website, point of sale and packaging materials to tell a little story about where your flowers came from. Our industry is one rich with history and families working together to build businesses. Customers will get more enjoyment from the flowers when they know about the people and places responsible for their beauty. This helps to put a face to the product and it gives the consumer a story to share with their friends and family. The OFG website also touches on the symbolism of each flower, speaking to the more spiritual side of floral stories.
Brian Vogt who, along with Brad Baker, owns BB Blooms in St. Catharines, Ont., makes navigating floral psychology a cornerstone of his business strategy. “We always joke with customers that though they might think they’re just ordering an arrangement, by the time we’re finished with them we’ll know everything about both them and the recipient – even their blood type,” says Vogt. “Helping men avoid any landmines around the deeper meaning of flowers is key to making the floral gift a success.” During our conversation, Vogt asks me a question that truly drives home this point. “What would you do if a man you’d been out on a first date with sent you red roses the next day?” he queries. I respond by letting him know that more than likely I’d run screaming into the night. Vogt wasn’t surprised by my reaction. “Precisely. Red roses mean deep, true passionate love. It’s ingrained into our psyches and to send such a bouquet in the early stages of a relationship can send a message the recipient isn’t ready to hear. I usually suggest pinks or even a mixture of colours with one or two red roses included,” says Vogt. It’s a good idea to make sure your team knows the floral symbols or has access to a list for reference. White lilies, of course, are associated with funerals and can often be an emotional trigger for people so it’s better to work with the brighter colours. Stargazer lilies represent wealth and prosperity – the perfect floral symbol to send to someone on the first day of a new job. The aforementioned roses mean love and beauty. Carnations represent betrothal, love and fertility (what better flower for a bouquet for a mom-to-be?) Chrysanthemums are generally used to express friendship and joy. According to the Society of American Florists’ consumer website, www.aboutflowers.com, tulips represent perfect love. The varying colours of tulips also mean different things. Red tulips mean true love, while yellow tulips have evolved from once representing hopelessly in love to now expressing cheerful thoughts and sunshine. White tulips are used to claim worthiness or to send a message of forgiveness. Variegated tulips, once among the most popular varieties due to their striking colour patterns, represent beautiful eyes. Sunflowers symbolize deep loyalty and constancy. It’s not hard to imagine a lovely floral wrapper with some of these meanings printed on them. Perhaps, the back of the gifting card could be printed with the floral meanings? If your discovery process with the customer uncovers the fact that the recipient has beautiful eyes then wouldn’t it be great to have the card indicate that the variegated tulips are communicating this compliment? For the customer, that may not be totally comfortable writing this sentiment on the card this is the perfect way to let the flowers do the talking for them.
It’s important that you make sure your staff know the meanings behind the blossoms and can describe them to customers. The customer will love understanding how their true feelings for the recipient can be communicated symbolically through the arrangement. The symbolic story can then be relayed verbally from the giver to the recipient – giving both of them a reason to have a lovely conversation about the meaning of the arrangement. As a floral designer you no doubt give great thought to the tone and manner conveyed in the arrangement. Why not amplify that message by leveraging the stories around floral origin and symbolism? Develop a quick list of probing questions to find out more about the giver and the recipient and then tell them exactly why your arrangement is tailor-made for their message. Stories invoke the imagination and add a little magic to the message. For those florists who can facilitate this story-telling there will no doubt be a very happy ending. And those customers will more than likely return to your shop to continue their floral conversation in the future.
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