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Five advertisers apologize for bashing flowers |
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Written by Society of American Florists
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This Valentine’s Day season, the Society of American Florists (SAF) contacted 25 companies about negative floral advertisements resulting in five apologies and four reworded promotions, and 600 media outlets published SAF flower statistics and advice for ordering from florists.
Apology Accepted
As the voice of the floral industry, SAF responds to harmful floral publicity. After hearing from SAF, the following companies are rethinking their negative ways:
• Bonobos, Inc.: Mens-pants purveyor Bonobos greeted visitors to its Web site with, “Skip the flowers this year and get something your Valentine will really love … a better looking you.” In a letter, SAF asked Bonobos to remove the flower reference from its site and reconsider the negative approach in the future. SAF has not received a response, but the pants seller pulled the flower reference from the site a few days later.
• Danner, Inc.: The Feb. 3 e-newsletter “Danner in the Details” read, “Roses, Chocolates….or Danners? To us at Danner, the smell of leather and the feel of a well-finished boot beat the hell out of chocolate and roses any day of the year.” In a letter to the boot company, SAF wrote: “Consumers choose Danner boots for many positive reasons. Therefore making references to flowers to make your leather look good seems unnecessary." Danner agreed. In an e-mail, a Danner customer sales specialist said: “We apologize if our selection of words was offensive to members of your organization, and we’ll be more aware of our impact in this way in the future.”
• Harmons: The Utah grocery store chain made disparaging remarks in radio commercials about the price of roses sold by florists. SAF emailed Harmons: “Our request is that you simply eliminate the negative reference to florists, and promote your roses on their own merits. The type of advertising you are doing confuses consumers, and runs the risk of providing an overall negative impression of all floral products.” Harmons director of marketing agreed: “The spots have been pulled from the radio schedule. Once again I offer my apologies for this having happened.”
• Harry & David: Several members contacted SAF after receiving the Harry & David Valentine’s Day 2010 catalog. Its back cover shows a picture of a dozen roses in a vase and the tagline, “Arrive fresher and last longer than bouquets from local florists.” SAF e-mailed the company’s CEO and EVP a letter pointing out that “disparaging remarks in your advertising run the risk of alienating loyal customers — florists who order from Harry & David catalogs.” SAF has not received a response from Harry & David, but an SAF member who filled out the “Contact Us” form on the company’s Web site did. The senior product line manager of Fruit & Flowers with Harry & David, sent an e-mail to the SAF member with this news: “There are two additional catalogs already printed that may contain this copy. I will edit and delete any such remarks going past April 14, 2010.”
• M&Ms: After SAF contacted M&M's for making anti-flower statements in Valentine’s Day ads, the company deleted the harmful floral reference on its Web site and told SAF it would rethink future promotions. The external affairs manager of Mars Chocolate North America, the parent company of M&M's, e-mailed SAF: “As a responsible company, we regret that your organization had a negative reaction to the ad, as it was not our intention to denigrate the floral industry. Our intention was to highlight our consumers’ love of chocolate, and promote a new and fun way to send a personalized message to a loved one for a special occasion. At Mars, we believe that flowers and chocolate have a complimentary relationship in the eye of the consumer. … The ad was not meant to insult or criticize the value of flowers or any other product. … We appreciate your opinion on the matter, and will take it into consideration in future advertising campaigns.” Although the company changed its Web site, M&Ms did not pull its TV commercial. Because of the amount of money invested in making the commercial and the cost and logistics involved in replacing it, it was unlikely M&M's/Mars would pull the television ad.
• Sticky Lips BBQ: A member e-mailed SAF a picture of the sign outside Sticky Lips Pit BBQ restaurant in Rochester, N.Y., that read: “Don’t Buy Flowers Eat Barbeque.” SAF e-mailed the restaurant’s owner: “We realize the statement may not be intended to be taken seriously, but I hope you can understand why floral business owners may take offense to the tongue-in-cheek approach.” The owner of Sticky Lips, e-mailed back: “We regret any offense we may have caused with our marquee. We certainly didn't mean any harm. In fact, we're now changing the sign to read "’Sticky Lips BBQ Loves Flowers.’
No Word Yet
Other companies contacted include:
• Better Homes and Gardens magazine
• CNET
• Danbury Mint
• Vermont Teddy Bear Company
Reporters Turn to SAF for Floral Facts
The press seeks flower facts from SAF, especially for Valentine’s Day. SAF VP of Marketing Jennifer Sparks spoke with dozens of reporters, including three from the Associated Press, leading to favorable coverage for florists and Valentine’s Day flowers in hundreds of newspapers across the country:
• “How to Make the Most of Valentine's Day Flowers”: "Flowers are a luxury, a discretionary purchase, but they're an affordable luxury," Sparks is quoted in this AP article picked up by more than 60 newspapers. "A lot of people may be going away for the (Valentine's) weekend, but with the economy the way it is, many more will be staying home and having dinner in. Flowers accent that and create a little romance at the same time."
• “Florists fret storm will wilt Valentine's sales”: This AP article printed in 250 newspapers described how florists were handling the winter storm that dumped record-breaking snow on the Mid-Atlantic. In it, Sparks is paraphrased: “many shop owners she has talked with planned to be fully stocked and open on Sunday, which could offset some business lost to the storm. ‘For the majority of people, it does tend to be a last-minute holiday’."
• “How to save on Valentine’s Day Flowers”: Published in 150 publications, this AP article offered tips to help budget-conscious consumers. Sparks provided the tips for ordering from florists. Sparks is paraphrased: “Sparks advises customers consult with florists to ensure their bouquet is within their budget but also suits their loved ones.” The article also plugs SAF’s Florist Directory: “Your local florist may also do business online at competitive prices. For a directory, check her group's Web site, Aboutflowers.com.”
These articles were among the more than 600 articles using Valentine’s Day floral statistics and gift-giving tips from SAF during the weeks leading to the holiday.
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