Daytona, Florida florist Rick Rivers talks up Valentine’s Day in January to football fans in sports bars.
We’ve entered the tail end of football season, when every game counts and captures the attention of so many men, right before Valentine’s Day (the final showdown comes Feb. 7 in Santa Clara, California for Super Bowl 50).
In Daytona, Florida, Rick Rivers noticed how nicely the NFL playoffs (and the NCAA football championship) dovetail with his Valentine’s Day marketing period. To find men, his primary Valentine’s customer, the owner of A Floral Boutique can stop by any sports bar and find droves of them watching the big game(s). Rivers takes advantage of the rapt audience by slapping on a nametag that reads “Dr. Love,” grabbing a stack of coupons (offering free delivery or a 20 percent discount), and making the rounds at Daytona’s local watering holes.
“It’s all about planting a seed,” Rivers said.
The men get a kick out of Rivers’ goofy nametag and appreciate the reminder (and, of course, the discount).
The effort nets the shop new customers every year and encourages them to order early (a requirement to redeem the coupon), which makes it easier for Rivers to forecast what to buy and how many part-timers to hire.
