To date, SAF’s online press release promoting Women’s Day flowers has garnered 818 placements on national publications such as Yahoo Finance, and on local outlets such as Florida Times Union, Arizona Republic, and Pittsburgh Post Gazette, with a potential readership of 76 million.
International Women’s Day on March 8 is making big moves in U.S. pop culture. The blockbuster Marvel Comics superhero film “Deadpool” makes a cheeky reference to Women’s Day; Food Network magazine tells readers in its Calendar that March 8 is International Women’s Day: “Celebrate the women in your life by inviting them to a potluck dinner;” and Google annually changes its Google Doodle in honor of the observance.
In many countries, Women’s Day, is an official holiday celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women marked with political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events a global day.
“Around the world, many people give flowers and other small gifts to their mothers, wives, grandmothers and daughters, as well as coworkers, teachers and friends in recognition of Women’s Day,” said SAF Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Sparks. “For U.S. florists, it’s a perfect opportunity to promote flowers in recognition of women.”
SAF conducted social media campaigns in 2014 and 2015 to promote the observance, and this year, the association is building on the momentum. Utilizing a new SAF survey that shows that 40 percent of U.S. women have achieved a personal milestone in the past year, SAF is conducting a public relations program and social media campaign to create awareness for Women’s Day and the idea that flowers are the perfect gesture to recognize women.
“Women’s Day provides a great opportunity to promote flowers as a loving gesture to recognize or celebrate a deserving woman in your life,” Sparks said. “Due to the proximity to Valentine’s Day, SAF is focusing on a strategy of women giving to women — mothers, sisters, daughters, colleagues, mentors and friends.”
SAF distributed a digital press release to online publications nationwide. Headlined, “Honor Achievements with Flowers on Women’s Day,” the press release points out the results of SAF’s Emotional Impact of Flowers Study that demonstrates that a gift of flowers makes people truly smile. The release encourages consumers to talk to their florist for Women’s Day gift suggestions. To date, the online press release has garnered 818 placements on national publications such as Yahoo Finance, and on local outlets such as Florida Times Union, Arizona Republic, and Pittsburgh Post Gazette, with a potential readership of 76 million.
That’s not all. SAF is reaching out to a variety of media outlets to generate news about Women’s Day, including national women’s magazines, digital media, and daily newspapers and other short-lead publications. SAF also will make flower deliveries to key national media just prior to Women’s Day, with accompanying press materials.
To help spread the word on social media, SAF has made strategic partnerships with influential bloggers who are sharing their personal experiences and asking readers to celebrate Women’s Day with flowers. Among them, Indianapolis Moms Blog, Kansas City Moms Blog, Bostons Moms Blog, and Cincinnati Moms Blog. These partner bloggers have strong following among female consumers, with more than 96,000 combined unique monthly visitors.
SAF will generate attention for Women’s Day flowers through its Flower Factor blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels with new graphics and promoted posts to carry the flower message beyond SAF’s social media followers.
To help members drive sales locally, SAF offers step-by-step promotional ideas and resources, such as digital graphics, a counter card and more at safnow.org/WomensDay.
SAF’s Women’s Day public relations program and new materials are funded by Asocolflores. “Thanks to Asocolflores’ generosity and leadership in industry promotion, the floral industry can continue to capitalize on new opportunities, like Women’s Day, to keep flowers top of mind among consumers as the perfect gift for communicating appreciation and admiration,” Sparks said.
To do its part to honor women’s achievements and give back, SAF is sponsoring a scholarship for female high school seniors or college students. Applicants are being asked to provide an essay on how they turned a challenge into a growth opportunity.
“If you’re not sure how to promote Women’s Day, just follow SAF’s lead by sharing our Women’s Day posts from Facebook.com/AboutFlowers and Twitter.com/FlowerFactor,” Sparks said.
