SAF asked Say It With Beef to discontinue its use of negative floral references.
In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, news publications and companies are using negative ads and references to disparage floral gifts — and the Society of American Florists is once again stepping in to ask the groups to take a more positive approach.
As the voice of the floral industry, SAF responds to these negative references, which cast flowers in a negative light during one of the industry’s busiest seasons.
“SAF asks companies to promote products on their own merits,” said Jennifer McNally, SAF’s interim director of marketing and communications. “As the industry’s national trade association, SAF contacts companies making disparaging comments about flowers, and explains that their gift suggestions should stand on their own merits without the unnecessary and unfair remarks about flowers.”
Among the companies recently contacted by SAF:
- In an interview that also was picked up by local TV outlets, the CEO of Boston-based Grillo’s Pickles told the magazine Taste of Home, “Not only is a pickle bouquet more beautiful than a dozen red roses, and healthier than a standard box of chocolate, it’s also far more creative.”
- CNET encouraged readers to “pass on the rose” in a story highlighting the Bronx Zoo’s campaign to encourage people to adopt unusual animals (including hissing cockroaches) for the holiday.
- Say It With Beef, promoted its “100 percent beef jerky BROquet” by asking, “Is he tired of receiving lame floral arrangements?” The homepage of the company’s website also reads, “Flowers are lame. Say it with beef instead.”
SAF asked CNET to nix language such as “pass on the rose” in its editorial coverage.
In addition, SAF heard from some floral professionals who were disappointed in a Real Simple article that dished advice to consumers about ordering Valentine’s Day flowers but highlighted only national and web-based companies, rather than local florists. While the article didn’t include negative references, SAF took the opportunity to reach out to the popular magazine and encourage its editors and writers to include local florists in future coverage.
Spot a harmful ad or article about flowers? Forward them to jmcnally@safnow.org. Members of the floral community can also make a big difference on negative ads in their local communities, McNally noted.
“As much as SAF can provide support on a national level, local business can also make a difference,” she explained. “If you wish to respond, please remember two things that enhance your credibility: Your affiliation with the Society of American Florists, the national association representing the floral industry; and your identity as a local business.”
Here are other tips from SAF on how to help write an effective response:
- Be objective, diplomatic and reasonable. Describe why you find the story/advertisement offensive or unfair. Explain that you believe in the effectiveness of stories/advertisements that promote products based on their own merits.
- Don’t sound defensive. That will only make it seem as though the “attack” on flowers was justified.
- Don’t make unreasonable demands. Unless a story actually contains a factual error, don’t demand that it be retracted.
- Suggest a middle-ground approach that the story/advertisement could take in the future. You might point out that instead of the phrase, “Don’t buy flowers,” the message could be, “Flowers are one of many gift choices during…”
Mary Westbrook is the editor in chief of Floral Management magazine.
