Finding a fitting  marketing message has become an increasingly challenging task for all types and sizes of business, given that most customers’ needs, priorities — and budgets — drastically changed on a dime. But some businesses, inside and outside of the industry, are hitting the right notes and connecting with customers.

British clothier Johnnie Boden addressed head on the awkwardness of selling his company’s signature preppy attire during the pandemic in a recent email promotion that began with a heartfelt sentiment:

“It’s hard to know what to say right now. It might seem highly inappropriate to show you clothes for which you currently have no need. But we’ve already made the clothes. We’ve already taken the photographs. We’ve already printed the catalogues. It was too late to stop,” the note reads. “We hope you don’t find it horribly insensitive. Safety, of course, is our top priority. We have closed all our shops for the time being. All our office-based teams are now working from home (wearing Boden, from the waist up, naturally). Please look after yourselves and your families. I really hope that these clothes will cheer you. (Which is frankly what we all need.)”

Many in the floral industry have taken a similar approach, crafting emails and social media posts that touch on a variety of goods, services and connections people crave in these unsettling times, including comfort, charity and hope.

Here are a few examples:

Connect to a cause. Expressions Unlimited in Greenville, South Carolina, turned excess inventory into cause marketing, fashioning red bows for businesses and homes. “They symbolize prayer for American and the whole world,” the shop’s Instagram post read. “They are only $5 or three canned goods to be donated to the food pantry.”

Approach with a feeling. Main Street Florist in Carlinville, Illinois, carries a substantial amount of giftware, including children’s toys, which have appeared prominently in recent social media posts. The shop naturally and gently promoted its line of Jellycat animals by sharing a personal anecdote that illustrated the products’ durability and comforting qualities: “Meet Foxy. He is one super loved fox who has been the sidekick to my oldest daughter for the past 3.5 years. He was the first Jellycat plush I had ever purchased and the reason we started carrying the brand at Main Street Florist…If you’re looking for a Jellycat friend to make some memories with, we are fully stocked and hoping to have them available soon on our website for purchase and shipping while we are temporarily closed.”

Give thanks. Troy Flower Shop in Troy, Missouri, focused on gratitude in the shop’s latest Instagram post. “What is there to say that hasn’t been said? We are living in unprecedented times, where every day brings new and unique challenges and opportunities can sometimes seem scarce,” it reads. “As we seek to make sense of what is going on all around us, I am reminded that there are many things to be thankful — grateful — for. I want to say a big ‘thank you!’ to all our wonderful customers who have continued to patronize us. From those who utilize our curbside pick-up to those who have requested our contact-less delivery, you have kept us going! As a small business owner, there are always highs and lows, and right now is certainly no exception.”

Create new connections. Green Thumb Floral Boutique in Wilmington, North Carolina, promoted elopement bouquets for couples opting for small, private weddings now, and included a portrait of one customer who took advantage of this offer.

Emphasize relationships. Conklyn’s Florist in Alexandria, Virginia, trumpeted the value of relationships in a recent email with the tagline, “Far apart. Close at heart.” “Everyone could use a little pick me up right now, so take a moment to care for the people you love,” the message read. “Connect with your favorite people through mood-elevating, stress-reducing flowers and plants. Or send a basket of snacks and treats to make days at home sweeter. Thank you for supporting local businesses! We provide no contact delivery for the safety of our customers and staff.”

Give ideas on how to celebrate, now. Rebel Hill Florist in Nashville, Tennessee, offered “a rainbow of wishes for April birthdays” in a March 31 email. “It’s their birthday and, while you can’t party in person, don’t let social distancing stop the celebration,” the message read. “Add a little magic to your loved one’s special day with bright and cheery floral wishes. We provide no contact delivery for the safety of our customers and staff.”

Be open about your struggles. Christina Stembel, founder of Farmgirl Flowers in San Francisco, has been very transparent with customers throughout the COVID-19 crisis, walking followers through her challenges with a crippled supply chain and operational restrictions. A recent email, written like a diary entry, featured photos and details on her efforts to keep the business running, albeit on a much smaller scale: “We’ve been incredibly fortunate that no one at Farmgirl has been directly affected by this pandemic—that lives are not at stake. But livelihoods are. So this, at least for the moment, is quite literally the fight of my life to save my business. And I’m doing everything that I can to ensure that we come out of this on the other side. Today I’m sharing a few photos from what this new ‘normal’ looks like. It may be different next week, or even tomorrow, but for now I’m incredibly proud of how far our little pop-up distribution center has come in only five days.”

SAF is also chronicling ideas from florists on how to safely generate revenue during the pandemic. Read some of those stories here.

Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.