Jackie Levine (center), of Central Square Florist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, appeared on set at NBC 10 Boston and talked about how different colors and flowers convey different messages.
Media coverage of Valentine’s Day again took aim at the rising cost of flowers, but members of the Society of American Florists took to the airwaves to confidently promote their services, address costs, and tout the beauty and benefits of gifting flowers.
Confronting Price Increases
Scotts Flowers NYC in New York City told NPR that 20,000 roses will come through the shop for Valentine’s Day. Chris Palliser, who co-owns Scotts Flowers with his two brothers, took the issue of the rising cost of roses head on by acknowledging that they charge $135 for a dozen red roses but should be charging $150 to meet the same margins that they have with other flowers.
Others also told media outlets that they tried to offset the rising costs of roses. Lou Ann Green, who owns Flowers by Lou Ann in Tyler, Texas, told KYTX-TV that she has tried to carefully manage pricing so everyone can afford to send flowers.
“We want to be as reasonable as we can be, so people could still afford to send something to the ones (they love),” Green said.
Hewitt Florist co-owner Cindy Sommerkamp shared with FOX 44 in Hewitt, Texas, that valuing personal connections with customers has enabled the family-owned business to maintain steady sales for more than three generations.
“It’s been very busy, thankfully, and we’ve been keeping up because we have systems in place that we’ve developed and we’ve modified and perfected over time to where we really have it humming. And we have so many good people that come back to us each year and help us,” Sommerkamp told the station.
Highlighting Other Flowers
Several florists touted mixed bouquets as either a lower cost option or a way to stand out among the sea of red roses.
Sherry Grimes Jenkins, of EMY Custom Flowers in Mahopac, New York, talked about color theory and design during an interview with CBS 2 New York. She passionately shared how floral designers work with the colors nature provides to create beautiful and fresh pieces that reflect the modern aesthetic trends.
Jackie Levine, of Central Square Florist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was on set at NBC 10 Boston with many mixed arrangements to illustrate how different colors and flowers convey different messages. Red roses are love and romance, she explained. Pink is for happiness. Orchids symbolize elegance, beauty and charm, she told the station, and tulips represent “perfect love.”
The Other Super Bowl
Several news stories picked up on the juxtaposition of Valentine’s Day falling just two days after the Super Bowl. Jenkins put a quick plug during her interview, which aired prior to Feb. 14, not to forget the day of romance. “Don’t forget the lovely ladies,” she said looking into the camera.
Palliser played off the recent NFL championship game by telling NPR, “Valentine’s Day is the Super Bowl. It’s the biggest holiday of the year for us.”
Scott Kremp of Kremp Florist in Philadelphia sought to connect with Eagles fans eager to watch their team play in the Super Bowl by appearing on the sports radio station 94.1 WIP Feb. 2. Kremp used the excitement of his hometown competing in the game to promote early Valentine’s Day orders. He paired the appearance with in-store specials and on-air coupons for listeners. Kremp Florist also created a large Eagles logo made from flowers. The finished piece was donated to a charity.
The effort was a success, with about 200 people stopping by the store during the four-hour radio show, Kremp says.
Meeting Demand
A common thread throughout the coverage was the energy and number of people needed to fulfill the sheer volume of orders.
WWL-TV featured workers at Villere’s Florist in Metairie, Louisiana working to meet the demand. Roger Villere told the station that their volume would increase from an average of 100 daily deliveries to 1,000 on Feb. 14.
George K. Walker Florist allowed WXII 12 in Greensboro-Winston-Salem to observe some deliveries for an inside look into the busy day.
And CBS 3 in Philadelphia featured the prep work at Stein Your Florist Co., showing how all the Valentine’s Day arrangements were given hands-on attention from a designer.
“It’s a lot of prep work,” owner Patrick Kelly told the station. “We’ve been working 50, 60, 70 hours a week.”
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
