More than 29 million viewers across the nation watched the hosts of “Fox & Friends” talk live about Petal It Forward. This segment further shared by other national media outlets helped the number of impressions soar.
A feel-good PR campaign from SAF has exposed people to positive messages about flowers and flower-giving more than 131 million times.
Just two weeks ago in New York City on Oct. 7, the Society of American Florists capitalized on popular pay-it-forward initiatives with Petal It Forward, a public relations campaign to randomly give two bouquets each to passersby in Times Square and Union Square.
“The campaign’s goal was to generate traditional and social media coverage highlighting the benefits of flowers — the positive impact flowers have in our work productivity and emotional state,” said Jennifer Sparks, SAF’s vice president of marketing, “and position SAF’s consumer websites and social vehicles as viable resources for consumers.”
The campaign accomplished its goal, Sparks said. To date, SAF’s Petal It Forward campaign in New York City has generated 131,215,551 impressions, the number of times people have been exposed to the Petal It Forward message, according to statistics from Ogilvy Public Relations.
This pictured Facebook post, for instance, has been liked by almost 5,000 people, shared 354 times, and reached nearly 105,000 Facebook users.
“Fox & Friends” shared the news of flower power live on the morning of SAF’s Petal It Forward event and referenced an SAF omnibus survey that shows 80 percent of Americans report that receiving flowers makes them feel happier and giving flowers made 88 percent of people feel better about their day.
Greatly increasing the exposure to the flower message, the segment was picked up by other news sites, including MSN.com, Yahoo!, Yahoo! News Canada, and Yahoo Movil (Taiwan)
“This campaign proves that strategic public relations works in getting the floral message out to consumers,” said Sparks.
Not counted in the impressions number are the numerous media stories generated locally by many of the nearly 50 floral industry members who also participated in their local communities.
“While SAF’s Petal It Forward event in New York was a great way to spread flower power, equally important is the use of a social media strategy to take the message viral, beyond just the flower recipients, as it opens the opportunity to encourage more consumers to use flowers to open hearts and lift peoples’ spirits,” Sparks said.
To date, SAF’s Petal It Forward Campaign has resulted in 447,854 total social media impressions, which is the number of times #petalitforward content has been displayed.
One Facebook photo post in particular on SAF’s Aboutflowers Facebook Wall illustrates the flower power message’s reach on social media, Sparks said. The photo shows two young ladies smiling at each other, one handing the other a bouquet of flowers, with the caption, “We are putting our own spin on the concept of ‘pay it forward’ with #petalitforward — encouraging the world to spread happiness with flowers. Pass it on!” That Facebook post has been liked by almost 5,000 people, shared 354 times, and reached nearly 105,000 Facebook users.
The picture is just a glimpse into the coverage generated from the Petal It Forward campaign on SAF’s social channels, including Facebook.com/AboutFlowers, Instagram.com/about_flowers, Twitter.com/FlowerFactor and AboutFlowersBlog.com. Local florists who participated in their communities also used the #petalitforward hashtag, further spreading the flower power message.
To date, the social media campaign has resulted in 447,854 total impressions, which is the number of times #petalitforward content has been displayed; and 18,800 total engagements, which is the number of interactions — likes, comments, shares, tweets, etc. — users have had with #petalitforward content on SAF’s channels.
“What’s so great about these numbers is that we used promoted posts to take the flower message far beyond the typical audience of SAF’s social channels,” Sparks said.
Along with promoted posts, an ad option in Facebook that allows you to increase visibility of your posts, SAF had a social media team devoted to getting the word out. One posted and tweeted live from the event, and two experts at the office monitored the social media activity and engaged with consumers to keep the story going. Also at the NYC event was a team of videographers to capture the genuine reactions of consumers upon receiving flowers. SAF is producing a brief consumer video to share on social media in the coming weeks to keep the #petalitforward excitement alive and spread even further.
Green stickers on the bouquets and the SAF “street team” encouraged consumers, to post selfies with their flowers using the hashtag #petalitforward on social media.
SAF also leveraged the celebrity of Christine Arylo, known as “The Queen of Self-Love.” She is a transformational teacher, speaker and best-selling author of “Choosing ME before WE” and “Madly in Love With Me,” who has partnered with SAF on previous public relations projects. Arylo participated with SAF at the NYC event and shared her experience in posts for SAF’s AboutFlowersBlog.com and to her social media followers as well as in an e-newsletter she sent to 35,000 fans.
Part of the effort for Petal It Forward was to encourage flower recipients to share their own experiences on their social channels, again reaching a bigger audience with flower power. Stickers on the bouquets read, “Science proves flowers make people happy. If these did the trick, show us at #petalitforard.”
Among the messages consumers shared online:
Instant smile to be handed flowers from #petalitforward!
#petalitforward THANK YOU for the beautiful flowers!! Made my day coming right off the blue line!!!
Good energy and happy feelings exist in this world still! #petalitforward #happyflowers
Thanks for making me smile! #petalitforward
I got one of your flowers today and it put a smile on my face. Now I want to get some to hand out. Thank U #petalitforward
I never share things like this on social media but this bouquet DID make me smile, so thank you. #petalitforward
THANK YOU to the sweet gent that walked into my work and handed me these #PetalItForward
Approached by a lovely lady that handed me a bouquet having the best day ever #petalitforward
Brightening up my office today thanks to these pretty #petalitforward flowers
“These consumers will always remember the wonderful feeling of getting flowers — just because — and the joy it felt to pass a bouquet on to a loved one or stranger,” Sparks said. “Next time they need a lift or want to make someone smile, they’ll think of giving flowers.”
SAF’s Petal It Forward program is a result of the SAF Fund for Nationwide Public Relations, which combines a percentage of SAF member retail dues with voluntary contributions from wholesalers, suppliers, growers and importers.
Sparks said the hands on help and generosity of the following industry members also made the event possible:
Donation/coordination of product: Dramm & Echter, Dos Gringos, Flores El Capiro, Holland American Flowers, Floral Trade Distribution, Universal Greens;
Assembly of 4,000 bouquets: Holland America Flowers
Transportation and onsite delivery/coordination of bouquets: Delaware Valley Floral Group
SAF’s energetic “street team” — which included SAF member Nic Faitos and nine additional volunteers from his NYC shop, Starbright Floral.
Sparks also gives special recognition to Asocolflores for providing the funding for the event’s enhanced social media strategy, and development and production of a consumer video that will showcase the positive emotions evoked by flowers.