SAF, FPO Unveil Research Results

The presence of flowers in the home can change a consumer's state of mind. That's what attendees learned during the Sept. 29 Consumer Marketing Breakfast when the SAF/Flower Promotion Organization (FPO) alliance unveiled results of their Home Ecology of Flowers Study. And now, florists can tout those results to their customers.

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a practicing psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted the research and presented the results to the industry. Here's what she found:

• Flowers feed compassion. Study participants who lived with flowers for less than a week felt an increase in feelings of compassion for others.
• Flowers chase away anxieties, worries and the blues at home. People in the study felt less negative after being around flowers at home. They also placed the flowers in their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, all places where they spend a lot of time. Participants reported that they wanted to see the flowers first thing in the morning.
• Living with flowers can provide a boost of energy, happiness and enthusiasm at work. Having flowers at home resulted in a positive carry-over impact on participants' moods at work.

Etcoff will serve as the SAF/FPO alliance's spokeswoman during an upcoming public relations campaign, set to launch next week, which will publicize the positive findings and continue to generate news about flowers. The campaign includes distribution of a press kit to print media, a satellite TV tour and collateral materials to be available from SAF and FPO.

Read more about the research in the November issue of Floral Management magazine.

-- Julia Sydnor
jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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Industry Celebrates Award Winners

Industry members from across the country gathered at the SAF Naples Industry Awards Dinner, Sept. 28, to honor a host of floral industry greats. The highlight of the evening was the induction of Jules "Toots" Armellini, AAF, of Armellini Industries in Palm City, Fla., into SAF's Floriculture Hall of Fame. 

The industry's highest honor, the Floriculture Hall of Fame, is bestowed upon industry and community leaders who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the advancement of floriculture. Armellini designed an educational program that led directly to the development of state-of-the-art trailers for the floral industry. In addition, he helped create the first floral refrigeration units for trailers, wooden decking to increase air circulation and relieve pressure on flower boxes, and satellite tracking of trucks.

Read more about Armellini's accomplishments at www.safnow.org and look for a feature article detailing his impact on the floral industry in the December issue of Floral Management.

Other SAF Naples honorees:

Paul Ecke Jr. Award
Arlene Sorensen, AAF
Lincoln Wholesale Florists Company
Lincoln, Neb.

Gold Medal Award
Peter Ullrich
Esmeralda Farms Inc.
Miami

Century Award
White Lake Greenhouses Floral & Gifts Inc.
Whitehall, Mich.

Mt. Eden Floral Company
Mountain View, Calif.

Tommy Bright Award
Kirk Pamper, AAF, AIFD, PFCI
Memphis, Tenn.

John H. Walker Award
Augusto Solano
Asocolflores (Colombian Association of Flower Exporters)
Bogotá, Colombia

Alex Laurie Award
Allan M. Armitage, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
Athens, Ga.

SAF also inducted seven members into the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF), which recognizes industry members that meet the academy's high standards of service to their industry and community. Six members also were inducted into the Professional Floral Communicators-International (PFCI), an organization comprised of the industry's finest floral educators.

Watch for the November issue of Floral Management magazine for extensive awards coverage.

-- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Quijas Wins Sylvia Cup

It's déjà vu! Conrad Quijas, AIFD, owner of the Stem Gallery in Lincoln, Neb., won the grand prize during the 39th Annual Sylvia Cup Design Competition at SAF Naples, 2006. Quijas previously won the Cup in 2003.

Honorable mentions went to Mario Fernandez of Belle Fleur in Coral Gables, Fla., and Deborah De La Flor, AIFD, PFCI, of De La Flor Gardens in Cooper City, Fla. 

The competition, held on Sept. 28, was sponsored by Eufloria Flowers of Nipomo, Calif. The 17 contestants had two hours and identical product assortments, and the surprise theme, "Sands of Time." They were asked to make a prom wristlet, a bridal-toss bouquet and a sympathy easel tribute. As winner, Quijas receives $1,000 and free registration to SAF Palm Springs 2007. He was sponsored by the Nebraska Florists Society.

Conrad Quijas, AIFD, owner of the Stem Gallery in Lincoln, Neb., won the grand prize during the 39th Annual Sylvia Cup Design Competition

-- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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USDA Report Looks at Energy Costs, Flower Sales

Higher energy prices are having a twofold, negative effect on the floral industry, increasing greenhouse operating costs and raising consumers' cost of living, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) division.

"In 2005 and 2006, higher petroleum prices led to greater price inflation in the food and agriculture sector as costs rose for fertilizer, storage, processing, and transport, among others," writes Alberto Jerardo in the Floriculture and Nursery Crops Outlook report, released Sept. 22. "Thus, as in 2005, demand in 2006 will be subdued despite abundant floral and nursery crops. As a result, prices of greenhouse and nursery crops will again be unable to rise enough to offset their higher production costs."

The report also found that U.S. imports of fresh cut flowers are more than twice the value of domestic production sold -- close to $750 million estimated in 2006 versus a production value for domestic product of about $385 million. 

Other findings include:

• In the United States, floral crop sales from the South are growing fastest. While growers in the Midwest increased sales in 2005, sales from the West and the Northeast were down.
• Among major cut flowers, lilies have the highest per household consumption -- 66 cents in 2006 compared to 34 cents each for roses and tulips.
• While most domestically grown cut flowers had lower or flat prices in 2005, lilies, alstroemeria and carnations posted higher prices. Despite increased import values in 2005 and 2006, imported cut flowers also exhibited no price gains: Prices are actually lower than they were in 2004. Only orchids, lilies, carnations and roses registered higher prices in 2005.

The full report is available at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/Flo/2006/09Sep/FLO05.pdf.

-- Mary Westbrook
mary.westbrook@gmail.com

 
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Thank You, Wall Street Journal

Florists, you'll want to send a thank-you bouquet to this Wall Street Journal reporter: In the Oct. 3 edition of The Wall Street Journal Online, Bryan Keogh addresses the issue of sending flowers in another town. His advice? "If you have a few days before the delivery date ... scout out a local florist to fill your order."

He goes on to tell readers that one way to find a florist in a faraway town is by asking a local hotel or the company where the flower recipient works to recommend a florist (note: make sure you're pleasing corporate accounts!).

Keogh also gives a little advice for sending buds: "Avoid asking for particular flowers," he writes. "What's in season, freshest and most readily available varies among cities and florists. Instead, describe the personality of the recipient, the mood you hope to evoke and the colors you prefer, so the florist can be creative with what's on hand."

-- Julia Sydnor
jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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Halloween Could Yield Sweet Rewards

Wild-eyed children on sugar highs won't be the only happy people this Halloween. With more consumers expected to celebrate the holiday, and individuals expected to spend more, retailers specializing in tricks and treats stand to cash in.

The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $5 billion on candy, decorations and costumes. The number reflects a 50 percent increase in spending over last year. On top of that, two-thirds of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year, compared to half of Americans in 2005.

"In recent years, we've gradually seen it become a seasonal holiday. It's no longer just a couple days (where) you see families decorating their front porches and homes," Kathy Grannis, an NRF spokeswoman, said to the Washington Times. "It's definitely become one of the holidays we like to look at as spanning across all niches, all sectors of the retail industry."

Other findings from NRF research:

• The average consumer plans to spend about $59 on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations. Last year, the average person spent about $48.50.
• About 67 percent of Americans plan to purchase decorations this year, up from 60 percent last year.

In the United States, Halloween is the second-biggest decorating day after Christmas, and "consumers see (it) as a seasonal celebration to bridge the gap between the end of summer and the winter holidays," Tracy Mullin, president and chief executive officer of NRF, said to the Times.

Most florists experienced flat Halloween sales last year, according to an SAF survey conducted electronically after the holiday. Find out how many florists promoted the holiday and offered specials in the last story of this week's E-Brief.

-- Mary Westbrook
mary.westbrook@gmail.com

 
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Sponsored Listings Burst Pop-Ups' Bubble

Even though companies are spending more money on online advertising, at least one digital ad, the pop-up, may soon disappear from cyberspace, according to an Oct. 5 story in The Guardian, a British newspaper.

"Pop-ups are kind of dead," Kirsti Wilson, a managing director at MediaCom, Great Britain's largest media buying agency, said to the newspaper.

Overall online advertising spending grew more than 40 percent to about $1.86 billion in the first half of 2006, "putting it on track to overtake press advertising by the end of 2006," according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) in New York, www.iab.net. Interruptive ad formats such as pop-up ads, however, experienced a 9-percent drop this year and now account for less than 1 percent of all online advertising spending.

IAB reports that online advertising growth "is fastest in the so-called search area -- sponsored listings that advertisers pay for when a consumer clicks through to their site," according to the Guardian story. Case in point? Spending on search advertising has a 58-percent share of the online market. Online display advertising, such as banners, command nearly 24 percent of the market, and online classified advertising has more than 17 percent.

"The random, scattergun approach is dying out ... but engaging and relevant advertising online is doing well," Guy Phillipson, the IAB's chief executive, told the Guardian.

-- Mary Westbrook
mary.westbrook@gmail.com

 
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Most Make Deliveries Solo

Seventy-one percent of florists responding to last week's E-Poll say they do not belong to a local delivery pool. About 22 percent say they do and 7 percent say the question is not applicable.

-- Julia Sydnor
jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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Discussion on SAFnow.org: Wedding Rates

With so many pricing variables -- hardgoods, labor, fresh product -- figuring out how to properly charge for wedding business can be tough. On the SAF discussion board, one member says she is a recently certified wedding planner in a fairly small town, and without any competition, has no idea what to charge for decoration and teardown of a reception site. To read the advice florists give her, click here.

Need information on wedding pricing? Find it here.

Other issues being discussed this week: wedding rental agreements, and stargazer lily care and handling.

Feel free to start your own discussion at www.safnow.org.

 -- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Product Spotlight: Custom Printing Center

Looking for a new way to conduct direct marketing mail campaigns? Try SAF's new Custom Printing Center. All you have to do is choose the postcard you want, add your personal information, decide who it's going to, and send it. "Anyone who thinks they just don't have time to do direct marketing really needs to check this out," says Erlene LeBorgne, AAF, of Rosemont Floral in Portland, Maine, who checked out the service. "It's a really powerful tool."

For more information or to start your own direct marketing mail campaign, click here, or contact SAF Member Services at (800) 336-4743; memberinfo@safnow.org.

-- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Promotions vs. Specials

More than half (55 percent) of florists who promoted Halloween also offered specials for the holiday.

Source: SAF online survey of retail florists with e-mail addresses in SAF's database. Based on 296 responses. Response rate: 12.1 percent.

-- Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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