During Produce Marketing Association’s Virtual Town Hall Floral Roundtable on April 15, PMA Chief Marketing Officer Lauren M. Scott gave an overview of PMA’s new Joy of Fresh floral marketing toolkit for members, and highlighted how the mass-market floral industry can use the assets to promote a unified message about the benefits of floral during this time of transition and recovery.
Joy of Fresh is an interim step to help the industry navigate uncertain times during the COVID-19 pandemic, explained Scott, who said PMA will work with floral growers and retailers to refine and build on the toolkit to meet member needs. Scott emphasized Joy of Fresh does not supplant growers’ own advertising and marketing and that they should continue their respective efforts to build brand identity, loyalty and consumer demand through their own marketing. Joy of Fresh instead is meant to help those across the global floral supply chain tell a consistent story about the benefits of floral and “bringing the outside in” to homes, workplaces and interior spaces, said Scott.
Joy of Fresh for floral is a consumer-centric campaign that includes three key components:
- Monitoring consumer sentiments to ensure we are addressing them where they are. PMA plans to share compelling industry stories.
- Working with industry and media partners to amplify how floral can help consumers lead full and vibrant lives.
- Providing resources, information and tools to help each of our members lend their voices to the conversation.
Scott and PMA’s Floral Council leaders encouraged members to:
- send floral Joy of Fresh stories, questions and requests to PMA at [email protected] and we will help boost good news.
- join the social media conversation by using the Joy of Fresh floral digital assets and remember to tag @ProduceMarketingAssociation and use the #JoyOfFresh hashtag.
Even companies without a social media team can join the conversation. Use personal LinkedIn or Instagram accounts. If each member of the global floral supply chain seeds the effort and shares the unified message, everyone can benefit. Attendees expressed optimism that Mother’s Day will be strong, and that retailers need to continue to innovate to generate sales. Suggestions included using outdoor spaces to market flowers while still maintaining physical-distancing requirements. Retailers were asked to consider ways to include floral in online ordering, delivery and curbside pickup. There was a consensus to keep energy and enthusiasm up and maintain positive momentum. Participants also discussed continuing conversations about creating a market order campaign that could be used globally to support a resurgence of floral and grow demand in the aftermath of the pandemic and when market conditions rebound.
Visit pma.com’s COVID-19 floral resource page for up-to-date content, including important information about the safety of floral products, guidance from floral growers for retailers, and the results of PMA’s short survey of retailers and how they are planning for Mother’s Day. Sign up for PMA’s next Virtual Town Hall general session scheduled April 22 at noon EDT (U.S. and Canada). Be sure to select the Floral Roundtable to follow and join your colleagues in our ongoing conversation about floral from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
For more information:
PMA
www.pma.com
