During the Trade Fair Aalsmeer, the Flower Council of Holland presented its new direction for the years ahead under the motto of ‘Together for a strong horticulture’. This new direction has been summarised in the brochure ‘A new role for the Flower Council of Holland’. It shows what they will be setting into motion, continuing and discontinuing.
A new role
"Giving consumers a positive image of flowers and plants is more important than ever. The times in which we live require a different approach from the Flower Council of Holland: a new direction in response to a changing world and based on our many conversations with growers and traders. It entails launching new initiatives, continuing what works, and discontinuing a number of familiar actions."
Flower Council of Holland explains:
What are we setting into motion?
- The first focal point for the Flower Council of Holland is sector communication. We are proactively focusing on socially-critical consumers and individual opinion leaders in order to positively influence the public opinion of the Dutch horticultural sector.
- We are intensively collaborating with Dutch stakeholders and European network partners in horticulture.
We are coordinating challenging issues and are communicating on the basis of a clear and powerful sector narrative. - We regularly add background stories about growers and the sector to our consumer communications about flowers & plants. This also includes fun and surprising facts about the sector.
- We continue to develop as a knowledge-driven marketing organisation. All activities are based on knowledge and insights about consumers and shoppers, their preferences and buying (and other) behaviour.
- For our own use and to share with the sector. We are helping business professionals to apply this knowledge.
- We will be carrying out more targeted consumer research, such as the sustainability monitor in Europe, and conducting more research into the image of the sector in the Netherlands.
- Another focal point is shopper marketing. We want to better understand shoppers and how things like product presentation and product range composition directly influence final choices.
- We will then use this knowledge to create a broader set of marketing tools that inspire shoppers to buy flowers and plants.
- We are expanding our activities to develop a national or regional approach in Europe. This includes supplying various packages of content, images, and knowledge via an online marketing portal.
- We are shifting our attention to high-profile PR events and content campaigns, and making them easy to share. Focus will be placed on products and themes like well-being, sector innovation, and sustainability.
- We are adding ‘light users’ and young people to our target groups. Therefore we develop images, videos, and texts to inform, inspire and activate consumers. This content can also be shared by the sector and partners.
What we are continuing
- We continue to positively promote flowers and plants – in consumer media, with high-profile events and
through our own online presence. - Consumer research as a foundation for our work.
- A team of specialists with professional knowledge and expertise: project managers, as well as marketing,
communication & sector specialists.
What we are discontinuing
- We will no longer promote sales and will instead stimulate demand. From push to pull.
- We will no longer have major national media campaigns on television.
- Our consumer and other activities will no longer solely focus on the core countries of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
- We will no longer exclusively approach a niche target group of ‘high users’ who already often buy flowers and plants.
- We will be discontinuing shopper activations.
- We do all of this with a clear goal in mind: nurturing, strengthening, and developing a sector that the Netherlands is proud of. A horticultural sector that produces fantastic products in an increasingly sustainable manner, with flowers and plants that make the world a more beautiful place and help to improve people’s well-being – each and every day.
Download the flyer
The flyer 'A new role for the Flower Council of Holland' is available in Dutch and English.
Source: Flower Council of Holland