In this episode of The Bloom Show, Sahid welcomed Holly Haveman, who appeared on behalf of Kennedy's Flowers & Gifts, the recipient of the 31st Annual SAF Marketer of the Year Award at SAF Phoenix 2025. Their winning campaign—a refillable vase program that blends creativity, operational discipline, and true community connection—shows how thoughtful ideas can transform customer loyalty. For the floral industry, Kennedy's story is proof that impactful marketing doesn't always need a large budget. Sometimes it's a heartfelt system, carried out with consistency, that makes the biggest difference.
A family legacy with modern leadership
Holly Haveman shared the long history of Kennedy's Flowers & Gifts, a shop dating back to the 1940s. After her mother spent decades running the business, Holly and her brother stepped in as the next generation of leadership. She noted that winning the SAF Marketer of the Year didn't happen right away. Their team submitted the campaign four or five times. Their persistence shows an important lesson for floral professionals: the best marketing grows through steady effort, refinement, and a firm belief in the work.
The refillable vase program that earned the SAF Marketer of the Year title
Holly explained, "Our campaign that we won marketer of the year for was our refillable vase program." Customers buy a petite vase and can bring it in weekly for free flowers. The design is intentional: small vessels, narrow necks, and controlled stem counts. What began as a one-off idea inspired by her mom's birthday tradition became a full system—Magic Vase, Tidbit, Gift of the Seasons, Queen of Hearts, Magic Mama, and Scatter Joy. It's a sustainable, loyalty-driven approach that any shop can adapt.
Free flowers, smart tracking, and real ROI
Even with its generosity, the program runs on strong operational discipline. Each refill is logged through their POS using phone numbers and refill codes. This lets Kennedy's track visits, measure conversions, and see which refills lead to purchases. When they added meaningful coupons inside the refills—especially offers tied to popular gift shop items—conversion rose sharply. Holly's system shows that "free" can still be profitable when supported by smart tracking on the backend.
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Growth through listening and adjusting
The refillable program didn't start as a large initiative. It began with Lori's birthday, when customers who shopped that day received a small vase as a gift. As Holly said, "we continue to just you know listen and go off feedback and make life easier for ourselves." Customer feedback guided each step: extending programs into January, creating seasonal versions for snowbirds, and refining vase designs for easier production. It's a practical reminder that customer-led adjustments often lead to the strongest and most sustainable ideas.
Loyalty, emotion, and the heart of community marketing
Some of the most touching stories came from customers who brought their refillable vases into moments of loss and celebration. Holly recalled families bringing in their mother's Magic Vase to use in funeral flowers because it meant so much to her. "It's definitely built loyalty and community," she said. Beyond sales, the program has become part of people's lives. To Holly, the future of floral marketing sits in systems that honor emotion—subscriptions, standing orders, and thoughtful uses of new visual technologies like AI.
Final thought
Sahid closed the conversation by celebrating Kennedy's Flowers & Gifts for their boldness, creativity, and commitment to community connection. Their SAF Marketer of the Year Award reflects a team effort built on consistent execution, clear systems, and heartfelt service. For floral professionals everywhere, their success is a reminder that when creativity and process work together, you can build marketing that truly lasts.
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