september floriology

September 2012

E X P R ES S I O N S O F F LOW E R S ®

MARKETINGMARKETINGNONTRADITIONAL HOLIDAYS

CAN GENERATE BIG SALES

BACK TO BASICSBACK TO BASICS‘DESIGN PORTFOLIO’ SHOWCASES

IMAGINATIVE NEW IDEAS

TECH TALKTECH TALKHOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT

FROM GOOGLE+ AND RELATED APPS

September 2012

E X P R ES S I O N S O F F LOW E R S ®

owing

— Ken FreytagOwner, Freytag’s Florist

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page 10MarketingMAGIC

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learning every day.”

“We’re grgrowowin anding a

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Mark Nance, AAFPresident, BloomNet

PUBLISHER

BloomNet, Inc.www.MyBloomNet.net

(866) 256-6663

SENIOR EDITOR

Lisa Carmichael

MANAGING EDITOR

Fred Russell

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Len Vermillion, Megan Sullivan

ART DIRECTOR

Shane Hickey

SENIOR DESIGNER

Bill Hamilton

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mike Pucci

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Ted MarloweJerry Rosalia

floriology is published monthly byBloomNet, Inc.

Printed in the United States, Copy-right 2012. All rights reserved. Nomaterial contained herein may bereproduced without the consent ofthe publisher or editor. Permission toreproduce portions of this publicationshould be obtained through Bloom-Net, Inc. Publications.

All statements are those of the per-son making the statement or claim.The publisher does not adopt anystatement or claim as its own and anystatement or claim does not necessar-ily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Although published material is intend-ed to be accurate, neither floriologynor any other party will assume liabil-ity for loss or damage as a result ofreliance on this material.

Opinions expressed are not necessar-ily those of BloomNet, Inc.

Annual Subscription Rate is $71.88 (plusapplicable tax) in U.S. and Canada.

>>>Cover: George Brainard

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4 Industry InfoPresentations at AIFD’s 2012 Symposium inspire attendees.

5 By the StatsMarketing via mail remains relevant and important.

6 Out & AboutState florist conventions, awards, classes and more.

7 MarketingLesser-known holidays and observances can create hefty profit opportunities.

8 design center: On the EdgeBrad Harrington grabs people’s attention with bold designs.

10 Owner’s CornerFreytag’s Florist’s marketing strategy embraces social media and new technology.

12 design center: Back to Basics‘Design Portfolio’ showcases imaginative new ideas.

14 TechnologyGoogle+ and related apps bring many possibilities together.

15 DIYPencil flower vases make great gifts for teachers.

16 Neighborhood CornerBloomNet donates “Expressions of Flowers” wedding guides at AIFD Symposium.

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WHAT’S INSIDEV O L . 3 N O . 1 2 | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

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UP FRONT

SERVINGCUSTOMERS“Many a small thing has been made large by the rightkind of advertising.” – Mark Twain

I look forward each week with great anticipation for an email, actually moreof an introspective repose, from a good friend named Rob, who owns a lo-cal bistro that has become known as the best restaurant in our area.

His passion, poetic use of words and descriptive verse make his emailsinformative, engaging and create a vision of a sumptuous gastronomic experience that calls one toaction—prompting customers to make a reservation and hope against hope that a table is available.

In Rob’s latest email marketing message, the approach was classic sales. The first paragraphstarted off with a highly descriptive locale in Oregon where the cool climate, clean air and con-stant rain produce one of the most enjoyable pinot noir wines to complement a wide variety offoods. Paragraph two led the reader into a very personal endeavor of his to lose weight by eat-ing healthier, which led to paragraph three—describing how you can eat right and still enjoythe very best food, which Rob and his wife provide at dinner six days a week.

As I read the email, I was reminded how much the floral industry is similar to being a restaurateur.Taking raw perishable product, using highly honed skills to produce something very unique and ulti-mately serving it to a customer that has extremely high expectations as to quality, service and price.Obviously, the big difference is delivery, but when broken down, the businesses are quite the same.So it just makes sense that marketing the businesses would also follow pretty much the same path.

I receive a few marketing emails from florists around the country and some are not bad, but nonehave created that immediate desire to act as with Rob’s emails. Why? For me, it boils down to thepersonal relationship and the anticipation of what’s next. I look forward to having “my personalchef” pour out his thoughts about what I want and need to eat and, in particular, where. Retail flo-rists should be doing the same thing…“whetting appetites” by providing compelling reasons whytheir shop is the one to choose, communicating with their customers on a constant basis to buildrelationships, and making sure there is always a call to action that can lead to a sale.

This month we are all about marketing, my favorite subject matter. As you drift through thepages, you will read about a number of new marketing ideas, programs and some tried andtrue solutions to differentiate you as the floral expert to your customers.

❋ P.S. | As I write this, I am sitting in the Galisteo Bistro with Rob and my wife enjoyinganother sumptuous dining experience. The special tonight is oyster shooters;what a way to go! Didn’t even ask the price.

Mark Nance, AAF | President

THE COFFEE POT

WHAT’S ON TAP

Dear floriology reader,We value your opinions. What do you like about the magazine? How can we improve?We encourage all feedback—our goal remains to strengthen and build the communitywithin the floral industry. Please email your thoughts to us at [email protected].

❋ The floriology team

● Labor DaySept. 3

● Grandparent’s DaySept. 9

● Floral Strategies HumanResources 2.0 Webinar*Sept. 17

● Society of AmericanFlorists Annual ConventionSept. 19-22Palm Beach, Fla.

● National Alliance ofFloral AssociationAnnual ConventionOct. 5-8Cromwell, Conn.

● Columbus DayOct. 8

● Floriology InstituteTesting for Competition/AIFD Certification Class*Oct. 21-25Jacksonville, Fla.

● Boss’s DayOct. 16

● Floral Strategies CostControl Boot CampWebinar*Oct. 16

● HalloweenOct. 31

❋ Go to MyBloomnet.netfor more info!

SCANthis QR Codefor the latestdigital issue offloriology


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INDUSTRY INFO AWARDS, SHOWS, ADVOCACY

The American Institute of FloralDesigners hosted another suc-cessful Symposium July 11-16 inMiami that was filled to the brimwith inspiring presentations from

leading floral designers, hot new designs,and valuable networking opportunities.

Main stage programs included thetalents of Marie Ackerman, AIFD, Paul Miller,AIFD, Laurie Lemek, AIFD, Dan Firth, AIFD andTed Bruehl, AIFD. Back by an overwhelm-ing request, Holland’s Pim vanden Akker returned to AIFD’sSyposium stage with his elegantdesign styles and graciouspersonality. Dan Fisher of FitzDesign gave a two-part market-ing presentation on upsellingweddings that challenged floristswith ways to expand their wed-ding sales income while provid-ing superior service to brides.

BloomNet sponsored DennisSnow’s presentation on “Cre-ating a World-Class ServiceOrganization.” The programhighlighted how deliveringworld-class service requires care-ful orchestration of the entirecustomer experience. Dennis honed hiscustomer service abilities for more than 20years with Walt Disney World Company.Today, he is a full-time speaker, trainerand consultant who helps organizationsachieve goals related to customer service,employee development and leadership. Heis the author of the books “Lessons fromthe Mouse: A Guide for Applying DisneyWorld’s Secrets of Success to Your Orga-nization, Your Career, and Your Life” and“Unleashing Excellence: The CompleteGuide to Ultimate Customer Service.”

The Symposium marked the third timeDennis has presented at a floral industryevent. What he enjoys most about floristsis that they are able to move quickly whenimplementing new ideas because many aresmall business operators.

There are a lot of floral designers out there

for customers to choose from. While theproduct must be excellent, the differentiatorwill be the experience the customer has indealing with a florist, Dennis says. “Once youhave that trusting relationship based on posi-tive experience,” he says, “then that’s reallyhow you differentiate yourself.”

A task mentality involves simply design-ing a product and getting it to the cus-tomer. An experience mentality involvesdesigning and getting the product to the

customer, but also understanding the cus-tomer’s needs and wants, managing expec-tations, and following up afterward. “Thoseare things, in my opinion, that differentiatean average organization from an outstand-ing organization,” Dennis says.

It’s critical that florists see everythingthrough the lens of their customers, Dennissays. The trust factor will build once thecustomer feels confident that the florist“gets them.” Florists can also benefit fromthinking with an “everything speaks” mind-set. “Every detail, from the quality of yourwebsite, to the vehicle you use to deliver,to the appearance of your employees, tothe design of your invoice, is enhancing ortaking away from the brand,” he says.

A number of florists shared positive feed-back regarding Dennis’ presentation. LisaGreene, AAF, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, of Eric’s Flower

Emporium in Reading, Mass., says Denniswas an exceptional speaker and plans toapply his advice at her shop. “His correla-tion of Disney to florist was seamless andbrilliant,” Lisa says. “Every shop has thepotential of providing ‘Florist Magic,’ butunfortunately many miss the mark.”

Brooke Raulerson, AIFD, FSMD of Artistic Flo-rist in Amelia Island, Fla., says Dennis offereda unique perspective to the floral industryand how small businesses should strive

to rise above typical customerservice standards. “Even thoughwe are a smaller business it givesus more of an opportunity toaddress the details as larger busi-nesses strive to address,” Brookesays. Customers choose floristswho have the ability to creatememories and enjoyable experi-ences. “As a florist we deal withemotions that can be evoked bywhat we design but also how weportray ourselves,” she adds.

BloomNet and Napco co-sponsored the presentation“Sand in My Shoes: CustomerServices Challenges,” featuringMichael Whaley, AIFD. In addition

to offering advice on how to deal with cus-tomers who seem determined to ruin yourday, Michael designed the centerpieces forthe luncheon using Napco containers. Lisaattended and says it was a great network-ing opportunity. “We needed a break toenjoy friends, old and new,” she says.

Industry events like AIFD’s annual Sym-posium help florists continue to learn andgrow as the industry rapidly evolves, andprevent their knowledge from going stale.“The Symposium was very educational andmost of all it presents many opportunitiesto expand your business and knowledge ofdesign,” Brooke says.

The 2013 AIFD National Symposium “Pas-sion,” will be held June 28-July 2 in LasVegas. Watch a preview video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9xZAfbFEFE.

SYMPOSIUM

CALIENTE!Presentations at AIFD’s 2012 Symposium inspire attendees.

Freddy Bailys, Napco marketingdirector; Michael Whaley, ;and Lisa Carmichael, vicepresident of marketing andnew business, BloomNet.

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DIRECT MAIL BY THE STATS

by Mike Pucci

❋What are your direct mail strategies?E-mail us at [email protected].

STATISTICS SHOW THATMARKETING VIA MAIL REMAINSRELEVANT AND IMPORTANT.

Still Delivering RESULTS❋ Design and Write Efficiently. “You want the piece to be simpleand to the point,” says Evan Bloom, an owner of a Sir Speedy (sir-speedy.com) printing and marketing services business in Westbury, N.Y.“You have only two to three seconds to get the reader’s attention.”

❋ Increase Response Rates. Always make some kind of offer, forinstance, 15 percent off their order—giving direct mail recipients acompelling reason to buy. And to prompt a quicker response fromcustomers as well as prospects, always include a time-sensitive callto action, such as “order now, offer ends Sept. 30, 2012.”

❋ Measure Results. “If you can’t track it, don’t do it,” Bob ad-vises. “You need to know if your money is well spent.” One of the

easiest and most effective strategies formeasuring results includes coding yourdirect mail piece and asking recipientsto mention the code when redeemingan offer. You could also create a specialprice point (i.e., $55.33) for the promo-tional items featured in your piece soyou’ll know right away that orders forany items with prices ending in .33 camefrom that mailing.

❋ Integrate with Digital Media. Tooptimize your marketing reach, directmail needs to work together with otherparts of your promotional arsenal, suchas digital vehicles. A good tactic is theuse of QR barcodes printed on your di-rect mail pieces so customers can scanthe codes with their mobile devicesand be taken straight to your websiteor social media page.

❋ Save Money. “When we distribute amarketing piece we will often look to getthe client the greatest available postagediscounts,” Evan states. A budget-friend-ly possibility is “Every Door Direct Mail”

(usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm) from the U.S. PostalService, which provides a saturation mailing throughout your localarea without the need for mailing lists and permits.

In an increasingly digital world, many local business owners arequestioning whether direct mail is still a viable way to promotetheir goods and services. The answer is yes, especially when youconsider recent stats.

According to the United States Postal Service, 52 percent of allU.S. mail volume is direct mail. Furthermore, 76 percent of con-sumers say they’ve made a purchasebased on something they received inthe mail.

Perhaps most telling of all, andsignaling that direct mail may actuallybe on an upward trend among youngerAmericans, USPS research shows that 65percent of Millennials say they’ve madea purchase resulting from direct mail ad-vertising. In fact, the findings from a five-year projected market study initiated bythe U.S. Postal Service three years agoindicated that overall consumer salesfrom direct mail were expected to grow4.9 percent between 2009 and 2014.

“For local retailers trying to targetindividuals in a specific area, mail isvery important,” says Jerry Cerasale,senior vice president, governmentaffairs, for the Direct MarketingAssociation (the-dma.org). Amongits attributes, direct mail can be avaluable tool for creating long-termcustomers. “We’ve heard from ourmembers that sending out a piece ofmail tends to increase loyalty.”

BEST PRACTICES

❋ Update Your Lists, Continually. “Any time you’re taking an order onthe phone, or someone walks in, make it an advantage for that personto give you their contact information,” says Bob Shockey, national ac-count manager for John Henry (jhc.com), a division of Multi Packag-ing Solutions. That “advantage” could be signing them up for a VIPprogram where they get an immediate discount plus they’ll receiveperiodic promotional offers from you throughout the year.

❋ 36% of U.S. consumers cite direct mail astheir channel of choice to receive marketinginformation*

❋ 60% of consumers say they enjoy checkingthe mailbox for postal mail*

❋ $47 billion was spent by businesses ondirect mail advertising in 2011**

Got Mail?

SOURCE: *EPSILON TARGETING (WWW.EPSILON.COM) IN ITS CONSUMER CHANNEL PREFERENCE STUDY**UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (WWW.USPS.COM)


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OUT AND ABOUT BLOOMNET TAKES TO THE ROAD

The Texas State Florist’s Association Annual Convention wasJuly 20-22 at the Hangar Conference Center in Fredericksburg,Texas. BloomNet sponsored Tim Huckabee’s hands-on work-shop “Supercharge your Sales” and also provided a FloriologyInstitute Scholarship to Sheri Jentsch, tmf of Blumen Meisterin New Braunfels, Texas. Pictured left to right is BloomNetRegional Vice President of Sales Brent Eggleston, Sheri,BloomNet President Mark Nance, aaf, and BloomNet MarketArea Consultant Donna Spaulding.

TEXAS STATEFLORIST’S ASSOCIATIONCONVENTION

The Oklahoma State Florist’s Associa-tion Annual Convention was held July28-29 at the Doubletree Warren Placein Tulsa, Okla. BloomNet sponsoredAnthony Swick’s, “Stepping up Re-tail,” a program with Anthony’s twist oneveryday design using Napco’s new partyglassware (www.napcoimports.com).Shelia Beebe and Patti Simmerman ofA Flower Can in Fort Gibson, Okla.,were the winners of a Floriology InstituteScholarship.

Floriology Institute’s classroom was open for a 5-Day Advanced Wedding/Party &Events class with Instructor Jackie Lacey, AIFD, PFCI, CFD. The class was held July30-Aug. 3 in Jacksonville, Fla., and had special guest Kelly Mace, marketing programs/communications manager at Smithers-Oasis.

Congratulations to BloomNet floristLori Amstutz, owner of WilliamsFlower Shop, who celebrated its 90thanniversary and was presented witha plaque at the Ohio Florist Associa-tion Short Course held July 14-17 inColumbus.FLORIDA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA


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YEAR-END SALES MARKETING

by Mike Pucci

ThinkSmallerLESSER-KNOWN HOLIDAYSAND OBSERVANCES CANCREATE HEFTY PROFITOPPORTUNITIES.

For many retailers, the final four monthsof the year are essentially a prelude toChristmas. Yet, there are several other oc-casions during the fourth quarter that cangenerate sizable sales. Although some of

these occasions might be considered obscure whencompared to traditional holidays, profitable opportu-nities can be generated using clever marketing.

One of the best ways to stay on top of your mar-keting objectives during the year’s final months is tocreate a calendar highlighting each occasion. Stick-ing to the calendar can entice customers to comeback to your store repeatedly. “It keeps customerswondering: ‘what’s next, I wonder what’s going onthis month at XYZ Florist?’ You create a sense ofcuriosity,” says Brenda Simmons, assistant manager,retail marketing, for Flowerama.

OPEN HOUSES: ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY

As you know, the year’s last four months can beprimetime for an open house. According to TamyAlger, owner of a Flowerama store in Iowa City,Iowa, among the keys to success is persistence.Tamy has run annual events that have taken acouple of years to catch on, but eventually theydo...if they’re marketed properly.

A focal point of event marketing is choosing acreative theme. “Calling it an ‘open house’ may notdraw...you need a catchphrase to bring them in,”Tamy explains. With that in mind, she plans a “Har-vest Hoedown” for early fall, highlighted by scoresof pumpkins outside her shop.

As Christmas draws closer, Tamy will host “RockYour Holiday with Flowerama” featuring an entirestore section titled “Santa Baby.” To shake thingsup, plans are to have the event attended by an Elvisimpersonator, dressed as Santa Claus.

Here are just some of Brenda’s many suggestionsinvolving fourth quarter holidays and observancesthat could translate to increased year-end sales:

SEPT. 9 | GRANDPARENTS DAY

Ask local schools if students could write essays about what makes theirgrandparents special. Choose the best essays, and those grandparentswould receive a discount in your shop.

SEPT. 16-22 | SUBSTITUTE TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

Offer a discount to substitute teachers during this week, making themfeel special for their hard work and most important, getting them intothe store.

SEPT. 22 | AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN’S DAY

POSSIBLE IDEA: Contact your local paper about a contest where readersnominate women in business to be recognized by your shop; the winner(s)can receive a dozen roses. It could lead to great visibility for your businessthrough publicity in the newspaper!

OCT. 2 | NATIONAL CUSTODIAL WORKERS DAY

Contact businesses, industries and schools in your area offering to pro-vide free carnations or boutonnieres custodians can wear for the day. Thegoodwill you create could result in significant future sales.

OCT. 14 | PASTOR, MINISTRY AND CLERGY APPRECIATION DAY

Make the religious organizations in your local area aware of this day andcreate a promotional offer specifically for them. Perhaps you could providediscounted floral arrangements for an upcoming church function.

OCT. 18 | GET TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS DAY

Have a “customer appreciation day” in your shop.

NOV. 6 | ELECTION DAY

Design a patriotic bouquetfeaturing red, white and blue floral varieties.

NOV. 11 | VETERANS DAY

Offer a discount that day to allveterans, military personnel and their families.

NOV. 23 | BLACK FRIDAY

Give shoppers a break by offering a “rest stop” in your store where youserve hot chocolate or warm cider.

BIGGERYear-End Sales?


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DESIGN CENTER ON THE EDGE

by Megan Sullivan

If the shoe fits…cover it in flowers.When Brad Harrington, owner of Har-rington Flowers in Derry, N.H., noticedon Facebook that a lot of his Euro-pean designer friends were makingentire dresses out of flowers, an ideasparked. “I stole one of my daughter’sshoes, put a pineapple on it and wentfrom there,” Brad recalls.

At a wedding show, he had a lot ofbig arrangements on display but hisfloral shoe stole everyone’s attention.“Three or four people who came tothe store remembered the shoe,” Bradsays. “So I kept making them.”

Instead of raiding his daughter’scloset, he now finds shoes at SalvationArmy thrift stores. “She’s still upsetwith me about the shoe,” Brad admits.“I didn’t think it fit her anymore, but Iguess it did!”

Once Brad finds a shoe, he startsout by visualizing the design approachand determining what colors to focuson. He recommends using flowersand foliage that hold up well, such asmoss, green button poms, lavendercushion poms, dendrobium orchidsand calla lilies. Some of his floral shoeshave lasted as long as six or sevendays, he says. Recently, more custom-ers have been interested in usingthe shoes for bridal showers. “That’ssomething I’d like to start marketingand pushing a little more,” he says.

To create a floral shoe, push theheel of the shoe into floral foam. Usea floral knife to carve the heel into thedesired shape. Pull the heel out, hot

Designer:Brad Harrington

Location:Derry, N.H.

Exposure:2009 AIFD NE

Chapter ScholarshipWinner; 2009 NH/VTTeleflora Board Sec-

retary; work featuredand published in Party

Flora Magazine, NHWedding Magazine

and Capital BrideMagazine

‘Shoe’-inBrad Harrington knows howto grab people’s attention.

glue it and push it back into the foam to create a faux heel. Wrapthe foam in foliage and add floral elements to it. Brad uses Oasisglue to adhere the flowers directly on the shoe. He suggests usingOasis diamond, flat or bullion wires to outline the shoe. “In a way,it’s almost like making a piece of jewelry,” he says. Spray the shoewith a flower finishing spray.

The shoes are typically used to add a whimsical element to wed-ding day photos, but can be designed as a functional piece forthe brave bride who wants to rock them down the aisle. Cost willvary depending on the types of flowers used and how decorativethe piece is, but he suggests charging at least about $60 a shoe.“I don’t sell a lot of shoes, but I’ve sold a lot of things because ofthem,” Brad stresses.

The same-old arrangements in cube and cylinder vases won’tstop people in their tracks. By displaying a big, bold and artsypiece—even if you don’t think it will sell—florists can attract morecustomers into the store. “It grabs people’s attention and makesthem aware of you,” he says. Once you lure them in, potentialcustomers will look around at everything else you have to offer.“They’ll buy that $25 arrangement in the cooler they could getanywhere from you, because you showed them something differ-ent and creative that got their attention.”

Brad uses a similar tactic on his website (www.harringtonflower-sllc.com), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/harringtonflower-sllc) and wedding blog (www.neweddingflowers.blogspot.com).By showcasing photos of bold and unique designs like floral shoesand headdresses online, florists can attract more attention andprompt people to spend more time browsing the site.

Brad interacts daily with fans on Harrington Flowers’ Facebookpage, which has more than 500 likes. He always tries to postrelevant images to get more page views. Without an image, postsusually fall somewhat flat, he says. In addition to posting photosof bouquets, centerpieces, and other designs to demonstrate theshop’s abilities, he shares fun floral facts and quiz questions, pro-motes other local vendors, and alerts fans to special shop offers.The most important thing he has learned is to treat his Facebookfans as friends and creating fun, engaging posts, rather than con-stantly making a sales pitch.

If the shoe fits, wear it and run with it.


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VIEW MORE OFBRAD’S UNIQUEDESIGNS ATBradHarrington.Shutterfly.com

VIEW MORE OFBRAD’S UNIQUEDESIGNS ATBradHarrington.Shutterfly.com

RICK BOUTHIETTE PHOTOGRAPHY

RICK BOUTHIETTE PHOTOGRAPHY

VIRGINIA PAGE PHOTOGRAPHY


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FFreytag’s Florist’s marketing strategyembraces social media and new technology.

Freytag’s Florist in Austin, Texas,leaves no stone unturned in its mar-keting strategy. In addition to tradi-tional advertising mediums like TV andradio, the shop maintains Facebook(facebook.com/Freytags), Twitter (@freytagsflorist), Pinterest (pinterest.com/freytagsflorist), and Google+ ac-counts, and has a Tumblr blog (austin-flowerblog.com). A dedicated staffmember is assigned to handle socialmedia sites daily. “The whole pack-age is working well,” says Owner KenFreytag. “We’re having really goodgrowth after 38 years.”

Ken’s son, Chad Freytag, joinedthe management team in 1998 andoversees marketing and sales. Asignificant contributor to that growthwas the shop’s investment three yearsago in a new website (freytagsflorist.com) designed by GravityFree. “Thewebsite allows us to track advertisingbetter and to market and stay in frontof people a lot better than we wereever able to,” Chad says.

Chad personally calls customerswho leave negative complaints on thewebsite to resolve the issue at hand.This is a prime example of best prac-tices for retention.

Photography is essential to a suc-cessful website, and Chad says theywill be updating all photos and addingexclusive categories for different typesof arrangements.

While marketing strategies differ byregion, Chad stresses the importance

of tracking. “If you’re not tracking mar-keting, you’re just throwing money upand hoping it sticks,” he says.

Freytag’s collects customer emailaddresses for every order it receives.Chad says the shop has also traded giftcards for email addresses, and runs afront counter free bouquet contest everymonth. They send out e-blasts withdiscount offers, but try not to oversendso that customers don’t opt out. If shopssend out e-blasts too frequently, he says,they will lose more than they are gaining.

Ken advises florists to get their nameout there any way possible, and socialmedia is a good strategy for peoplewho don’t have a large marketingbudget. Customers can buy flowersanywhere, so part of being success-ful is outworking and outsmarting the

competition, he says.Freytag’s staff has learned valuable

sales techniques after receiving onsitetraining from Tim Huckabee, AIFSE,founder of Floral Strategies. “We’veseen a lot more add-ons since he’sbeen here,” says Ken, who is a pastpresident of the Texas State FloristAssociation and has served on manystate and national floral committeesand boards. To stay up-to-date withthe latest trends and techniques, de-signers participate in local programs.Among the designers is Ken’s daugh-ter, Casey Freytag Chitsey.

Ken entered the floral industry atage 15, when he began a high schoolwork-study program and received valu-able on-the-job training and mentor-ship in an Austin flower shop. “When

Have it

OWNER’S CORNER MARKETING

by Megan Sullivan

KENKEN

CHADCHAD


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Shop:Freytag’s Florist

Owner:Ken Freytag

Established: 1974

Employees: 22

FAST FACTS

Going Mobile❋To view Freytag’s mobile site go to

mobile.freytagsflorist.com/?clearnomobile=1.

G

you learn it right thefirst time, it makes it alot easier,” Ken says. Aftermanaging a shop for about a year, Kendecided he wanted to start his ownbusiness. At 19 years old, he openedFreytag’s Florist in Austin.

At one point, Ken had as many aseight locations, but in the late ’90s he

filtered back to onelarge store and that

model has worked best forthe business. Freytag’s has been in itscurrent location, which encompassesmore than 13,000 square feet, for nineyears. It runs six delivery vehicles andhas an average of 120 to 150 deliveriesdaily. That number increases signifi-

cantly during holidays—on Valentine’sDay, the shop made 1,200 deliveries.

Freytag’s doesn’t receive a lot offoot traffic, but about 50,000 carsdrive by daily. Signage, an impressivestorefront, robust marketing and greatname identity significantly help thebusiness. “We’re growing and learningevery day,” he says.

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DESIGN CENTER BACK TO BASICS

by Mike Pucci

INSPIRATIONTrends, Techniques...

pher John Collins. The featured arrangements reflect the latesttrends in floral artistry and the photos in the publication arecomplemented by stories focusing on those trends.

GETTING THE JUICES FLOWING

The floral arrangements in “Design Portfolio” are intended tospark the creative juices of retail florists and their staffs, encourag-ing them to explore an extensive range of new possibilities, notonly in the physical arrangement of floral varieties but also in theway containers can be utilized differently to enhance designs.Highlighted here, fresh off the pages of “Design Portfolio,” arethree creations from the imaginative mind of Bill Taylor.

‘PAYING HOMAGE’ TO A THEME

1} “This design is all about the vase. I would call it a fruit/chintzpattern under glass. I chose flowers to complement the florals inthe vase, but the flowers chosen are from the tropics, leucoden-dron, from the greenhouse, carnations, and the back garden, thepeonies and dahlias,” says Bill in describing his creative approach.

“In this design the foliages play a major role, the aspidistra, be-gonia and salal. The dahlia buds also play an important role to cre-ate volume, define space and give a little excitement. You cannotwork in such a beautiful vase with such a dominant theme withoutpaying homage to that theme,” Bill continues.

‘PERFECT FOR A COFFEE TABLE’

2} “In this design the illusion is that the blossoms are float-ing in a bowl, but they are actually layered into a thin piece ofOasis,” Bill states. “This design would be rather long-lasting asthe flowers are on such short stems. It’s an obvious choice touse gerberas on a ceramic bowl with a gerbera pattern. I haveadded other round form flowers, the sunflowers and ranunculus.This is a design you need to look down into—perfect for a cof-fee table.”

‘Design Portfolio’ showcases imaginative new ideas.

Designer: Bill Taylor, AIFD Experience: Over 40 yearsExposure/Achievements: Fellow and past president of AIFD; member of BloomNet’s design

council; Former owner of retail shop Taylor’s of Sonoma, Calif.

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BloomNet has teamed with Florists’Review magazine to develop a 36-page publication filled with excitingdesign concepts that can expand thecreative horizons of retail florists, dis-tinguish their design capabilities andincrease the sales and profit potentialof their shops. Among the specificgoals of the publication is to inspirein-store displays and shop specials aswell as provide florists with a cutting-edge guide to purchasing decisions.

The new full-color publication iscalled “Design Portfolio” and it isco-sponsored by BloomNet andproduced by Florists’ Review. Bloom-Net provided fresh floral productalong with Napco containers for usein the publication’s featured designs.“Design Portfolio” made its debut aspart of the July 2012 issue of Florists’Review. “Design Porfiolo” is perfectfor the coffee table or great gift ideasfor new homes.

Renowned floral artist Bill Taylor,AIFD Fellow and a member of the

BloomNet design team, ledthe design phase for “De-

sign Portfolio” whilecollaborating with

Florists’ Review’sdesign visionaryTalmage McLaurin,AIFD and photogra-


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‘TOUR DE FORCE’ OF GERBERAS

3} “I love these vases, because theytake a very ordinary vase form, thebud vase, and make it unique,” Billexclaims. The result is a wonderfullycaptivating marriage between formand function. “The trick is to not useso many flowers, or large flowers thatcover up the butterfly shaped vase top.I like the idea that these three vaseswould be sent as one gift to someonewho could then place them around thehouse, or office, in deference to onelarger arrangement.”

Bill goes on to say that this multi-faceted design can best be describedas a “tour de force” of gerberas,featuring one, then two, and threegerberas each displayed with a dif-ferent foliage. “I especially like usingcyclamen leaves in the green vase,”Bill says. “It’s a foliage we don’t takeadvantage of often enough. What doyou do with an out-of-bloom cyclamenplant? Why not utilize its wonderfulleaves as a cut material?”

To view “Design Portfolio” use thefollowing link: http://issuu.com/frussell/docs/120711150910-8b3ae-ac227d64aafa818890a1d81019f.

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GOOGLE+ AND RELATED APPSBRING MANY POSSIBILITIES TOGETHER.

When most of us were growing up, sharing meantallowing your sister to sample your ice cream oroffering a friend a chance to play with your newtoy. Now, with the availability of a versatile suite of

social apps from Google, sharing takes on a whole new meaning—and the benefits for local businesses can be substantial.

“Google Apps represent the future of collaboration and officeapplications, and they provide a plethora of functions and capa-bilities,” says Ram Ganesan, founder of Sooryen Technologies,a startup focused on making businesses successful with cloud-based technologies and platforms. “It gives small businesses theability to access sophisticated software functions ranging fromvideo conferencing (included) to online document collaborationand website creation for free or for a very small annual fee ($50per user per year).”

Let’s take a look at some of Google’s newest apps and whatthey can bring to your business.

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

Google+, the centerpiece of Google’s new socialapp offering, was originally launched as GoogleCircles and then re-introduced under its currentname. The “Circles” concept remains, enabling us-ers to organize their friends, associates, customersand other acquaintances into neat groupings whereinformation can be shared.

For example, as a retail florist, you could groupcustomers in your Circles according to the kinds of ar-rangements they like, the times of year and for whichoccasions they have bought from you in the past,their typical spend on a given visit to your shop andalmost any other category you can think of. Of course,this can be instrumental in pinpointing your advertis-ing messages along with maximizing the schedulingof your promotions, helping you increase the profit-generation possibilities of your marketing efforts.

To get started with Google+, visit www.google.com/+/business/get-started.html. The first thingyou’ll do is create a profile. Next, you’ll want tocreate a Google+ page where you can add a map,directing customers to your doorstep. On yourGoogle+ page you can also continually post and up-date information enabling customers and prospectsto find out more about your business and its productoffering as well as learn about your design expertiseand other areas of interest.

Your posts are filtered specifically to your Circlesgroups, helping you share messages most effectivelyto create optimal sales potential among the peoplewho are more likely to buy from you.

Furthermore, using Google Sites, you can createyour own content websites in literally minutes. Yoursites could be used to communicate special time-sensitive deals on certain arrangements, which inturn can generate traffic to your brick and mortarstore location and your e-commerce website.

All along, you’ll constantly be growing your Circlesas more and more people follow you online and seeyour posts in their stream. Customers will also be en-couraged to add you to their own Google+ Circles.

CollaborativeEFFORTS

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TECH TALK GOOGLE APPS

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BACK TO SCHOOL DIY

SchoolPROJECTPENCIL FLOWER VASES MAKEGREAT GIFTS FOR TEACHERS.

by Julie Mulligan, Celebrations Expert

SUPPLIES■ 1 glass vase measuring 7

inches (a standard #2pencil is 7 3/8 inches)

■ Pack of #2 pencils—Thisshould be enough to wraparound the vase.

■ Rubber band■ School-themed ribbon■ Flowers

DIRECTIONS■ Place a rubber band

around the glass andinsert the pencils between the glass and the rubber banduntil the entire glass is covered.

■ Hide the rubber band with a fun school-themed or color-ful ribbon.

■ Add about 2 inches of water into the glass (easier fortransporting), but make sure the teacher knows theyshould add more water as soon as possible to keep theflowers fresher longer.

■ Sunflowers are perfect long-lasting flowers, but any flow-ers can be used. Flowers picked from the garden aregreat, too!

Courtesy of Celebrations.com

You can incorporate the Google+ “Badge” feature into yoursite and connect it to your Google+ page, allowing customersto add you to their Circles, while also being able to follow yourpage and see your posts on an ongoing basis.

“Google+ is the glue for all things Google,” Ram says.“While it’s clearly not the most popular social network, Googlehas done a great job weaving together all its offerings aroundGoogle+. This helps get more qualified traffic and more deliverymethods for content marketing and for small business needs.”

Another benefit to your business and its bottom line thatcould be made possible with Google+ is a boost in opera-tional efficiency. “Technology has changed the way we learnand access information. We are accustomed to having informa-tion readily available at our fingertips,” says Maureen Paradine,senior vice president, human resources, for 1800Flowers.com.“Google+ provides us with the ability to share and accessdocuments from any device where we can access a browser.”

For instance, Maureen emphasizes that Google+ makes iteasy to build and update micro sites, create and upload videosand share documents for new hires you employ in your shop.“This is a great way to store new hire information and have iteasily accessible to all,” Maureen states.

GOOGLE+ LOCAL

Just recently, Google unveiled Google+ Local with the strategyof enhancing how people utilize Google to locate and patronizelocal businesses. Using Google+ Local, you can create a profilefor your business, your customers can write reviews about youand share those reviews with their friends and, perhaps bestof all, with a single listing your business can be found acrossGoogle search, maps, mobile and the Google+ platform.

GOOGLE HANGOUTS

“A Hangout is a multi-party, browser-based video conferencingand collaboration solution for up to 10 people at a time,” Ramstates. Besides being a cost- and time-effective alternative toface-to-face meetings that could include you, your staff, yoursuppliers and your customers, you can also reach large audi-ences by using the “Hangout on Air” feature, which allows youto save the Hangout in the form of a YouTube video.

GOOGLE DOCS AND DRIVE

Google Docs provide users with a simple solution for generat-ing and managing documents, spreadsheets, presentationsand other information in a secure manner. Google Drive takesthose capabilities, syncs them together, and makes them us-able on any device, from mobile smartphones and tablets tocomputers. “Google Drive will allow florists to create, uploadand share documents and files that will be accessible fromanywhere without having to purchase expensive software,”Maureen explains.

To find out more about what Google apps can do for yourbusiness, visit www.google.com/enterprise/apps/business/. Formore info on Google+, visit www.google.com/+/learnmore/.

Can a teacher ever have too many #2s? This adorablevase is just a clear beverage glass covered with un-sharpened #2 pencils and tied with an appropriately

themed ribbon.So long as customers have the basic supplies, this DIY

vase project will make for an easy, one-of-a-kind and touch-ing gift for their child’s teacher.


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BLOOMNET IN THE COMMUNITY

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDRIPON, WI

PERMIT NO. 100

One Old Country RoadSuite 500Carle Place, NY 11514

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At the 2012 American Institute of Floral Designers Symposium in Miami, BloomNet donated 500 “Ex-pressions of Flowers” wedding floral selection guides to attendees of the “Afternoon Tea with Friends”luncheon. The AIFD Foundation, Adriene Presti, AIFD and Ron Mulray, AIFD coordinated the luncheon,which featured a fashion show with a live auction of hats and men’s neckties created by some of AIFD’stop designers.

The event raised more than $10,000 for future student scholarships and showcased the talents of AIFDmembers. The AIFD Foundation provides financial support for educational purposes, scholarships, projectsand programs that facilitate the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of floral designand related fields.

Derrick Vasquez, chairman and CEO of the AIFD Foundation, says educators, florists, designers and otherattendees were thankful to receive the wedding guide. “It is a great working tool that will benefit and inspiremany designers to create and enhance the artistry of flowers,” Derrick says.

The BloomNet guide features an extensive compilation of the latest trends in wedding flowers and per-sonalized vision that every bride craves. Designers can explore compelling wedding stories by color palettes,with personalized accents and unique touches that complement their gift for floral artistry. From traditional tochic, BloomNet designed a wide array of possibilities to help florists optimize their wedding business. Selec-tions include bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, flower girl and ring bearer flowers,table décor and much more.

Kae Nilsson, owner of Floral Consultantsin Manitowish Waters, Wis., says she was“tickled and delighted” to receive one ofthe wedding guides. “Having another wed-ding book is always a nice idea, but I reallylike this one because of the way it’s laid outby color,” Kae says. “Most of time nowwe’re selling weddings by color.”

Kae finds that brides are gravitating to-ward brighter colors, and the guide offers awhole realm of possibilities. She also enjoyshow the book showcases a variety of floralaccessories, such as Fitz Design boutonnièreholders. “There are different things that itshows that brides don’t always think of andsometimes I don’t always think of when I’mselling a wedding,” Kae says.

BloomNet Gives Back

ts, boutonnières, corsages, flower girl and ring bearer flowers,

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