WF&FSA’s Marketing Campaign Broadens Focus & Expands Floral Sales Category

WF&FSA's Marketing Campaign, like its members, is broadening its focus beyond the traditional industry. The goal is to expand floral as a sales category.

The new Campaign helps members to compete in the following markets – Retail Florists, Independent Grocers and Event Planners.

Retail Florist

The WF&FSA Marketing Campaign provides members with marketing ideas and programs that they can share with their Retail Florists.

•Format "Best Practices" from the Florist of the Year winners to deliver short, concise and proven marketing tips to florists.
•Conduct audio conferences with Florist of the Year winners as presenters.
•Make industry experts available to Retail Florists through their wholesale distributor.
•Refresh and distribute marketing tools already developed by WF&FSA.

Through Direct2Florist WF&FSA continues to provide Internet orders to over 1,800 florists in the U.S. and Canada at full value.

Independent Grocers and Event Planners

WF&FSA is expanding its marketing efforts to include Independent Grocers and Event Planners to help them expand floral as a critical element of their business.

WF&FSA will approach both markets with a three step program

Step One

Investigate the business practices of each segment and educate WF&FSA members. Create a "road map" that will help WF&FSA members understand how to be more successful in these markets.

Step Two

Market and communicate directly to independent grocers and Event Planners about the value of floral to their business. Tell them about the value of wholesale distributors and their marketing partners.

Step Three

Build on the efforts of the first two steps and grow the relationship with these market segments over time.

President's Club

The WF&FSA Marketing Campaign is supported by voluntary contributions to the President's Club. Below is a list of the different levels of membership in President's Club.

Platinum PLUS ($2,500 and up)
Platinum Members ($1,000- $2,499)
Gold Members ($500- $999)
Silver Members ($250- $499)

All contributors receive the following recognition:

•Be listed on the WF&FSA website.
•Recognition in netWORK.
•Recognition on badge at the Conference.
•Name on President's Club sign.

Special recognition is given to those who contribute to the Platinum Level ($1,000 – $2,499) or the Platinum PLUS Level ($2,500 and up). In addition to the benefits of being a gold and silver member, Platinum Level & Platinum PLUS Level contributors receive:

•Company logo listed on homepage of the WF&FSA website.
•Company logo linked to your website, helping to promote your company

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Other Components of the Campaign

Marketing Essentials Guide – The Marketing Essentials Guide (Members Only) includes information on best practices, open houses, marketing techniques and more. It is free to members.

Selling to Supermarkets– This 60-page Selling to Supermarkets manual (Members Only) is specifically tailored for wholesalers and offers guidelines for selling fresh and hardgoods products to small and mid-sized supermarkets. It is designed to help you increase business opportunities in the supermarket floral business. The handbookwas written by Anna Holden, who has over 20 years of floral mass market and wholesale experience.

Convenience Store Retailing Fact Sheet– This is a three-page Convenience Store Retailing fact sheet (Members Only) that will help you understand the needs of convenience store retailing including margins, labor issue and distribution.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy From Wholesale Florists– Based on a blind, non-biased national survey of independent retail florists, wholesalers represent the best value for the money – and their value comes in many forms, such as satisfaction, reliability, accuracy, responsiveness, expertise and much more. To access the list, click here.

Source: Wholoesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association