Jan 13, 2006

SAF and FPO Develop AllianceSource: SAF

Recently, the Society of American Florists (SAF) and the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO) decided to bring together their collective resources to form a strategic alliance for 2006. The alliance makes possible groundbreaking university research and public relations programs to promote the unique benefits of flowers in the context of news.

“The SAF/FPO alliance is a new and exciting opportunity for American and Colombian floriculture to continue expanding their work together for the benefit of the entire fresh cut flower industry,” said Ernesto Velez, co-chairman of the FPO Board of Directors.

The following programs will be conducted by SAF and FPO in 2006:

Research by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard University will explore the effects of flowers in the home environment. The study will determine flowers’ impact on happiness, social networking, creativity, eating behaviors, neatness, health, tranquility, aggression, romance, forgiveness and neighbor interactions.

A Living Interiors public relations program will work to generate print and broadcast media coverage of the research results and how-to advice on using flowers in the home. The effort will feature Etcoff and Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Channel’s “Surprise by Design,” as spokespeople for the program. Etcoff will conduct a second study to analyze, in an actual corporate setting, the effects of cut flowers in the workplace, including areas such as employee well being, stress, productivity, morale, creativity and negotiation/group behaviors. The study will expand on SAF’s Impact of Flowers & Plants in the Workplace Productivity Study (2003).

“The research will build upon SAF’s ongoing public relations efforts, providing fresh angles to generate even more media coverage of flowers,” said SAF President Bob Luthultz, AAF. “By working together, we can maximize results.”

In addition to these new programs, through the SAF PR Fund, in 2006 SAF will continue to educate consumers about the benefits of floral gifts and florists through its Flower Fundamentals public relations programs and use of Rebecca Cole as spokesperson. SAF will also develop and distribute new marketing materials and promotional advice to help SAF members capitalize on the fund’s nationwide efforts to build business locally.

The FPO will develop retail support materials to generate sustainability of the new research findings as well as the positive messages generated in the past academic studies SAF has funded. In addition, the FPO will continue its consumer media and PR efforts, as well as its local market partner programs, focusing on the everyday use of flowers for the benefit of all retail channels.