March 8 is Women’s Day and unless you live under a rock you’ve heard or seen the buzz about this up-and-coming flower-giving occasion. This year, be prepared to see the true benefit, which will be increased sales and greater flower appreciation across all channels.

Throughout the flower industry, growers, retailer, marketers and bouquet-makers have all been working to create awareness for this day, and 2016 will be the year when we see a lot of individual companies’ efforts come together to influence consumer behavior during the traditional flower gap between Valentine’s Day and Easter.

The author Paulo Freire said, “There is, in fact, no teaching without learning. One requires the other.” So as we approach Women’s Day, what have we learned?

• Consumers are excited to have more reasons to celebrate. for both men and women, purchasing flowers for the women in their lives is a low-stress, fun way to also brighten up the end of winter and to welcome spring.

• Mass-market retailers, florists and flower wholesalers have seen sales positively affected across all demographics — Women’s Day is not just celebrated by communities with strong eastern European heritage.

• One flower does not fit all on Women’s Day. This is a huge upside to Women’s Day because a tulip or an iris bouquet is equally as appropriate as yellow roses or stargazer lilies.

• Women’s Day is not for rehashing Valentine’s Day. Red is not in the color palette.

• Starting your Women’s Day celebration with flowers is just the beginning. Some consumers want to participate on a larger community level, and the inherent symbolism of flowers is a perfect match. But no matter what level of involvement, consumers want to celebrate Women’s Day.

• Educating florists and floor-level retail employees is the single best way to spread the word about Women’s Day. After consumers see in-store signage or catches a post about Women’s Day on Facebook, their first question will be, “How do I celebrate Women’s Day?” Having your employees ready to answer this question is the quickest way to get the sale and create more advocates for Women’s Day.  

So how do you celebrate Women’s Day? Answer: You celebrate Women’s Day by giving all the women in your life flowers. Family, friends, teachers, co-workers and even strangers are fair game — the purpose is to show that you honor and respect all that they do.

Traditionally, a person will buy a bunch of flowers, such as tulips, and then hand them out stem by stem. And yes, it’s appropriate for women to give flowers to other women, as well as men to give flowers to women. When was the last time you brought your daughter flowers? When was the last time you brought flowers to your kids’ teachers or day care providers? Or how about the barista that always remembers how you like your coffee? Wouldn’t it be fun to walk through your office and give a few stems to every woman you work with — even your boss?

Sun Valley Chief Executive Officer Lane DeVries often says, “I have never seen a consumer receive flowers and not be happy.” This simple but thought-provoking statement is at the heart of Women’s Day and actually at the heart of our entire industry.

Bill Prescott is the marketing and communications associate at Sun Valley Floral Farms in Arcata, CA. He can be contacted at [email protected].