It's important to know your products' story
It's important to know your products' story
The change of seasons brings predictable new challenges and opportunities to consider, and the same can be said of the annual cycle of the floral business.
As the industry gears up for its annual push toward Valentine's Day, weather in the production areas will be watched carefully. Retailers in the Northeast will pray for much better weather than last year. The supply chain will struggle with extraordinarily high volumes. And, unfortunately, consumers may be bombarded with negative messages, usually misleading, about how flowers are grown and cared for.
Last year, for example, publication of organic gardener Amy Stewart's book, "Flower Confidential," was timed to coincide with Valentine's Day. This was no accident. A number of stories were generated across the nation about the negative themes in the book. We don't know what the trigger will be this year, but you can bet on another round of negative publicity, just as you can bet on snow in Vermont in February.
With the increasing focus on business sustainability practices, which have been broadly defined to include environmental, social, economic, and product integrity factors, I would guess that much will be written and broadcast about these factors as they relate to floral products.
How does one deal with this onslaught of negative publicity? To be sure, trade associations such as the Produce Marketing Association and the Society of American Florists will monitor the consumer press and be ready to respond to reporters' questions.
But employees on the front lines also need to be prepared for customer questions about the floral products in your stores. The rules are changing quickly and more and more consumers are going to want to be reassured that the floral products you sell have been grown and handled in a "sustainable" way. Will you and your staff be ready to handle even the simplest of questions? While this can be a tough position to be in if you are a front-line sales clerk, it is manageable if you know the basic story of the products you sell.
For example, where do your floral products come from? Under what conditions are they grown and cared for? Are the people who care for these flowers and plants paid a fair wage and treated humanely? What part do pesticides play in the production practices? What is the significance of Florverde, FlorEcuador, or VeriFlora labels?
When the consumer press begins to fill with stories about the floral products we sell in the coming months, it will simply not be acceptable to consumers who are motivated to ask if we don't know the answers to such basic questions. This doesn't mean we need to be on the defensive. I would hope we are proud of the products we sell and can tell a positive story. The simple fact is that the vast majority of growers are striving every day to operate their businesses in a sustainable, responsible way.
Buyers have a responsibility to understand their vendors' story and then communicate the key elements of those stories to their front-line personnel so inquiring consumers can be reassured your floral products will meet their highest expectations. Being prepared will help ensure a successful spring holiday season.
For more on floral, see the Jan. 7 issue of The Produce News.
(Terry Humfeld is vice president of the Produce Marketing Association.group councils. He can be reached at [email protected].)
As the industry gears up for its annual push toward Valentine's Day, weather in the production areas will be watched carefully. Retailers in the Northeast will pray for much better weather than last year. The supply chain will struggle with extraordinarily high volumes. And, unfortunately, consumers may be bombarded with negative messages, usually misleading, about how flowers are grown and cared for.
Last year, for example, publication of organic gardener Amy Stewart's book, "Flower Confidential," was timed to coincide with Valentine's Day. This was no accident. A number of stories were generated across the nation about the negative themes in the book. We don't know what the trigger will be this year, but you can bet on another round of negative publicity, just as you can bet on snow in Vermont in February.
With the increasing focus on business sustainability practices, which have been broadly defined to include environmental, social, economic, and product integrity factors, I would guess that much will be written and broadcast about these factors as they relate to floral products.
How does one deal with this onslaught of negative publicity? To be sure, trade associations such as the Produce Marketing Association and the Society of American Florists will monitor the consumer press and be ready to respond to reporters' questions.
But employees on the front lines also need to be prepared for customer questions about the floral products in your stores. The rules are changing quickly and more and more consumers are going to want to be reassured that the floral products you sell have been grown and handled in a "sustainable" way. Will you and your staff be ready to handle even the simplest of questions? While this can be a tough position to be in if you are a front-line sales clerk, it is manageable if you know the basic story of the products you sell.
For example, where do your floral products come from? Under what conditions are they grown and cared for? Are the people who care for these flowers and plants paid a fair wage and treated humanely? What part do pesticides play in the production practices? What is the significance of Florverde, FlorEcuador, or VeriFlora labels?
When the consumer press begins to fill with stories about the floral products we sell in the coming months, it will simply not be acceptable to consumers who are motivated to ask if we don't know the answers to such basic questions. This doesn't mean we need to be on the defensive. I would hope we are proud of the products we sell and can tell a positive story. The simple fact is that the vast majority of growers are striving every day to operate their businesses in a sustainable, responsible way.
Buyers have a responsibility to understand their vendors' story and then communicate the key elements of those stories to their front-line personnel so inquiring consumers can be reassured your floral products will meet their highest expectations. Being prepared will help ensure a successful spring holiday season.
For more on floral, see the Jan. 7 issue of The Produce News.
(Terry Humfeld is vice president of the Produce Marketing Association.group councils. He can be reached at [email protected].)
