New Trends

Here is a unique new trend I am seeing this prom season - it is more interest in the "business" of prom, not just the pretty part, but the marketing, selling, display and new strategies of turning prom more into a season than just a day.

Every day I talk to florists who are sharing their ideas of what they want to do for this upcoming prom. This generally begins a conversation of sharing - their ideas and our ideas. I have to tell you this is really the fun part of the season for me. After this type of a sharing conversation, this is the kind of thing that really gets me pumped. I really enjoy learning new ideas, and I can hear the excitement in the florists voice when we share our unique ideas.

On March 25th, I will be doing a very unique workshop in Columbus - this is a business only workshop - no design, only marketing, selling, planning and preparation. It is for owners and managers only. This is an idea I had last year, but no one took us up on it. This year we are seeing a real hunger on information about how to be, make and have a successful prom season.

If you have any questions along these lines, give me(us) a call or drop us a line and we will be happy to share. Some of this information is on the website under the support marketing tab.

Trend, by definition, is what is going on now and in most cases it is something new. Let me share a couple that are really getting attention.

This first one has to do with communicating where your customer lives. At prom time we are talking about living in the world of the 16 year old. Two aspects to this - living in their world and also having them to become "moving billboards" for you.

Here is the first tip - instead of calling the boy or the girl to let them know their prom flowers are ready - TEXT them - yes really - text them and attach a picture of the corsage with the text at the same time. This is the world today's students live in - they text long before they call. Then here is what will happen when they get the text - they will immediately begin showing everyone around them - "here, look at my prom flowers" - step 1 to a moving billboard. The next thing that is possible, is that they download it to their myspace and facebook page. Again, you have created moving billboards. Here is another way to think about - what would you have to do to get an extra 50 people to look at your website in one day? Here is an easy way to get 50 extra people to look at your work - have a girl post it on her myspace and face book page. Let them becoming your moving billboards.

The second tip is a little more unique - we call it Signature Corsages - When we share this idea, the florists love it. Take a few minutes a create a small group of signature corsage - stretch your design and most of all stretch your price point. Your not going to sell a lot of these, but you will have planned out for those few girls who are really looking for something different and unique. Then, give them special names, or "signatures" Some examples, name them after different flowers, fun destinations, glamorous cities, fancy Las Vegas hotels, high end cars, etc.

Here is one key point that every florist gets when I share this with them - you will never sell a $100 corsage, until you make one and you know what one would look like.

So now, have some fun with these new trends, try them, I bet you will find they will become a part of your new routine.

Until next time.......