JANUARY 2019
Mercury Messenger FTD WORLD CUP PG. 3
The FTD® Love and Roses™ Bouquet | V1K
LETTER FROM TOM
Cupid Strikes Again Dear FTD Florists,
With Valentine’s Day happening on a Thursday this year, we’re looking for Cupid’s arrow to strike a bull’s-eye! To help you plan for a successful peak holiday period, we want to make sure you have the best tools and information. Our popular holiday resource site is available now for Valentine’s Day, including a comprehensive planning guide, merchandising plan, recipe and SRP product cheat sheets and substitution guidance.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! We’ve been working hard and asking for your feedback to make that special day run smoothly. Here are three goals at the core of our holiday plan: 1) to share information with you to assist in increasing your sales and profitability, 2) to simplify how we work together and help you plan more efficiently, and 3) to deliver a superior consumer experience. Feedback from our newly created Florist Advisory Council has helped to shape our merchandising plans for Valentine’s Day. Based on the results of an email survey, we further refined the final assortment closer to the holiday to help streamline your production. We will also present only our top-selling long stem red rose bouquet (4305) on FTD.com on Valentine’s Day for same-day delivery in select major markets, a plan well received by the advisory council. For the first time, FTD is also offering a $1.00 per order credit for any orders delivered by Noon (local time) on February 14th to all our network florists. Consumer expectations continue to rise and we regularly hear from customers of a high level of dissatisfaction when a delivery is made late in the afternoon or even well into the night. We are asking that you to prioritize your FTD orders, deliver them as early as possible, and reap the benefits – more dollars in your pocket and happier customers! Be on the lookout for our holiday preparedness emails every Monday leading up to Valentine’s Day. You can also review the projected best sellers list and download other useful materials at www.FTDi.com/ValentinesDay. Following Valentine’s Day, FTD is organizing and underwriting the world’s most prestigious floral design competition. The FTD World Cup is held every four to six years and hasn’t been in the USA since 1985! You can learn more about this must-see event on page 3. I look forward to seeing you there as we welcome the international floral community to Philadelphia! Best of luck for a successful Valentine’s Day,
Executive Vice President Florist Division
Check out the projected Valentine’s Day best sellers and more at www.FTDi.com/ValentinesDay.
Special
VALENTINE'S DAY INCENTIVE
As consumers’ expectations continue to rise, we need to meet their needs to build their trust when purchasing flowers for delivery. We know that orders delivered before Noon, especially on a holiday, create a positive gifting experience for the sender and increase the likelihood that they’ll send flowers again.
$1 PER ORDER will be credited for orders scheduled for delivery on February 14th and confirmed as delivered by Noon (local time).
J. Keith White AIFD (left) and Pete Samek AIFD (right) decorate the Rose Parade VIP Vehicles each year.
FTD CONTINUES TRADITION SPONSORING ROSE PARADE®
brand awareness along the parade route to more than 700,000 people, as well as during the television broadcast of the parade to more than 44 million households nationwide!
For more than 60 years, FTD has been affiliated with America’s New Year Celebration®, the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. FTD is excited to continue as the Official Floral Partner of the Rose Parade, which includes designing the floral décor for the parade’s VIP vehicles and a variety of other events leading up to January 1 st. New this year, FTD sponsored the 24 float awards. The iconic Mercury Man logo was included on the banners that introduce each winning float, increasing
Congratulations to this year’s Everyone “Likes” A Parade Sweepstakes winner Samantha Welzbacher from The Flower Basket in San Antonio, TX. Samantha and a guest received an all-expenses paid trip to Pasadena with behind-the-scenes tour of the VIP vehicle decorating and tickets to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Congratulations Samantha! FTD logo shown on the Float Awards banners throughout the Rose Parade.
FTD HOSTS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL
Floral Design Competition THE TOP 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
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The competition will be held at the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show between March 1-3, 2019 and is the Central Feature of the Show.
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The last World Cup floral design competition was held in 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The winner was Alex Choi from South Korea.
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12 experts from around the world will oversee the competition as members of the Jury and Technical Committee.
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The competition includes six design tasks, including three prepared design tasks and three surprise package design tasks.
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Smithers-Oasis® is the exclusive provider of OASIS® Floral Foam and FLORALIFE® flower food for FTD World Cup.
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The competition will feature 23 competitors from around the world.
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Five finalists will be announced during the finals Gala Dinner where they will compete in the final design task on March 3.
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Julie Wilson from Ellijay's Hometown Florist Inc. in Ellijah, GA is the winner of the FTD’s Road to the World Cup Sweepstakes. Julie and a guest will receive an all-expenses paid trip to FTD World Cup!
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AIFD is sponsoring a design demonstration during a reception, which will conclude with an announcement of the 10 semi-finalists on March 2.
Tickets are on sale now! The best value is an All-In Ticket Package for $375 that includes three daily admission tickets to the Flower Show for each day of the competition.
Learn about the competitors at www.FTDWorldCup2019.com and reserve your tickets now. Follow the event @ftdworldcup2019 #ftdworldcup
Celebrating
THE MERCURY FLORIST NETWORK
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A. Nikki Lemler from Welke’s Florists in Milwaukee, WI, receives a Top 100 Sender plaque from FTD Field Business Consultant Dina Dandelles (left) and National Account Vice President Ed Cronin (right). B. Regional Vice President Jim Weed presents Lynne Gaffney from Montville Florist in Uncasville, NJ, with a Top 1000 Partner plaque. C. A team of FTD volunteers delivered 500 bouquets to patients and caregivers at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL to celebrate SAF’s Petal It Forward campaign. Pictured is FTD Quality Services Representative Nicole Bernas with a grateful patient. D. Shotwell’s Floral &Greenhouse in Fargo, ND, celebrated 100 years as an FTD Member in 2018. National Account Vice President Ed Cronin presented J.D. Shotwell (right) with a Top 250 Partner and 100 Year Anniversary plaque. E. Owners Jessica Pearson and Kari Patton from Flowers by Jerry in Rochester, MN, received the 50 Year Anniversary and Top 100 Partner plaques. F. FTD Education Consultant Jacob McCall AIFD, presented a sympathy program at North Dakota State Floral Convention. G. Aiello Mid-Town Florist in Kenosha, WI, is celebrating more than 60 years in business. The shop is run by Chuck Aiello Jr. (front) and his son Chuck Jr. (background). H. Love in Flower Owner Lise Nelly and Field Business Consultant Al McCann visit before the holidays at the shop in Mount Holly, NJ.
Canadian Florist Wins INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
APPLY NOW FOR FTD
Boot Camp Scholarship
FTD Boot Camp Scholarship Recipients at the October 2018 session (from left to right): Karlie Odum from Henderson’s Florist in Lebanon, TN, Shaylan Mitchell from Hy-Vee in Jefferson City, MO, Jaime Correa from Blooms by Confetti in Belize City, Belize, Kathy Stephens from Kerbside Floral in Chatsworth, IL, and Alissa Griffin from Fun and Fabulous Floral and Gifts in Tonganoxie, KS.
Rob Jennings (left) and Ian Prosser
Rob Jennings of Jennings Florists in Victoria, British Columbia, was the winner of the FTD Intern with Ian contest. He worked side-by-side with Ian and his team in October as they brought Ian’s vision for two high-profile events to life. Learn more about Rob’s experience at blog.ftdi.com.
“Awesome.” “Well worth the time away from my shop.” “So much better than I expected.” “Wish I had attended sooner.” “Ann and Pete are amazing teachers.” These are just some of the phrases we hear each time we host our popular FTD Boot Camp three-day workshop. Now, you can experience this top-rated course for next to nothing if you receive one of ten $1,000 scholarships from FTD to attend a session in 2019. Scholarship applications are available now at www.ftdi.com/ftduniversity/scholarships.htm
FLORIST SPOTLIGHT HURRICANE MICHAEL DESTROYS SHOP, BUT NOT SPIRITS
In October, Michael Smith, owner of Artistic Designs Unlimited, saw everything he worked so hard for literally be torn to pieces. A Category 4 hurricane, also named Michael, unexpectedly hit the town of Marianna, Florida, an inland location that typically only experiences tropical storms at worst. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit Florida, with 155 mph winds and gusts estimated up to 200 mph. FTD sat down with Michael to learn more about his experience and how he is rebuilding his business.
FTD: Do you have any advice for other florists on how to prepare for or respond to a natural disaster?
FTD: What damage did your shop sustain? MS: My 10,000-square-foot store was the largest in the county and the Panhandle. It included a floral and gift shop, as well as event rentals. The damage and devastation was so bad that everything needed to be replaced. The west side façade was completely gone and there was no roof. Windows were blown out. There were piles of rubble with torn up insulation and water was everywhere.
Michael Smith, owner of the Artistic Designs Unlimited in Marianna, FL.
FTD: How has FTD been helping you since the storm?
The interior of Artistic Designs Unlimited after the hurricane.
MS: FTD has been amazing. I immediately notified them and mentioned that I wasn’t sure when we would be able to reopen or take orders. Our field representative, Dean Turner, quickly called me to make sure that everyone was safe, and then he asked what we needed. We received daily check-in calls. By the third day after the storm, we needed to run credit cards. FTD helped us with that and also placed messages on our website stating that we could only take orders by phone. In addition, FTD arranged to get us fresh flowers as soon as possible so that we could fill orders.
MS: Your first call after a disaster should be to your insurance company. Keep in mind that when setting up your policy, it covers the building, inventory and shop contents, payroll and loss of business. It’s important to keep paper copies of everything (if you lose power you will be unable access your computers). Box up wedding files, financial papers, bills and other important documents. Also, be sure to forward calls to cell phones and have access to important numbers. Communicate by putting status messages on your website and social media. I also recommend suspending your wire service. And remember, no matter how bad things may be, keep your head up and stay strong! FTD: Is there a silver lining to all of this? MS: After the hurricane, I thought we were done—who would want or need flowers in this time of tragedy? To our surprise, our customers came through and continued to place orders. Many wanted to bring back some normality and beauty to their lives. I realized that we all would get through this. We witnessed that the community came together and supported one another. And, once the store is completely rebuilt, we will have an even better store!
FTD: What steps are you taking to rebuild? MS: We started boarding up the storefront where all the windows were broken. We packed and moved everything out of the shop, and retrieved items that could be salvaged. Carpets, ceiling tiles and insulation were removed and walls were cut two feet above the floor. The roof and exterior are the priority to eliminate continued leaks and moisture issues. Then our attention turns to the interior, requiring new materials and products FTD: How are you currently taking and processing orders? MS: We are able to accept phone orders, but our work and supply space is limited. Our insurance company set us up in a 12 ft. x 24 ft. shed with electricity, and have been told it will be at least six months to a year before we are back in a building.
The exterior of Artistic Designs Unlimited after the hurricane.
TAKE YOUR BUSINESS FURTHER
A "top" view of the arrangements are shown on the FTD.com product page. Shown above is the FTD® Sweet and Pretty™ Bouquet.
Florist Feedback DRIVES CHANGE
Listening to our florist members is the only way we can truly create a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with you. To achieve our goal of recreating a strong network with the world’s best florists, we have created a Florist Advisory Council, including a variety of shops of varying size, location, services and involvement with FTD. Based on feedback from the Florist Advisory Council, there have been several updates to floral product development process that have already occurred in response to your comments.
CONNECT WITH US
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All floral arrangements are designed and photographed all-around instead of one-sided. This will help to improve the customer experience because the design the customer views online and bouquet delivered will be the same. A top view of the bouquet is also presented to the customer showing the all-around design.
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When photographing all new floral arrangements, the actual flowers will be photographed in the actual container – no more altering flowers, so that the products are presented more naturally.
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Low-volume arrangements will be closely monitored and removed from FTD.com more frequently. For example, FTD recently removed more than 100 low-volume sympathy and wedding items from FTD.com to help streamline production in your flower shop.
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Seasonal varieties, such as tulips, peonies and amaryllis, will be closely monitored and removed from FTD.com when no longer in season or too cost prohibitive. This will help prevent a florist from rejecting an order that should not be offered to the customer.
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The diameter of codified containers are wider to ensure that all of the design styles fit appropriately, thereby eliminating the possible tipping over of fuller arrangements
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New Second Choice messaging for FTD.com orders was added to be more descriptive about what is permitted to improve customer satisfaction. For example, all orders for a codified product now includes the following as the Second Choice message: “Same container, same color, harmony, value, look and feel” rather than “Same container, similar arrangement.”
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