FTD Mercury Messenger - May 2015

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2015

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What’s Inside FTD Educator Competes at International Competition Page 2 New! Advertising Program Helps Florists Boost Local Sales Page 3 NEW! Customize Your Website Page 4

The FTD® Graceful Wonder™ Bouquet

by Better Homes and Gardens® (GWBd)

Letter from Tom

Promote Your Quality Flower Shop Elevate your reputation and promote your quality with the FTD Master Florist Program. Exclusive to qualifying member florists with “best-in-class” quality scores, the program helps you stand out from the competition. Sign up for the program and receive up to $5,000 in benefits including a consumer marketing kit, florist directory advertisement and more.

Call your FTD Field Business Consultant at 800.788.9000 to learn more and find out if you qualify.

Dear FTD Florists, Summer is approaching and it is crucial to build the momentum to grow your everyday business and stay profitable year-round. As your business partner, FTD is continuously developing new ways to help you grow your business. We also know that incoming orders are an important part of your FTD membership and we are excited that a significant volume of additional florist-filled orders will be sent through the Mercury Network starting in July.

Get On a Path to More Fall & Winter Orders

Drive more florist-to-florist and FTD.com orders with the 2015 Fall/Winter Exclusive Collection.

The brilliant collection of stylish arrangements is sure to bring cheer this holiday season.

Here are some other programs that can help you build your local business:

New! Co-op Advertising Dollars Are Waiting for You FTD is pleased to offer co-op advertising dollars to member florists to drive local business to your shop. Drum up local birthday, wedding and other everyday business this summer utilizing the iconic Mercury Man logo. FTD will reimburse 50% of the cost, up to $2,500, through the new Co-op Advertising Program. Learn more at FTDi.com/CoopAdvertising.

Codification deadline is July 21 The FTD® Harvest Hues Bouquet (15-F7d)

Call your FTD® Marketplace™ Representative today at 800.767.4000 for pricing and details.

Drive More e-Commerce Business Are you trying to grow your shop’s visibility online? FTD offers a variety of opportunities for your shop to expand its reach on the Internet.

From custom websites for only $499 to help capture higher conversion rates, to online marketing services that can alert you when information about your shop is inaccurate or out of date, FTD has an offering that can help your shop.

Visit FTDi.com/OnlineMarketingServices to learn more.

Streamline Your Business with FTD® Mercury® POS FTD Florists rate FTD Mercury as the #1 product by FTD. Simplify your business, streamline your workflow and save time with the industry’s most comprehensive point of sale! Contact FTD Technology sales at 800.767.3222.

For more information about these or the many other opportunities FTD has to offer, please contact your local FTD Field Business Consultant or FTD Member Services at 800.788.9000.

Executive Vice President, Florist Division

You can trust sending your next order FTD.

The FTD® Holiday Elegance™ Bouquet for Kathy Ireland Home (15-C9d)

The FTD® Autumn Splendor® Bouquet (15-F5d)

Follow Jacob McCall AIFD to the World Cup in Germany FTD Education Consultant Jacob McCall AIFD will be the U.S. competitor on behalf of FTD for the 2015 Fleurop-Interflora World Cup. The prestigious international design competition will be in Berlin, Germany in June and is held every four-to-six years. FTD Florists have access to Jacob’s journey as he builds props, perfects his designs and travels overseas in his quest to win the prestigious design competition.

#WORLDCUPBERLIN2015 Visit FTDi.com/WorldCup to follow Jacob’s journey.

Celebrating F TD Florists

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A. Charles and Scott Kremp of Kremp Florist, located in Willow Grove, PA sell thousands of bouquets at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The shop has been a part of the flower show for over 40 years. B. FTD Vice President of National Accounts, Ed Cronin, and FTD Director of Marketing & Events, Emily Bucholz (far top left), met with Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s office to lobby for the floral industry during the SAF Congressional Action Days in March. C. Linda Stewart of The Flower Basket in Brunswick, GA, visited the FTD booth at the Georgia State Florists Convention in March. D. FTD Grocery Account Executive Diana Ferguson (right) helps Kurt Ahlemeyer (center), Floral Manager-Hy-Vee Bloomington and Kim Hanson (left), Floral Supervisor-Hy-Vee Corporate celebrate the grand opening of Hy-Vee’s newest location in Bloomington, IL. E. Herman Heyl (left) of Herman J. Heyl Florist in Pittsburgh, PA was hard at work on Valentine’s Day at 80 years old! He is pictured with FTD Mercury Installer Mark Reed (right). F. FTD Regional Vice President, Jim Weedon (left), congratulates Don (center) and Judy (right) Sanderson of C.J. Sanderson & Son Florist, located in Woodbury, NJ, for celebrating 100 years in business. The shop has been an FTD Florist since 1926. Congrats! G. Janet McLeod of East City Flower Shop, based in Peterborough, ON, catches up with FTD Field Business Consultant Angelo Pace at Canadian Florist Business Forum. H. FTD Education Consultant Randy Wooten AIFD, owner of Delorice’s Florist, located in Douglas, GA, is the President of the Georgia State Florists Association. I. Margaret (right) and Nicole (left) DeVries of Acorn Flower Shoppe and Lake Florist, established in Oakville, ON, met up with FTD Field Business Consultant Tim Casson at Canadian Florist Business Forum. J. Exquisite designs featured at the Philadelphia Flower Show in March.

Leverage the F TD Brand to Boost Summer Sales FTD Florists can now leverage the power of the FTD brand in local advertising. Boost everyday sales (like birthdays) this summer and build brand awareness with the FTD Co-op Advertising Program.

When you use the Mercury Man logo in your shop advertising, FTD will reimburse you 50% for eligible FTD co-branded advertising costs up to $2,500 in a calendar year ($3,000 in Canada).

Eligible Advertising: Television (cable and broadcast) Newspaper or Magazine Billboards/Digital Media Radio Direct Mail/Inserts/Catalogs Learn more at FTDi.com/CoopAdvertising.

Showcase Your Brand with a Custom Website Wow your customers and engage shoppers by bringing your shop’s personality and brand to life on your website. FTD Florists Online (FOL) can create a custom website for your shop that is easy to navigate and showcases your floral artistry to help achieve results online. As a small business owner, you do not have to spend thousands of dollars on a website when FOL custom websites are only $499. Plus, there is no charge until you approve the design.

only $499!

Best value in the industry!

Stand out from a basic template design Be proud to showcase your online shop Avoid spending thousands of dollars No charge until you approve the design

Call FTD Florists Online at 866.926.5197 to get started.

New Wedding Essentials Catalog

Learn New Design & Business Tips

The FTD Weddings & Special Events Catalog is a new resource exclusively for FTD Members to purchase a vast selection of shop essentials tailored to wedding and event work. FTD has partnered with industry leaders to bring you an assortment of products and supplies, such as bouquet holders and glassware, to help you maximize your wedding business while minimizing your costs. Leverage FTD’s buying power to help grow your wedding and event business.

FTD University is excited to announce the release of six new, two-minute videos added to the FTD How-To Video Series.

This FREE collection of how-to videos featuring FTD Education Consultants and AIFD designers provides invaluable floral business and design tips to help grow your local business.

The videos offer a perfect opportunity to expand your skills or train employees in just minutes.

NEW!

Visit FTDi.com/FTDUniversity to view the How-To Video Series.

www.ftdi.com

The FTD® New Love™ Bouquet (W38-4714)

Check out the new Wedding & Special Events Catalog at FTDi.com/Promotions.

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Florist Spotlight: Chenoweth Floral & Greenhouses Adam Haidet, manager at Chenoweth Floral & Greenhouses located in New Brighton, MN, is always looking for new ways to make his shop more profitable and efficient. To do so, he orders a variety of shop essentials, from glassware and baskets to large-scale items like a cooler from FTD® Marketplace™. FTD spoke with Adam on how the shop utilizes and benefits from FTD® Marketplace’s vast offerings.

How do you decide what items to stock your shop with each season?

AH: It really comes down to what we need. We do not have a large walk-in business so we gear our shop to fill orders from our website and from wire orders. FTD products do well on our website, and FTD's baskets and vases give a superior look at a great value to us.

What factors do you look for when making purchases from specific vendors?

AH: I most often decide on whether to use a vendor based on pricing and terms. I like to take advantage of free shipping opportunities to save money on larger orders and three-month payment terms, like FTD Marketplace offers.

What do you like about making purchases on everyday shop essentials from FTD® Marketplace™?

AH: I typically find a good deal on the monthly FTD Marketplace postcard that I receive in the mail. I also like that I can save money with FTD’s buying power. The One Stop Shop Catalog is great because I know an item will be available at least the entire year and it makes buying in bulk more convenient.

www.ftdi.com

What type of products do you order from FTD® Marketplace™?

AH: I order a variety of products such as glassware, baskets, all FTD codified products, the high quality Gund® Teddy bears and more. Godiva® is great for add-on sales and the sausage and cheese selections for gourmet baskets are excellent to have as well. I also call FTD Marketplace any time I am looking for a miscellaneous item and my sales representative finds it.

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What do you like best about the vast offerings that FTD® Marketplace™ has available for member florists?

AH: I like that I can get almost anything I need for my shop. Even if an item is not in the Marketplace catalogs my sales representative has been able to order it for me.

Going through FTD is always the easiest option. Being able to order from vendors like U.S. Balloon and John Henry and then charge it to my FTD Clearinghouse Statement makes it so easy.

Chenoweth Floral & Greenhouses purchased a 400-square-foot cooler through FTD Marketplace in 2014.

You purchased a cooler from FTD® Marketplace™ last summer. How would you describe the process from initial order placement through delivery?

AH: I called my Marketplace representative and said I wanted a 400-square-foot cooler. Within 30 minutes, I got called by a vendor to start the process. My sales representative coordinated the order and shipment for me. It was so easy and the shipment came when promised.

“I like that I can get almost anything I need for my shop. Going through FTD is always the easiest option.”

Adam Haidet Why would you suggest that other florists leverage FTD’s buying power to purchase their everyday shop essentials?

AH: FTD is obviously able to create relationships with vendors based on buying power that FTD Florists would not be able to secure themselves. In the event of a problem, for example a broken vase, FTD takes care of it immediately. If you are looking to place a large order, I recommend looking at the pallet delivery shipping option or taking advantage of free shipping when it is offered. You will likely get it cheaper than the wholesaler and that is where you want to be.

Call your FTD® Marketplace™ Representative at 800.767.4000 to see how you can start saving today.

Education & Events Calendar May 30-31, 2015 Opelousas, LA Louisiana State Florists’ Association Convention Louisiana State Florists’ Association www.lsfaonline.com June 7-8, 2015 Hartford, CT Society of American Florists Retail Growth Solutions Society of American Florists www.safnow.org June 12-14, 2015 Orlando, FL Florida State Florists’ Association Convention Florida State Florists’ Association www.floridastatefloristsassociation.com FTD Design Program: EVERYDAY Featured “Everyday Winning Combinations” presented by FTD Education Consultant J. Keith White AIFD June 30-July 4, 2015 Denver, CO AIFD National Symposium American Institute of Floral Designers www.aifd.org Featured FTD Design Program: presented by EVERYDAY “SUDACHI” Yoshimi Nakayama from Japan July 17-19, 2015 Sugar Land, TX Texas Floral Expo Texas State Florists’ Association www.tsfa.org FTD Design Program: EVERYDAY Featured “Roses on Parade” presented by FTD Education Consultant

J. Keith White AIFD July 25-26, 2015 Stillwater, OK Oklahoma State Florists’ Association Conference Oklahoma State Florists’ Association www.osfa.org FTD Design Program: EVERYDAY Featured “Color…An Element of Design” presented

by FTD Education Consultant

Ann Jordan AIFD July 26, 2015 Phoenix, AZ 2015 Arizona State Florists Association Expo Arizona State Florists Association www.azflorists.org

CONNECT WITH US: www.FTDi.com

800.788.9000

facebook.com/MercuryNetwork

July 31-Aug. 2, 2015 Amarillo, TX WesTexas New Mexico Florist Association Convention Jane Terrell 800-996-2812 FTD Design Program: EVERYDAY Featured “The Emotions of Color” presented

by FTD Education Consultant

Jacob McCall AIFD July 31-Aug. 2, 2015 Lexington, KY Kentucky Florists’ Association Convention Kentucky Florists’ Association www.kyflorists.com Aug. 14-16, 2015 Hot Springs, AR Arkansas Florists Association Convention Arkansas Florists Association www.arflorists.org FTD Design Program: EVERYDAY Featured “The Life of the Party” presented

by FTD Education Consultant Ian Prosser AIFD

Aug. 14-16, 2015 Greensboro, NC North Carolina State Florists Association Convention North Carolina State Florists Association www.ncflorist.org FTD Design Program: SYMPATHY Featured “Passion for Sympathy” presented by FTD Education Consultant Randy Wooten AIFD

Aug. 28-30, 2015 Murfreesboro, TN Tennessee State Florists’ Association Convention Deb Hooper 423-942-1419 FTD Design Program: HOLIDAY Featured “Holiday Magic” presented by FTD Education Consultant Deborah De La Flor AIFD Aug. 30, 2015 Denver, CO 2015 Rocky Mountain Floral Expo Floral Association of the Rockies www.floralassociationrockies.org

Check out the 2015 education and events calendar at FTDi.com/FTDUniversity.

Benefit from F TD’s #1 Rated Product Streamline your business with state-of-the-art technology from the company that revolutionized the industry with the first point of sale system built specifically for florists — FTD Mercury Point of Sale.

Rated as the #1 product offered by FTD according to our annual florist feedback study, FTD Mercury is an affordable, easy-to-use and comprehensive shop management solution that cuts overhead and handles day-to-day floral management tasks helping you concentrate on customer satisfaction.

Contact FTD Technology Sales at 800.767.3222 for more information or a FREE demo.

Benefits: Capture customer data to create future email campaigns with Mercury Marketing Print enclosure cards automatically with Order Entry Deliver arrangements on time and to the correct location with address verification and delivery routing Send delivery confirmations on the go with FTD Mercury Mobile