GRASSROOTS SUPPORT SOUGHT FOR PROMOFLOR CAMPAIGN

AMY I. STICKEL

HOUSTON -- PromoFlor is like a freight train in the station -- and supermarket florists need to get involved in the national floral promotion on the local level if they expect it to move, according to the chairman of the National PromoFlor Council.

"I just can't emphasize enough how important it is for you to bring this at every possible opportunity to your local market," said Dave Mears, council chairman and president of Mears Floral Products, Springfield, Mo., speaking at last month's Floral Marketing Association Convention here.

PromoFlor is a federally mandated program that is funded by handlers. Mears said the council is already working to spread Promoflor's "Think Flowers" message at the national level through television and radio ads.

But the impact of the message and of its spokescharacter, Buzz the Bee, will be multiplied tenfold if local retailers support it with in-store point-of-purchase materials and local cable television and radio spots, he said. "We will get the train moving, but it has to gain momentum, and the only way for that to happen is for you to bring it into your local market," he said. "If you can't do the cable or radio, do the collateral material. The more images we have of Buzz out there, the better it is for everyone."

The council, which is based in Annapolis, Md., is providing copies of its radio and television ads free to florists and retailers. The ads can be altered to include a tagline with a company name, address and phone number.

That way, retailers need only pay for air time and customization of the ads, Mears said. While the idea of television advertising might seem intimidating, local cable television can actually be a cost-effective way to get a message out, he said. For example, Mears' marketing agency recently negotiated with local cable stations in Springfield, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla., for commercial air time. Mears also said retailers need to tell their suppliers how much they like the PromoFlor program.